CCU Graduate School

Yesterday, Dr. Fredanna McGough, interim dean of The Graduate School, participated in the Celebration of Scholarship hosted by University Libraries and The Office of Research.

The Celebration of Scholarship gives students an opportunity to explore faculty research through poster presentations and readings, connect with colleagues, and experience the innovative research happening across our campus.

Dr. McGough’s poster presentation was on her research titled Personal and Communal Responsibility to Mitigate COVID-19 Spread on a University Campus.

Published this past January, the article, co-authored by Paul E. Richardson, Lindsey R. Bell, and Michelle M. Bartley, uses the Health Belief Model (HBM) to explore how personal and communal responsibility influenced COVID-19 spread on a university campus by comparing HBM attitudes with mitigating behaviors (hand washing, face coverings. and social and physical distancing).

🎓 Oct. 15 Priority Deadlines

Thinking about taking the next step?

Several graduate programs and certificates have priority deadlines approaching.

For eligible degree programs, applying by the priority deadline may provide consideration for graduate assistantships and funding opportunities. Early application also gives students more time to prepare for the semester ahead.

Programs with Oct. 15 priority deadlines include:

✅ Master of Business Administration

📜 Certificate in Applied Artificial Intelligence
📜 Certificate in Cybersecurity
📜 Healthcare Administration Certificate

Learn more and apply at https://www.coastal.edu/academics/colleges/graduate-school/apply-now/

Thinking about graduate school? 🎓

Join us for our next Virtual Information Session on October 7 and learn more about graduate education at Coastal Carolina University.

Whether you're exploring your options, considering a career change, or ready to take the next step, this is an opportunity to connect with us, learn about graduate programs, and get answers to your questions.

📅 October 7, 6 p.m.
💻 Virtual Event

For more details and to register, visit: https://www.coastal.edu/academics/colleges/graduate-school/connect/

There's more than one way to connect with The Graduate School. 🎓

Whether you're exploring your options, preparing an application, or simply have questions, we're here to help.

💻 Virtual Information Sessions
💬 Drop-In Virtual Office Hours
🏫 Personalized Campus Visits

Choose the option that works best for you and take the next step on your graduate school journey.

To learn more and connect with us visit: https://www.coastal.edu/academics/colleges/graduate-school/connect/

New graduate student Dakota Baxter had quite an exciting start to his first semester at Coastal in the CMWS program.

He joined a research cruise helping collect samples for marine science research while gaining valuable field experience alongside CCU faculty and fellow graduate students.

Check out the photos he shared with us, and learn read about Dakota's experience: https://www.coastal.edu/news/fall2026/graduatestudentgainshands-onresearchexperienceaboardresearchcruise/

CCU Gupta College of Science and Engineering

(Photos courtesy of Dakota Baxter)

Thank you to Dr. Sheena Kauppila (Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences) and Dr. Sangeeta Saxena (Conway Medical Center College of Health and Human Performance) for joining us today as the first two presenters for our new Spill the Tea on Graduate Research series.

Dr. Kauppila’s discussion focused on data collection methods and how to maintain/ensure the integrity of data. The presentation emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of collected data, particularly in surveys and online research where bots and fraudulent responses can compromise results.

Dr. Saxena discussed systematic reviews as a type of rigorous research methodology that leverages existing published data to answer focused research questions. Systematic reviews provide a valuable alternative when collecting primary data is difficult, costly, or limited by access to participants.

Great work by these two graduate program coordinators!

Congratulations to Dr. Diane Fribance (marine science) and her CMWS students, Jordan Small and Payton Merica, on a recent trip and presentations at the Physics of Estuaries and Coastal Seas (PECS) Conference in Portland, ME on August 9-14.

They shared recent research results integrating biogeochemical and physical data to understand how the fresh water from a river plume changes with time as it moves away from the coast, how waters from different plumes can be identified even after two plumes interact with one another, and whether it is possible for a river plume to increase biological productivity tens of kilometers from the shore.

In addition to presenting they also made new connections with colleagues in the coastal physical oceanography community.

CCU Gupta College of Science and Engineering

A huge thank you to Sarah Wessinger '22 for returning to Coastal and sharing her work with our graduate students.

Sarah, MSCMWS '22, visited CCU yesterday as a presenter in this semester's Gupta College of Science and Engineering Marine Science Seminar Series. After working with Dr. Erin Hackett during her undergraduate and master's studies at Coastal, she is now just months away from earning her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from Texas A&M University.

Next February, she will begin a postdoctoral position with CNES, the French national space agency. We're proud to see our alumni making an impact around the world.
CCU Gupta College of Science and Engineering