GCRL Welcomes Saillant, Wu to Department of Coastal Sciences

The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory recently announced the addition of Dr. Eric Saillant and Dr. Wei Wu to the Department of Coastal Sciences faculty as assistant professors of coastal sciences.
 
A native of France, Dr. Saillant's research expertise is in aquaculture and conservation genetics. His research interests include the application of molecular markers to breeding programs and the development of gender control techniques in aquaculture. He also has interest in molecular population genetics applicable to conservation biology, fisheries management and stock enhancement.

"Dr. Saillant's experience in reproductive biology, population genetics and breeding genetics fills a prominent void in our department and our rapidly developing Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center," said Dr. Jeff Lotz, department chairman.

Saillant received his doctorate in reproduction and development biology from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier in France. He holds two masters degrees, one in bio- and molecular technologies from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes and another in aquaculture and fisheries management from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier. 

A member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Saillant was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University before joining Southern Miss. 

Wu is a landscape ecologist whose research interests include an interdisciplinary approach to modeling real and complex ecosystems in a spatial context. Ultimately, she hopes to understand how human activities, such as land use and cover changes, population growth, energy use, air pollution and forest disturbance will affect microclimate and natural resources.

"Dr. Wu's experience in ecosystem modeling using statistics, GIS and remote sensing, along with her stellar quantitative skills, make her a welcome and needed addition to our department," said Dr. Lotz.

Wu received her doctorate in systems ecology from the State University of New York and holds a master's degree in computer sciences from Syracuse University.   

"I view teaching as an interactive process that tries to bring the best out of students," said Wu, "not only conveying knowledge to them, but equipping them with tools to think and solve practical problems in a more efficient way."

Wu's postdoctoral research was in biogeochemical modeling -- assessing the impact of atmospheric acid depositions on soil and water quality.

Located on the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory focuses on sustainable coastal and marine resources, development of new marine technologies and the education of future scientists and citizens. The GCRL is home to the Department of Coastal Sciences, the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center, the Center for Fisheries Research and Development, and the Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center. It is in the university's School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, College of Science and Technology. More information can be found at www.usm.edu/gcrl.

Dr. Eric Saillant

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