Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) has been awarded a grant from the Alcoa Foundation to support environmental research and education led by C. Patrick Heidkamp, professor of environment, geography, and marine sciences (EGMS). Emma Cross and Scott Graves, also EGMS faculty at SCSU, serve as co-principal investigators.
The grant, awarded for a three-year period, supports the establishment of the Eastfjords Transdisciplinary Environmental Research Network, known as TERN. The network focuses on understanding the state of fragile ecosystems in rural Iceland, including areas where industrial and aquaculture activity exists.
“Supporting research initiatives like this reflects the Alcoa Foundation’s focus on advancing environmental resilience in regions where Alcoa operates,” said Caroline Rossignol, president of the Alcoa Foundation. “By contributing to efforts that expand understanding of ecosystems, we help support informed approaches to environmental stewardship over time.”
TERN scientists will monitor water quality and biodiversity in the region using a variety of scientific methods. These include visual surveys, sensors, and Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis of water samples.
In East Iceland, TERN builds on more than a decade of research conducted by Heidkamp and a team of Southern students and faculty, as well as scientists from the University of Iceland, Aarhus University in Denmark, Liverpool John Moores University in England, and Earlham College in Indiana.
The TERN researchers will be based at the Skálanes Nature and Heritage Centre in Seyðisfjörður, known for its stunning natural landscape, artistic community, and sustainability efforts. Heidkamp has run a summer international education program at Skálanes since 2011, providing scores of Southern students with vital field and laboratory experience.
“We have been doing this research on a shoestring budget,” said Heidkamp. “This grant — by far the largest we’ve received for our work in Iceland — is the culmination of more than a decade and a half of research. Having the Alcoa Foundation recognize the importance of this work is incredibly exciting.”
The grant will support two graduate students in Southern’s new master’s program in coastal resilience. The students, known as TERN Fellows, will receive full funding, including tuition, fees, and travel expenses. Each fellow will complete six credits in Iceland during the summer term.
The first fellow, with a background in the natural sciences, will begin in fall 2026. A second fellow, with an academic focus on the social sciences and fluency in the Icelandic language, will start in fall 2027.
Funding from the Alcoa Foundation will expand monitoring efforts across Iceland’s Eastfjords, a region that remains relatively understudied. The project will generate critical data on the region’s water quality and biodiversity status.
A central component of the initiative is community engagement. The grant will support outreach efforts with the local community, including collaboration with teachers and students at the local junior college in Egilsstaðir, East Iceland.
Heidkamp emphasizes that research should be mutually beneficial for both scientists and the communities they study. “Every time we travel, there is a significant carbon cost,” he says. “So, if we are traveling for education and research, we should be providing something in return to benefit the community.”
He added that the TERN program is designed to move beyond “fly-in, fly-out” research by building sustained relationships and sharing knowledge with local stakeholders.
Heidkamp’s commitment to international education is also personal. A native of Germany who first came to the United States as an exchange student, he funded his education through competitive cycling and construction work. That experience, he said, continues to shape his approach to teaching and mentorship. “International education changed the course of my life,” Heidkamp said. “As an exchange student, I experienced firsthand how transformative it can be. Creating opportunities like this for our students is incredibly important.”
