Saucon Grad to Receive Ph.D., Study at Woods Hole

Note: The following information was contributed.

Matthew H. Long, a 2000 graduate of Saucon Valley High School and son of Rodney and Mary Ellen Long of Hellertown, will be receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in Environmental Science in May.

After graduating from Albright College summa cum laude in 2004 with a double major in Environmental Chemistry and BioChemistry, Long went on to complete his Master's degree in Environmental Science at the University of Virginia, working on biogeochemical cycling in carbonate tropical systems. His doctoral research involved tropical seagrasses, coral reefs and Arctic sea-ice sheets, where he developed groundbreaking scientific instruments to measure the productivity, biogeochemical cycling and health of coastal ecosystems that support much of the ocean’s biodiversity and fisheries.

His graduate scientific papers and experiments took him to ocean sites and laboratories in the Florida Keys, under the ice in Greenland, to universities in Germany and Denmark, and sites in the Caribbean.

A master scuba diver, Long has logged many hours underwater with his experimentation, and works with other scientists from around the globe. Being on the cutting edge of this unique scientific research has awarded Long a coveted postdoctoral scholarship with the renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Dr. Long will continue his scientific research activities there in June.