Press Releases

December 10, 1999
Brett Purinton Receives Evan Frankel Scholarship

Contact:
Debbie Hare
(631) 287 8313
Fax: (631) 283 4081

Brett Purinton of North Ferrisburgh, VT and a student at Southampton College of Long Island University in Southampton, NY has been awarded a $4,000 scholarship by the Evan Frankel Foundation of East Hampton. A marine science major, Brett is the son of Cindy and Barry Purinton of North Ferrisburgh.

Winning the scholarship will afford Brett the opportunity to travel to Australia in Spring 2000 for an internship with Dr. William Skirving of the Australia Institute of Marine Science. The Institute is involved in a variety of studies from coral reef ecology to physical oceanography. Brett will be researching satellite oceanography.

He began his fascination with the ocean ten years ago when he saw a National Geographic special on underwater photography. He was mesmerized by the images of undersea creatures and spent the next year and a half "bugging" his parents about scuba diving. "Finally, for my twelfth birthday they gave me lessons. I was the youngest person in my class, could barely carry my gear and once suited up I could hardly walk," he said. "I stumbled into the water for my open water dives and came out of the water a certified scuba diver. My first dream had been fulfilled. Before I turned thirteen, I was an advanced diver, and by sixteen I was a certified rescue diver."

Working for the Vermont Maritime Museum gave Brett the opportunity to study the history of Lake Champlain and the effects of zebra mussels on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. Southampton College was the next step in his goal to study marine science. "When I was accepted at Southampton College, I thought my life was coming together," he said. His education has included research duties at the Southampton College Marine Station requiring a high level of dependability. This research ranged from scallop ecology to sea turtle retrieving and tagging. Now in his third year at Southampton, Brett has decided to focus on Oceanography. Completing an internship is only one step towards his final goal. Brett writes: "My dream of studying the ocean has never wavered. My life will always to closely linked to the waters of our world. I hope to be able not only to gain experience but also increase my knowledge of the world."

The Evan Frankel Foundation was established in April 1991 in memory of Evan Frankel, who received an Honorary Degree from Southampton College in 1982 and was instrumental in founding the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. The foundation's primary emphasis is in higher education, the humanities and the environment.

Southampton College's Marine Science Program is nationally recognized for its excellence and was featured as the top academic program in a special "Best of Long Island" issue of the New York Times. The Marine and Environmental Sciences Programs have produced a total of 31 Fulbright Scholars, two Udall Scholars and a Marshall Scholar in the past 24 years.