As an undergraduate at the University of Montana, Amanda Rosier studied oil-degrading bacteria. “Microorganisms are so powerful in helping us solve human-made problems,” she said. “There’s so much we don’t know about them. It’s like a whole frontier of …

Kyra Kim is at the beach again, but her Ph.D. advisor won’t mind. Kim’s research is among the first to explore the biochemistry of the wet sand zone on beaches.