A chemical oceanographer with a research interest in organic geochemistry, Dr. Bob Chen is a professor in the Environmental, Earth, and Ocean Sciences Department of University of Massachusetts Boston. His research interests include:

• Dissolved organic carbon cycling in ocean margins
• Chromophoric (colored) dissolved organic matter sources and cycling in estuaries
• Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy for in situ measurements of pyrene
• Tracking sources and distributions of organic contaminants in coastal waters
• Applications of fluorescence spectroscopy to marine environmental problems
• Coastal environmental sensor networks

Bob's field work takes him and his graduate students out into the Neponset watershed, where he also deploys remote sensing devices. Explore the activities related to Bob's research in At Work.

Bob's experience as co-PI (Principal Investigator) for COSEE New England gave him the opportunity to work with a balanced portfolio of partners to support capacity building, outreach, and program delivery. Using the knowledge he gained through working in COSEE - on how to build strategic collaborations, work with multiple disciplines, develop programs through research and development, and how to bridge cultural gaps - Bob has expanded both his reach as well as COSEE's.

His work in COSEE has helped scientists achieve broader impacts for their research, and helped identify and propagate effective practices, innovations, and products that emerged. Bob has disseminated these products and lessons learned through multiple presentations and publications. He has also won many awards for his work in education and outreach, including the UMass Boston President's Award. In March 2010, Bob helped COSEE move toward an international presence by helping organize a COSEE China planning workshop in Beijing. Explore Bob's education and outreach activities in Collaborations.

Throughout Bob's work on his research and in education and outreach, he exhibits his passion for engaging other scientists, for inspiring students, for initiating cultural change, for collaborating - and manages to do it all successfully. Explore how he sees his role in all of these activities - and how others see him - in Viewpoints.