Dear Friends,

A few weeks ago, we congratulated our 2021 SMEA graduates. As summer arrives to Pacific Northwest with some record-breaking temperatures, SMEA is busy with projects. Rising second-year students and faculty have turned to their research. Some faculty are planning their studies in California and Alaska, others in Mexico, Japan, Brazil, Europe, and Bangladesh. And, many are staying in the Pacific Northwest, studying our natural resources, ecosystems, and communities. After more than a year of remote work, SMEA staff is preparing for the return to in-person Fall quarter, with the largest ever incoming class.

SMEA faculty expanded in academic year (AY) 2020/21. Three new faculty joined us: Assistant Professor Eréndira Aceves-Bueno, Associate Professor Anne Beaudreau, and Professor of Practice Phil Levin.  Though they have not yet moved to their respective SMEA offices (due to COVID), they have been busy teaching, mentoring, and conducting research. In addition to our faculty and students, postdoctoral scholars significantly contribute to our research productivity. This academic year, SMEA also welcomed four new postdoctoral scholars.

During this academic year, the COVID pandemic posed extraordinary challenges for all UW instructors. Moving our course delivery online required a reevaluation of key components of pedagogy. The SMEA Curriculum Committee organized a short workshop on online teaching. We redesigned our courses to maximize students’ engagement in Zoom classes. Despite multiple new challenges, students evaluated our teaching as very effective. Across the twenty-two courses we offered this academic year, student evaluations averaged 4.5, on the scale from 0 to 5. And five courses received 5.0. I am immensely proud and grateful for all the extra work and care our faculty and staff put into teaching and supporting our students during this difficult year while taking care of their own health and their families.

COVID meant that other activities such as field work to collect new data and professional travel essentially stopped. However, SMEA faculty and students continued to work analyzing existing data, publishing papers, and planning for future research projects. I am particularly appreciative of students who had to adjust their research projects to complete them with already published and publicly available data. While this and other adjustments made our graduates more adaptable and resilient researchers, it also slowed them down and imposed additional health and sometimes financial burden.

SMEA also worked hard to ensure funding for our graduate students. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and new large undergraduate courses which allowed us to hire Teaching Assistants, we were able to fund twenty student/quarters through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or fellowships. We funded an additional thirteen student/quarters through hourly employment.

SMEA faculty are internationally recognized for their scholarship. In the AY 20-21, we published 30 articles in prestigious environmental, marine, and interdisciplinary journals, including two in Science. Many of these were co-authored with our students. We submitted twenty-four grant proposals, totaling about $8 million: nine to federal agencies, eight to research consortia, four to foundations, one to a Native American Tribal organization, and two for internal UW funding. Twelve of these proposals were funded in the total amount over $2 million.

Several SMEA faculty, staff, and students, and alumni received prestigious fellowships and recognitions. The National Center for Atmospheric Research has named Assistant Professor Cleo Woelfle-Erskine to its Early Career Faculty Innovator Program. Jackie Chapman received the 2021 College of the Environment Distinguished Staff Member Award. Three SMEA 2020 graduates were awarded  the Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship: Henry Bell, Emily Buckner, and Elise Lasky. Two SMEA graduates were admitted to the  NOAA 2021 Knauss Fellowship Program: Kathryn Dalton and Megan McKeown. And on June 17, 2021, the U.S. Senate confirmed SMEA alumna, Vice Admiral Linda L. Fagan, as the Vice Commandant in the United States Coast Guard. CONGRATULATIONS.

In a few months, we will welcome our largest incoming cohort of 45 students. We are excited to finally meet our students in person. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, University of Washington’s GO-MAP and Top Scholar Programs, and the Dean’s office, we are able to offer financial assistance to five incoming students.

A big thank you to our alumni, donors, and friends from the community who continue to support our work. Your contributions play a vital role in our efforts to recruit excellent and diverse students and support our research. Flexible private support – your support – plays a critical role, from funding student research projects to strengthening our capacity to attract students from underrepresented and marginalized communities, SMEA needs your support. Please consider making a gift to the Donald McKernan Discretionary Fund today. To learn more about how you can tailor your giving to achieve maximum impact for our students and faculty, please reach out to me to begin a conversation. I’m grateful for your commitment to our shared community.

I wish you a safe and pleasant summer and hope to see you in the fall at our events. And, of course, feel free to stop by for a chat and a cup of coffee or tea.

Nives Dolšak, Director