Dear SMEA friends! 
Greetings from SMEA. We had an exciting spring with presentations of outstanding capstone projects and thesis research, from the sea to the land, from Dungeness crab, fisheries management, ship strike hazards, to subsistence food production, offshore wind, to education, critical mineral mining, labor rights, and climate change policy implementation. You can watch recordings of these presentations here. We celebrated our graduates’ accomplishments, including outstanding thesis research and the impact our students make on our communities. 

On Thursday, June 11, 2026, the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs celebrated the Class of 2026, honoring 29 students who earned their Master of Marine Affairs (MMA) degrees. These graduates now join an esteemed community of nearly 1,000 alumni and world-class policymakers dedicated to building a resilient future in marine and environmental affairs.
The ceremony began with opening remarks from SMEA Director Dr. 

The 2026 capstone and thesis projects at SMEA showcased a diverse range of interdisciplinary research addressing important environmental and social issues. Capstone partnered with communities and organizations to address real-world environmental challenges, including tribal perspectives on offshore wind development, fish barrier removal coordination with the South Whidbey Basin, and the continuation of Chief Leschi School’s food forest. Thesis students conducted independent research on topics ranging from critical mineral sourcing, forced labor in fisheries, and vessel strike reduction. 

We are excited to welcome Dr. Shana Hirsch as the newest faculty member at SMEA. As a qualitative social scientist with a background in natural resource politics, policy, and management, Shana’s work explores how emerging technologies shape sustainability, environmental management, and climate resilience. Her research spans offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy, and the environmental monitoring and restoration

technologies, with a strong focus on how these innovations impact communities, policy, and equity.  

Tanya Pelach is a citizen of the Quinault Indian Nation and serves as Deputy Director of the Quinault Indian Nation’s Division of Natural Resources. In this role, she helps lead efforts to steward and protect Tribal lands, waters, and treaty-reserved resources, supporting the Nation’s long-term environmental and cultural priorities.
Before joining the Quinault Indian Nation, Tanya served as the Natural Resource Program Manager for the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), where she worked on fisheries, forestry, and environmental policy issues affecting Tribal communities throughout the region. 

What the Tide Washed In 
We’re always glad to hear about the accomplishments of our graduates. This column is a hit-and-miss collection of things I discover at high tide around my desk, or that are reported to me as found by others or by the individuals themselves. Dear friends, do not be afraid to let me know about the excellent work you are doing – it can inspire others. 

SMEA Associate Professor Dr. Sunny Jardine is a co-author of a newly published article in PLOS ONE, contributing to research that advances our understanding of environmental sustainability and resource management.
The publication highlights the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex environmental challenges and reflects SMEA’s commitment to producing impactful research that informs policy, management, and decision-making.
We congratulate Dr. Jardine and her co-authors on this accomplishment and are proud to celebrate the continued contributions of SMEA faculty to environmental scholarship. 

Three School of Marine and Environmental Affairs faculty members recently participated in the University of Washington College of the Environment’s inaugural Community-Engaged Research Symposium. The event brought together researchers, students, and community partners from across the College to showcase community-engaged research and foster new collaborations.
Representing SMEA were Professor Patrick Christie, Associate Professor Anne Beaudreau, and Professor of Practice Phil Levin. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs will hold its next faculty meeting on Thursday, June 4th, at 12:00 pm. Please see below for location details:
MAR Room 268 or via Zoom
A copy of the meeting agenda is provided, 6-4-26 Faculty Meeting Agenda .docx. Please contact Hailie Borges (hrb25@uw.edu) with any questions or for more information. 

Congratulations to our soon-to-be grads for completing their Thesis and Capstone projects!
Check out their work below!

Thesis:

Anna Lewis
Beyond Supply Chains: A just mining index for assessing critical mineral sources (10 a.m.) Link

Justin Hirsch
Assessing the Prevalence of Forced Labor Indicators in the US North Pacific Albacore Tuna Fishery (10:30 a.m.) Link

Isaac Olson
Comparing ocean acidification communication strategies and effectiveness in marine education centers (2:30 p.m.) Link

Emma Klessig
How Countries Frame Their Climate Commitments: Explaining Cross-National Variation in NDC Policy Implementation Specificity (3 p.m.) Link

Hannah Brown
Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus Magister) molt data utility in life-stage linkages and abundance estimates in Puget Sound (10:30 a.m.) Link

Emily Bews
Predictive habitat suitability modeling of Nereocystis Luetkeana in San Juan County, WA (2 p.m.) Link

Meredith Dirkman
Economic Valuation of the Ecosystem Services Provided by Nereocystis Luetkeana in the Puget Sound (2:30 p.m.) Link

Marisa Campbell
A probabilistic framework for evaluating ship strike hazard and the effectiveness of vessel speed reduction policies (3 p.m.) Link

Maddie Gard
Blooming Concerns: Alexandrium Catenella in Puget Sound (3:30 p.m.) Link

Capstones:

Maya Ades, Sawyer Jenkins, and Dietrich Trumen
Assessing the Prevalence of Forced Labor Indicators in the US North Pacific Albacore Tuna Fishery (11 a.m.) Link

Rebecca Ballantyne, Margaret Jelsma, and Jane Wybenga
Tribal Perspectives on Offshore Wind Development & Tribal Benefit Agreements (11:50 a.m.) Link

Eitan Gerstle, Erica Mackenzie, and Elise Wilson-Leedy
Addressing Data Gaps and Coordination Challenges in Fish Barrier Removal in the South Whidbey Basin (1:45 p.m.) Link

Josh Hymes, Marrissa Scott, and Miriam Stearns
Communicating Subsistence Management to Broaden Pathways for Public Engagement in Southeast Alaska (11 a.m.) Link

Will Burnham and Zoe DeGrande
Taking Root: Reflections on Collaborative Food Forest Creation with Chief Leschi Schools (11:30 a.m.) Link