Dear SMEA friends!

SMEA is humming with activities. Several walk-in-freezers on the first floor were removed to create space for a large classroom and provide additional workspace for students and postdocs. As the New Year rings in, we will begin planning instructional technology and equipment for the new classroom.

In year 2023, we graduated 45 students and admitted a wonderful cohort of 21 first-year students. Upon their arrival, first-year students were offered an opportunity to join three capstone projects, one working with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, another with the Oregon Aquaculture Association, and the third with the U.S. National Nature Assessment. Thanks to the generosity of SMEA community, University of Washington, and the College of the Environment, we were able to offer six first-year students full funding for a year and provide funding support to 24 of the 33 second-year students.

SMEA faculty and researchers had a productive year. Ryan Kelly was promoted to Full Professor in September. You can read about his most recent work with environmental DNA on our site. Terrie Klinger and Patrick Christie were awarded the Lowell A. and Frankie L. Wakefield Endowed Professorships in recognition of their research and its impact. Sunny Jardine was appointed the new Editor-in-Chief for Marine Resource Economics, effective January 8, 2024. This is an important recognition of SMEA faculty expertise, with two journals now edited by our faculty (Coastal Management and Marine Resource Economics). Several faculty, students, and graduates responded to policy- and research opportunities in energy decarbonization, including marine power. We briefly summarize our work on energy decarbonization, environment, and society here.

This year, SMEA faculty published nearly 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. We are committed to increasing the accessibility of our work, so most of these publications are in open access journals. We created SMEA 2023 publications site for easier access. We invite you to browse this diverse body of work and dive deeply into topics of your interest.

I am delighted to share that eight of our alumni and friends joined the newly established SMEA Director’s Council, chaired by Dan Hull. The Council is committed to supporting the school’s mission, strengthening our connections in the community, and providing vital additional philanthropic support. I am deeply touched by and grateful for their dedication to the school, our students, and their success. Specifically, in the upcoming year, the council is planning to strengthen our mentoring program and renew our connections with alumni by organizing two alumni gatherings, one linked to the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council meeting in Seattle in February, and the other most likely linked to the Capitol Hill Ocean Week in D.C. Stay tuned for more information. We sincerely hope you will be able to attend.

Many of you joined us for the 50^th Anniversary event in May. It was wonderful to see so many of our friends again, hear from several experts about new challenges and opportunities in marine and environmental affairs, and discuss how SMEA’s teaching and research could address them. We built new networks and rekindled old friendships. We learned about many new and exciting jobs and accomplishments.

Let me conclude with 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.

I wish you a wonderful holiday season and hope to see you at our events in 2024. And, of course, feel free to stop by for a chat and a cup of coffee or tea.

Nives Dolšak, Director

Your support is always appreciated – a gift to the McKernan Fund delivers impact to the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs throughout the year.