Bio:

Erick Dowell is a 2024 graduate of the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. Originally from North Carolina, Erick earned his undergraduate degree in Biology and Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied deep-sea microbial communities.

After moving to Washington ten years ago, Erick spent much of his time on the water, captaining boats around the West Coast, leading outdoor education programs, including Washington State’s official tall ship, Lady Washington, and making optical filters essential for micro-electronic manufacturing and high-powered sensor equipment. His maritime experience inspired an interest in environmental policy when he participated as an industry representative in discussions on whale-watching regulations developed through the Governor’s task force on Southern Resident Killer Whales.

During his time at SMEA, Erick served as a TA on multiple occasions and was a student assistant with the Washington State Sea Grant communications team, where he tabled many public outreach events and helped create the Discover West Coast Seafood website. This website offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about fisheries in Washington, Oregon, and California – who fishes, how they fish, how they are managed sustainably, where to buy locally, and how to cook delicious, local seafood.

Since graduating, Erick has continued working on boats in southeast Alaska and received a Washington Sea Grants Keynote Fellowship, where he is currently working at the Puget Sound Restoration Fund. Here he is researching how to help Washington shellfish farmers understand ‘green tides’ that are damaging their businesses, specifically how to effectively remove, process, transport, and find use for the Nuisance seaweed, Ulva spp, such as using it as a beneficial soil amendment. When he isn’t working, Erick finds joy in birding, cooking, walking his dog with his partner, and paddleboarding on Washington’s waters.

Interview:

1. How did your experience as a student at SMEA influence your career?

I think the largest impact that my experience as an SMEA student has had on my career and life in general comes from the other students that I have had the privilege of meeting, working with, and learning from. Yes, of course, I learned so much from the professors, my advisors, and the courses that I took, but having the opportunity to work collaboratively on projects with other students from diverse personal, academic, and career backgrounds allowed me to discover challenges and develop solutions from totally different perspectives than I would have been able to if I were working alone. That collaboration and cooperative learning didn’t stop after graduation either. I keep in touch with many of my cohort and, through my work, have found many other SMEA(ns)/SMEA(ple)/SMEA alumni out and about. It is always a joy when that happens, because I know that I’ll be working with another person who is enthusiastically willing to learn and problem-solve together. Lastly, I’ll say that another influential part of my time at SMEA was the emphasis that the coursework, the faculty, and the other students put on ‘listening’. I don’t think they ever used that word to describe what they were doing, per se, but all of the courses had a strong focus on developing projects and solutions to real-world problems with a foundation centered around actively listening to those who were most affected. This focus on intentionally listening to those closest to the land, the water, and the challenge to be solved, has carried with me whether I’m measuring water quality or interviewing community members. I believe it is the most influential thing I took with me from SMEA. 

2. What advice do you have for SMEA students and alumni?

This is funny to think about, and I’m not sure I am qualified to give much advice, since I am not even two years beyond my graduation date at this moment. I think the little advice that I do have is very much related to my answer to the previous question. Learn from each other, support each other, and commit to listening. It’s an uncertain and scary time right now, at least that is how I often feel, but I do believe that the best way to move through these times is together – listening and supporting each other. That is how I think we can continue to serve the communities we are a part of, those that we work with, and the natural resources that they, well, that we all depend on.

3. What’s next for you?

Great question! I have no idea! I am currently the Washington Sea Grant Keystone Fellow at Puget Sound Restoration Fund. That is a one-year fellowship that will end at the end of January 2026. I have been searching for jobs as my fellowship starts to wind down. I know that I want to continue to work somewhere in the food systems that we all rely on to feed ourselves. Wherever that is, I wish to help strengthen food security, increase food sovereignty, and build resilience in our food systems, especially in the face of challenges produced by climate change. I used to work on boats, and I don’t particularly enjoy working at a desk all day, every day, so much of my search has been to find jobs where I can blend the new skills that I gained at SMEA with my old skills that I developed working on the water for years.

4. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I did really enjoy my time at SMEA. Like I said before, it was a joy and an irreplaceable experience to learn with and from all the other amazing graduate students, both at SMEA and in the other programs that I intersected with. It was great to find many faculty that were supportive of my work and willing to patiently teach me so much. I have to say that I owe a lot to my thesis advisor, Terrie Klinger, who is an excellent teacher and mentor, as well as the team at Washington Sea Grant, who were always willing to listen and help me out when they could. SMEA(ns) feel free to reach out if you want to chat about things!