Alumnus Ian Zelo graduated from the School of Marine Affairs in 2000. He began working for NOAA’s National Ocean Service Office of Response and Restoration in 2002, and now serves as Chief of Staff. We had a chance to catch up with Ian and hear about what he enjoys most about his career, learn what traits have best served him, and ask what advice he has for current SMEA students. 

Congratulations to SMEA alumna Thao Huynh (MMA 2018) and her co-authors from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Washington State University for publishing an article based on Huynh’s MMA thesis. Her thesis involved careful experimental and histological work on the reproductive biology of black cod, with a view of finding effective sterilization methods to allow for farming them in sea cages. 

Alumna Kendra Ryan graduated from the School of Marine Affairs in 2006, and recently received her PhD in Marine Sciences. She has crafted a multi-disciplinary, multi-interest career in Colorado and Africa. We had a chance to catch up with Kendra and hear about her many interests, her time at SMA, and advice she has for current SMEA students.
Can you give us a brief description of what you do? 

A recent article in the Seattle Times about lead in Seattle Public Schools’ water referenced SMEA alumna Rachel Blakeslee’s thesis. As part of Blakeslee’s research, she analyzed Seattle Public Schools (SPS) data and found that water sources at more than half of South Seattle schools exceed the district’s acceptable levels. These schools serve many students of color and families living below Federal poverty levels. 

Alumna Ann Farr graduated from the School of Marine Affairs in 1982 and is now an Environmental Manager/State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Responsible Official for two major port projects on the Columbia River. We had a chance to catch up with Ann and hear about her job, her time at SMA, and advice she has for current SMEA students.
Can you give us a brief description of what you do? 

SMEA alumni were instrumental in working across the Senate aisle on S. 2511, the “Commercial Engagement through Ocean Technology (CENOTE) Act,” which was signed by President Trump on December 21, 2018. This legislation, advanced by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), instructs NOAA to expand the use of unmanned maritime systems technology for collecting ocean data that can be used for academic, national security, and commercial purposes. 

By Spencer Showalter
NGO Sector
Sascha Peterson, Class of 2007
Founder and Director of Adaptation International

What has your career path looked like since SMEA?

I did my thesis work at SMA with Ed Miles and Tom Leschine focused on bridging the gap between science and policy in climate change. After graduation, I worked briefly for the Climate Impacts Group at UW helping to develop the first state wide sea level rise projections. 

Alumnus Dan R. Herlihy graduated from the School of Marine Affairs in 1985 and is now a Senior Marine Consultant for the The Gerson Lehrman Group. We had a chance to catch up with Dan and hear about his job, his time at SMA, and advice he has for current SMEA students.
Can you give us a brief description of what you do? 

Congratulations to SMEA alum Courtney Greiner, Professor Terrie Klinger and co-authors on their recent publication in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology titled “Habitat effects of macrophytes and shell on carbonate chemistry and juvenile clam recruitment, survival, and growth.” The article is based on Greiner’s thesis research, which investigated the collective effect of two ocean acidification adaptation strategies; shell hash and macrophytes. 

By Kaitlin Lebon
Graduate school is challenging. While some students enter SMEA fully prepared with a preconceived thesis project, others can be stumped. Funding, or lack thereof, is a reality for some incoming SMEA students and can influence a student’s approach to thesis or capstone work. For those students, it can be difficult to know where to start looking for ideas or connections.