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.  

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. 

Dear SMEA friends, 
Each academic year at SMEA brings new energy. This autumn, we were thrilled to welcome 34 new first-year students. As is always the case, they come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, ranging from aquatic and fishery sciences, biology, marine biology, other natural and physical sciences, chemical and biological engineering, to environmental studies, cinema and photography, ethnic studies, history, political science, sociology, and sustainable community development. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs hosted its biennial Community Reception on November 22 at the Silver Cloud Inn, bringing together students, alumni, faculty, partners, and supporters for an evening of connection and celebration. The evening began with conversation, reconnecting, and building new relationships across the SMEA community.
Midway through the Evening, guests gathered for a short program featuring remarks from Dan Hull, Chair of the SMEA Director’s Council, Steve Metruck, Executive Director of the Port of Seattle and SMEA Professor of Practice, and SMEA Director and Professor Nives Dolšak. 

Our faculty had a productive research year. Below is the list of our 2025 publications for your easy access. The underlined co-authors are our students. We hope you enjoy learning about our newest work. 
Ere Aceves Bueno:

Clemens J, Ruesink JL, Donoghue C, Griffin PJ, Aceves-Bueno E (2025) Environmental justice in ecosystem restoration frameworks. Restoration Ecology e70165.
Lawson JM, Jean S, Steinkruger A, Castellanos-Rico M, Goto GM, Cisneros-Mata MÁ, Aceves-Bueno E, Warham MM, Sachs AM, Gaines SD (2025) Substantial gains and little downside from farming of Totoaba macdonaldi. 

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. 

Dr. Kanae Komaki (2018) wrote from Japan that she completed a course on AI and has developed a proposal for an AI-based policy tool that could be applied to the review of contractor monitoring reports to the International Seabed Authority (ISA). She presented her proposal to the 2nd ISA Expert Scoping Workshop held in Kobe, Japan, in preparation for the possible transition to the exploitation phase of deep-seabed mining in the Area beyond national jurisdiction.