Alumni from the Institute for Marine Studies (IMS) and School of Marine Affairs (SMA), which are now the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, recently came together on behalf of The Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP). PSNERP endeavors to restore shorelines throughout Puget Sound. The group traveled to Washington D.C. for a Army Corps Civil Works Review Board (CWRB), a required step before a budget to fund the program can be submitted to Congress.  

Congratulations to Professor Nives Dolšak and SMEA Alum Sophia Amberson on their latest publications!
Dolšak’s paper titled “Factors impacting investments in energy efficiency and clean technologies: Empirical evidence from Slovenian manufacturing firms” examines factors impacting firms’ decisions to invest in energy efficiency and clean technologies. Based on the paper’s findings, it can be concluded that the energy efficiency gap is less likely to exist in large and well-performing firms, implying that policy measures should primarily target less energy intensive, small and medium-sized enterprises. 

SMEA alum Mikaela Freeman’s newly published thesis ‘Assessing potential spatial and temporal conflicts in Washington’s marine waters’ is now out in Marine Policy. Applying spatial analysis to current ocean uses in Washington to highlight areas of high- and low- potential conflict offshore, as well as learning GIS along the way, Mikaela looked at the ongoing process of marine spatial planning. The study represents a first step towards quantifying potential conflicts within Washington’s Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) study area by using a cumulative analysis to highlight high- and low-use intensity areas and the novel Marine Potential Conflict Index (MPCI), which incorporates space, time, and intensity of use, to quantify pairwise potential conflicts between uses. 

Heather Brandon is a SMEA alum who earned her MMA in 2004. She currently works for the World Wildlife Fund, Arctic Field Program, Alaska, as a Senior Fisheries Officer.
Can you give us a brief description of what you do for the World Wildlife Fund?
I work on topics that involve fish or fishing, such as illegal fishing/poaching, bycatch, marine mammal interactions, ecosystem-based management, advocacy for conservation in management, marine protected areas, sustainable seafood certification, etc. 

Congratulations to Professor Eddie Allison, Post-Doc Nathan Bennett, Professor Nives Dolsak, Assistant Professor Ryan Kelly, SMEA Alumna Natalie Lowell, Post-Doc Jimmy O’Donnell and SMEA Alumni Jesse Port on their publications that have come out winter quarter covering a variety of topics in marine and environmental affairs.
EDDIE ALLISON
Christophe Bene, Robert Arthur, Hannah Norbury, Edward H. Allison, Malcolm Beveridge, Simon Bush, Liam Campling, Will Leschen, David Little, Dale Squires, Shakuntala H. 

This year two of our 2015 School of Marine and Environmental Affairs graduates were awarded the Marc Hershman Marine Policy Fellowship. This fellowship teams up recent graduates with mentors in state government or NGO host offices in Olympia, Tacoma, or Seattle. This year-long fellowship offers them the opportunity to work on ocean and coastal science and management issues, with many former fellows going on to jobs in state and local government, private industry, and NGOs. 

 
SMEA Director, Terrie Klinger, met up with eleven of SMEA’s finest at the 17th annual Marine Resources Committee Conference which took place on November 6th – 7th. This is a great example of how SMEA Alums are using their diverse skills to support the work of the the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative. 

SMEA alum and current UW law student Raz Barnea (MMA ’14) was recently featured on the UW homepage in an article discussing his dedication to serving the public through his time in the Peace Corps, his world travels, and the knowledge he’s gained from his UW degree programs.
To read about Raz’s belief in in giving back to the community and his part in public service through a two-year Peace Corps post in Jamaica, check out the article http://www.washington.edu/boundless/a-promise-to-the-public/. 

SMEA Alumna Megahn Brosnan ’09 was featured on a June 13, 2014 NPR Marketplace piece about the impacts of illegal fishing on fish stocks and fisherpeople. Brosnan works as the manager of the Pew Charitable Trust’s Ending Illegal Fishing project. Congrats and keep up the good work, Megahn! 

On May 19th, SMEA hosted Rear Admiral Linda Fagan, MMA 2000, who is now one of the highest ranking UW alumni in the Coast Guard and also one of the highest ranking female members of the Coast Guard ever. We were honored to have Rear Admiral Fagan join us to share a few words about her professional experience and how her degree from SMEA has impacted her career.