How would you describe yourself as an undergraduate student?
Not quiet. Challenging but modest and scared.
When and how did you discover your passion/interest in marine and environmental affairs?
Mostly through working with fishers in various places and found they are not always in the best position to be part of solution, which felt not just.
Did you have any mentors who guided you along your educational pathway? 

As the world gears up for COP27, it is vital to understand what progress countries have made to reach the Paris goals. A large number of countries have announced net-zero emission pledges (NZEP). Inhwan Ko, Nives Dolšak, and Aseem Prakash analyze these pledges in their paper published in PLOS Climate [journals.plos.org]. The credibility of NZEP varies because countries have committed to different target years. 

The School of Marine & Environmental Affairs will hold its next faculty meeting on Thursday, November 3, 12:00pm. Please see below for location details;
Ocean Sciences Building, Room 203
or via Zoom
https://washington.zoom.us/j/91358659778
A copy of the meeting agenda can be found here. Please contact Jackie Chapman (jachap@uw.edu) with any questions or for more information. 

Why did you decide to pursue a master of marine affairs?
Growing up on Puget Sound, coastal environments have always been dear to me. They were my favorite playgrounds, inspired curiosity, and motivated my stewardship. While studying Conservation Biology at Middlebury College, I worked as an environmental educator in places like Alaska, the Bahamas, and California, further fostering my love for marine environments and communities. 

SMEA Professor of Practice Dr. Yoshitaka Ota along with his colleagues at Ocean Nexus Center have authored an article published in PLOS Biology. The article, “Finding logic models for sustainable marine development that deliver on social equity,” covers how sustainable ocean development and equity beyond the current goals of 2030. Below is a brief summary of the article provided by SMEA alum Leah Huff, who now works with Dr. 

SMEA graduate Amy Olsen has just published her thesis research in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. Amy’s work describes the effect of the Pacific Marine Heatwave (2014-2015) on coral reef fish communities in West Hawai’i. Her findings reveal changes in fish abundance following with the heatwave, and suggest an association with site-specific management regimes. The research was performed in partnership with the Seattle Aquarium where Amy currently works as a Research Technician in the Conservation Programs and Partnerships Department. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs is launching their quarterly Speakers Series during the month of October. Attendees will be able to attend in-person at the University of Washington Marine Studies Building, Room 268 or virtually via Zoom.
This quarter’s lineup features three speakers offering a variety of topics:
Thursday, October 13, 12-1 pm: Laura Nelson, Post-doc Research Associate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will present “Climate Impacts on the Traditional Seafood Species and Food Security of the Makah Tribe.”
Thursday, October 27, 12-1 pm: Yoshitaka Ota, Professor of Practice, UW SMEA, Director, Ocean Nexus will offer “What is Ocean Equity?”
Thursday, November 17, 12-1 pm: Jean Flema, Director, Ocean Defense Initiative “There’s Only One Ocean.”
If you would like to attend via Zoom, or have questions about the event, please contact Michaela Miller, mcski@uw.edu. 

The School of Marine & Environmental Affairs will hold its next faculty meeting on Thursday, October 6, 12:00pm. Please see below for location details;
Ocean Sciences Building, Room 203
A copy of the meeting agenda can be found here. Please contact Jackie Chapman (jachap@uw.edu) with any questions or for more information. 

 
Five recent SMEA graduates Abigail Ames, Kathryn Loy, Jenna Rolf, Harshitha Sai Viswanathan and Olivia Zimmerman have been awarded the Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship for 2022–2023. This fellowship places highly motivated, qualified individuals with marine and coastal host offices throughout Washington, providing fellows with a unique perspective on building marine policy and allowing them to share their academic expertise with the host offices. 

Describe your experience in applying to and selecting a graduate program.
I was initially very methodical with applying to graduate schools. I had various checklists of what I was looking for in a program, I had a pros and cons board of the different schools that I was looking into, and I wanted to be as proactive as possible with reaching out to professors and potential advisors to get a feel for whether I might be a good match for someone’s lab.