SMEA alumna Teagan Darmondy has been selected as part of the inaugural cohort of the Washington Sea Grant (WSG) Coastal Resilience Fellowship. The new fellowship provides a two-year educational and professional development opportunity for emerging leaders working to strengthen coastal resilience across Washington.
The WSG Coastal Resilience Fellowship places fellows within partner host offices where they will help build capacity for coastal communities facing environmental and climate-related challenges. 

Jeffery Randell began his time at SMEA while serving on active duty in the United States Coast Guard, and he continues that service today. Currently stationed in Key West, Florida, Jeffrey serves as the Director of Joint Interagency Task Force South, leading a multi-agency, international effort focused on countering illicit trafficking in the maritime domain.
In his current role, Jeffrey oversees coordinated operations among U.S. 

Sean Hastings is a leader in marine policy and conservation, working at the intersection of ocean management and industry collaboration. He is a co-founder of Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies, a voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction program operating off the California Coast. The Initiative partners with county air districts, national marine sanctuaries, and the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation to encourage shipping companies to slow down in key areas, reducing fatal ship strikes on endangered whales while also cutting air pollution. 

Erick Dowell, a 2024 graduate of SMEA, is currently a Washington Sea Grant Fellow (WSG) working with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund. His work sits at the intersection of marine restoration and sustainable agriculture, building innovative partnerships across land and sea.
Through his fellowship, Erick collaborates with shellfish farmers to design harvest and processing methods for a nuisance seaweed, Ulva (Commonly known as sea lettuce), which can foul aquaculture gear and negatively impact shellfish production. 

SMEA faculty P. Joshua Griffin and Erendira Aceves‑Bueno, along with collaborators, co‑authored a new article in Restoration Ecology titled “Environmental justice in ecosystem restoration frameworks.” This research provides a systematic review of global restoration frameworks and reveals a significant gap: most current approaches to ecosystem restoration do not explicitly integrate environmental justice principles.
The article not only identifies this gap but also proposes a novel restoration framework that centers on recognition, procedural justice, and community empowerment throughout the restoration planning and implementation process. 

SMEA is proud to share a new paper published in Fisheries Research titled Assessing the social-ecological dimensions of Dungeness crab fishery closures in Southeast Alaska from analysis of public records.
The study was led by SMEA alum Rondi Nordal (Class of 2024), with faculty coauthors Anne Beaudreau and Erendira Aceves-Bueno, in collaboration with NOAA colleagues.
Drawing on more than a decade of public meeting records, the research takes a deep look at how decisions about fishery closures are shaped not only by ecological goals, but also by social, cultural, and subsistence needs. 

Bella Colpo is an environmental scientist with the County of San Diego, where she serves as the watershed lead for both the San Diego Bay and Santa Margarita River Watershed Management Areas with the Watershed Protection Program. In this role, she leads long-range watershed planning efforts to ensure compliance with the regional MS4 Stormwater permit, work that has earned awards from the American Public Works Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

We’re proud to highlight alum Sara Adams (SMEA, UW) and her research on motivating container ship participation in the Quiet Sound Slowdown, a voluntary initiative to reduce underwater noise for endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
Sara’s qualitative case study examined how program design, communication, operational logistics, and values influence shipping companies’ decisions to slow down in Puget Sound. Through interviews with industry representatives and analysis of sustainability reports, her work offers key insights for improving conservation engagement with the maritime industry. 

Heading to the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle this November? Join us for the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) Community Reception at the Silver Cloud Hotel (Seattle Stadium location). Enjoy small bites and beverages, reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and unwind after the expo. Save-the-date. More details coming soon!

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Location: Silver Cloud Hotel, (Seattle’s SODO District) 9th Floor, Avene One Ballroom
Time: 5:00 PM

Adults 21+ only—thank you for understanding! 

A 2004 graduate of SMEA, Kevin Grant currently serves as Superintendent of NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. In this role, he leads the day-to-day operations and long-term strategic direction of one of the nation’s most ecologically significant marine protected areas.
Kevin oversees strategic planning, resource management, and the sanctuary’s administrative and financial operations. He works closely with a wide range of partners and co-managers, including four Coastal Treaty Tribes, to ensure collaborative stewardship of the region’s marine ecosystems.