2017 SMEA graduate, Tim Lee, whose SMEA thesis entitled, “Quantifying the effectiveness of shoreline armoring removal on coastal biota of Puget Sound“, was recently published in PeerJ. Lee did a meta-analysis of data from School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) research scientists Jason Toft and Jeff Cordell to show that removing shoreline armoring in Puget Sound is an effective restoration technique. 

SMEA Professor and Associate Director Nives Dolšak, UW Director of the Center for Environmental Politics Aseem Prakash and Political Science Ph.D. student Sirindah (Christianna) Parr recently wrote a piece featured in The Washington Post Monkey Cage on the Oxfam scandal titled “The Oxfam scandal shows that, yes, nonprofits can behave badly. So why aren’t they overseen like for-profits?” The civic sector plays an important role in the contemporary society. 

SMEA Professor and Associate Director Nives Dolšak and UW Director of the Center for Environmental Politics Aseem Prakash recently wrote an article featured on the The Hill titled “The key to a successful carbon tax is how you spend the money.” To examine the politics of carbon tax, Dolšak and Prakash compared three carbon tax proposals, all from Washington state: the 2018 carbon tax proposed by Governor Jay Inslee, a counter proposal by Washington Land Commissioner Hilary Franz, and I-732. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I received Bachelors degrees in Environmental Science and Political Science with the intention of getting a Masters from a coastal university focused on coastal issues. This degree seemed like one where I could really capitalize on my strengths in both academic realms, pursue my lifelong interest of all things aquatic and also discover new skills. 

Congratulations to SMEA alum’s Mike Tillotson and Jimmy Krajl, Professor Ryan Kelly, and co-authors on their recently published paper “Concentrations of environmental DNA (eDNA) reflect spawning salmon abundance at fine spatial and temporal scales.” The paper, published in Biological Conservation, was spearheaded by Tillotson and refers to water sampling data from a small stream in Alaska to look at the rise and fall of sockeye salmon DNA over a spawning run. 

Alumna Sarah Nayani graduated from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs in 2015 and is now a Director of Compliance with Arctic Storm Management Group, LLC. We had a chance to catch up with Sarah recently and hear about her job, her time at SMEA, and advice she has for current SMEA students.
Can you give us a brief description of what you do for Arctic Storm Management Group, LLC? 

SMEA Assistant Professor Ryan Kelly was recently interviewed for an article in Science discussing why communication is such an essential tool for scientists. The article, “Do I make myself clear? Media training for scientists” highlights that more universities and organizations are offering programs to help scientists get their message across to the public. Professor Kelly said that he often utilizes training he received through a communications workshop at the University of Washington when his research on marine ecosystems or marine law puts him in front of policymakers, journalists, or the public. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I came to SMEA after studying at Friday Harbor Labs on San Juan island for a summer after my undergraduate studies. I wanted to gain a bit more marine experience after getting a degree in wildlife ecology which focused on terrestrial vertebrates. I both heard about SMEA there and realized there that I was not super interested in lab work and very interested how to create change and in how humans get excited about the ocean. 

Maggie Allen graduated from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs in 2016 and is now with NOAA Education in Washington D.C. as a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow. We had a chance to catch up with Maggie recently and hear about her time at SMEA and advice she has for current SMEA students.
Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs? 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
With a background in science, I craved the skills to make larger changes that impact coastal communities and marine environments. An interdisciplinary Masters would provide me with the skills to speak the languages of both science and policy and thus work more effectively between these worlds. It doesn’t hurt that I have had a lifelong love affair with the ocean, making a marine focused Masters even more appealing.