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. 

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 Huffington Post titled “Amazon HQ2 In The Time Of Climate Change; Ranking possible destinations by their vulnerability to climate-driven disaster.” The article describes how analyst firms and media outlets ranked proposals and made recommendations based on variables such as the business environment, costs, human capital, quality of life, transportation, and distance to Amazon’s core facilities, but none considered how a given city might be vulnerable to climate change.  

During a recent trip to Washington D.C., Professor Dave Fluharty was recognized for his service to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Science Advisory Board (SAB). Professor Fluharty’s leadership, guidance and contributions, such as the 2014 report he assisted with titled “Exploration of Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management in the U.S.” has a had a tremendous impact on NOAA’s ecosystem and fisheries enterprise. 

SMEA Professor Ryan Kelly and SMEA alumna Natalie Lowell, along with co-authors from the UW School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences recently wrote an article featured in The Conversation. The article titled “Want to change federal policies? Here’s how” discusses how the federal public comment process can be an effective way for those armed with facts, such as scientists, professionals and knowledgeable citizens to shape policy and ensure that policy is based on the best available evidence, vetting the science behind regulations. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I got my undergraduate degree in Aquatic Biology at UCSB, but after I graduated I got a job in regulatory affairs that involved ensuring compliance with the FDA. I think a lot of people would have been turned off by the bureaucracy and paperwork, but it made me realize how important it is to understand the regulatory processes that govern how science and industry interact. 

SMEA professor and associate director Nives Dolsak and co-authors recently wrote a piece for the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage about the extreme air pollution in India’s capital city, Delhi. The cause of the pollution is farmers in neighboring states burning straw from their last rice crop to clear fields for planting the wheat crop. What makes the situation more complicated is politicians are wary of trying to prevent crop burning because they don’t want to antagonize the powerful farm lobby, lose electoral support and set off political turmoil among regional and ethnic interests. 

500 million single-use plastic straws are used in the US everyday. Many organizations across the country have been working for years to raise awareness about the impacts of single-use plastic straws on the environment. This year Seattle hosted the first city-wide campaign, called Strawless in Seattle, to help remove single-use plastic straws from the US waste stream. Here at SMEA the Student Environmental Affairs Society (SEAS) and Currents Blog Teams joined forces to sponsor #StrawlessSMEA; a challenge to SMEA students and faculty to say NO!