Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I have always loved the ocean and I earned my undergraduate degree in marine biology. Moving forward I wanted to learn how to protect the ocean, so after looking into possible degrees, earning my degree in marine affairs seemed like a great choice.
Why did you decide to come to UW’s SMEA for graduate school? 

Congratulations to SMEA Professor Sunny Jardine and her co-PIs, who were recently awarded a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant to study links among people, lakes, and fish in the Northern Highland Lake District in Wisconsin. The four-year project will involve a team of 15 collaborators representing nine research institutions and conservation agencies. Along with Professor Jardine, co-leading principal investigators include Christopher Solomon of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Marco Janssen of Arizona State University, Olaf Jensen of Rutgers University, and Stuart Jones of the University of Notre Dame. 

Congratulations to recent SMEA grads and students Sara Brostrom, Haley Kennard and Marisa Nixon who were all awarded Marc Hershman Marine Policy Fellowships! Hershman fellows are teamed with mentors in state government or an NGO host office in Olympia, Tacoma or Seattle, working on ocean and coastal science and management issues for one year. This year’s host offices are The Nature Conservancy, Makah Office of Tribal Affairs and Washington State Departments of Ecology and Health. 

SMEA (’16) graduate Chris Giordano recently wrote a post that was featured on the Peace Corps Response’s website. In the fall of 2016, Chris joined the Peace Corps Response, which sends experienced professionals to undertake short-term, high-impact service assignments in communities around the world. He went to northern coast of Peru where “the bulk of my time has been in a support role for my socio, Inkaterra Asociacion, drawing on my recent master’s degree and experience to help my counterpart form their first set of marine projects while teaching the team how to think about coastal conservation.” In his post, Chris reflects on his past year of service and the amazing opportunity it provided him. 

Written by Charlene Vasquez
I have spent my summer in Honolulu, Hawai’i as a NOAA Pathways Intern. The purpose of my internship was to write a draft of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument Ecosystem Science Plan. There was a draft written in 2011, but a lot changes in 6 years, so it needed to be updated. It also needed to be reorganized and a lot of sections rewritten. 

Professor Patrick Christie and co-authors recently published a paper in Marine Policy titled “Why people matter in ocean governance: Incorporating human dimensions into large-scale marine protected areas.” The paper draws on the results of a global “Think Tank on the Human Dimensions of Large Scale Marine Protected Areas” (LSMPAs) that included representatives from 17 countries and a variety of organizations such as government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia, professionals, industry, cultural/indigenous leaders and LSMPA site managers. 

By Mackenzie Nelson
It is no secret that science, especially environmental science, has had to climb over a few stumbling blocks in the past six months. While the phrase “alternative facts” has spurred the development of alt-groups that challenge the stance of the current narrow-minded administration, it also highlights how scientists are failing to reach a broader audience. Nives Dolšak, however, is succeeding. 

By Mackenzie Nelson
He walks to the corner office and opens the door. The room is as big as his reputation at SMEA. The number of books lining his walls is impressive. The spectrum of colors represented, even more so—almost like an art installment with each book specifically placed to bring the most artistic appeal. But upon closer inspection, it is clear they have been carefully categorized by topic. 

By Mackenzie Nelson
SMEA Alums can be found all over the U.S. (and the world!) We were fortunate to catch up with several recently who shared what they’ve been up to, as well as some words of advice.

ERIK STROMBERG, Class of ‘82
Location: Beaumont, TX
Erik is the Executive Director of the Center for Advances in Port Management (CAPM) at Lamar University where he is building the curriculum for the fully online Masters of Science in Port and Terminal Management Program, which is expected to begin Fall 2017. 

By Mackenzie Nelson
This year, Professor Patrick Christie taught an undergraduate class in the Jackson School of International Studies, a Task Force capstone course for the International Studies Program focused on the Tulalip Tribe’s environmental recovery plans. The premise of this class arose as the result of lack of understanding among non-tribal individuals about tribal treaty rights and environmental decline in the Puget Sound area due to “climate change and unsustainable human activities” (Task Force Report 2017, p.