How did you decide to become a professor?
In my freshman year of college I was astonished to find out how little I knew about the world. For me college was this sudden and unanticipated exposure to an enormous stock of knowledge and perspectives that I didn’t know existed and I wanted to learn everything I could. I thought the best job in the world would be one where you were constantly learning, being challenged, and pushing knowledge forward. 

Written by: Jessica Hernandez
I had the honor to serve as a crew leader for the Coast Salish Mini University this summer ’16 alongside my younger brother for the Lummi Nation. Through grants from the San Juan Island National Parks and other partnerships, 12 Lummi youth were given the opportunity to return to their ancestral lands and serve as the environmental stewards of their native lands.  

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I came to SMEA with years of research in hard sciences, particularly in aquatic ecology, fisheries, and biological oceanography. Over the years, I realized that to truly understand the feasibility of scientific decisions, an understanding of how policy realm is structured is critical. As a student in SMEA, I hope to effectively merge my existing scientific knowledge & new understanding of policy process to make reasonable decisions (whether in policy or scientific realm) in future career opportunities. 

Written by: Haley Kennard
Aloha from Hawai’i! This summer, I somehow talked my way into working at the NOAA Office of the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument (PMNM) in Hawai’i as a Policy and Evaluation Intern. Growing up on O’ahu I’ve always felt connected to the ocean and its creatures, and it was amazing to be back in my island home. PMNM was recently expanded by President Obama and is now the largest protected area (terrestrial or marine) on the planet – nearly twice the size of Texas! 

Written by: David Rivera
One of my primary job duties within the NOAA Engineering Development Division is to provide operational and technical field support to various research groups within the Pacific Marine Environmental Lab here in Seattle (PMEL). This season I participated on two major research cruises with the Ocean Climate Station research group to service two deep water mooring systems- Ocean Station PAPA and the Kuroshio Extension Observatory (KEO). 

Written by: Carrie Schmaus
In June, I was fortunate to attend a week-long colloquium in Bozeman, Montana, entitled “Property Rights, Markets, and Freedom” that was held by the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). During this colloquium, I met students from across the county to discuss numerous topics, ranging from the origin of human rights to the merits and dangers of privatizing federal lands. 

Written by Teressa Pucylowski
Oysters are a big deal in coastal Washington; they provide a source of food, economic profit, livelihood, and cultural tradition. Taylor Shellfish is the largest growing company in Washington State, making up the majority of oysters distributed and consumed. As a soon-to-be second year graduate student with the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, I have spent the last several months looking at the sustainability of oyster production. 

Congratulations to Professor Eddie Allison and his co-authors who scored the cover of Nature with their article ‘Bright spots among the world’s coral reefs‘. The article was originally published in June and the study is one of the largest global studies of its kind. Nearly 40 scientists from 34 different universities and conservation groups conducted the research. Professor Allison reviewed more than 6,000 reef surveys in 46 countries across the globe, and discovered 15 bright spots — places where, against all odds, there were a lot more fish on coral reefs than expected. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I am an active duty Coast Guard Officer. Each year, the Coast Guard sends several dozen people to postgrad programs across a wide range of degree programs. I was always interested in Public Administration, but when I discovered Marine Affairs, I found myself much more interested in applying many of the same skills learned in the Public Administration field, to the marine environment. 

Alumni from the Institute for Marine Studies (IMS) and School of Marine Affairs (SMA), which are now the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, recently came together on behalf of The Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP). PSNERP endeavors to restore shorelines throughout Puget Sound. The group traveled to Washington D.C. for a Army Corps Civil Works Review Board (CWRB), a required step before a budget to fund the program can be submitted to Congress.