How did you decide to become a professor?
Sometimes you have to take a leap to get what you really want. I was on a narrow path, teaching math in a two-year college while working on my Ph.D., when a terrific opportunity presented itself—a post-doctoral fellowship in marine policy at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Although I very much enjoyed the teaching I was doing, I came to realize that teaching alone was not enough, I also wanted to remain an active researcher. 

SMEA graduate students Megan Desillier, Seth Sivinski, and Nicole White recently completed a year long capstone project in which they worked with the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration to understand how the world’s shipping dynamic has changed in recent years and how these emerging challenges in marine transportation will affect that dynamic. 

Congratulations to Professor Nives Dolšak and SMEA Alum Sophia Amberson on their latest publications!
Dolšak’s paper titled “Factors impacting investments in energy efficiency and clean technologies: Empirical evidence from Slovenian manufacturing firms” examines factors impacting firms’ decisions to invest in energy efficiency and clean technologies. Based on the paper’s findings, it can be concluded that the energy efficiency gap is less likely to exist in large and well-performing firms, implying that policy measures should primarily target less energy intensive, small and medium-sized enterprises. 

SMEA graduate student Jessica Hernandez recently organized a college immersion day for students from Chief Kitsap Academy. Chief Kitsap Academy is a tribal school with a program that is committed to the Suquamish Tribe’s mission of providing education that supports lifelong learning by respecting diversity and ancestral heritage through the acquisition of foundational knowledge, leadership, accountability, and critical thinking skills; providing students opportunities to acquire and practice leadership skills, integrity, honesty, teamwork, compassion, and communication skills. 

SMEA alum Mikaela Freeman’s newly published thesis ‘Assessing potential spatial and temporal conflicts in Washington’s marine waters’ is now out in Marine Policy. Applying spatial analysis to current ocean uses in Washington to highlight areas of high- and low- potential conflict offshore, as well as learning GIS along the way, Mikaela looked at the ongoing process of marine spatial planning. The study represents a first step towards quantifying potential conflicts within Washington’s Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) study area by using a cumulative analysis to highlight high- and low-use intensity areas and the novel Marine Potential Conflict Index (MPCI), which incorporates space, time, and intensity of use, to quantify pairwise potential conflicts between uses. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I studied Marine Affairs & Policy in Undergraduate at University of Miami. I had originally started out as a Marine Biology major, but after a couple years, I realized that what is done with scientific knowledge is just as important as the science itself. I saw this while studying abroad in the Galapagos, where I was exposed to the social, political, and economic issues surrounding the marine environment. 

Professor Tom Leschine was recognized by the College of the Environment for his Outstanding Community Impact. The award recognizes individuals who through stakeholder engagement inspire, and drives interactive uses of environmental science and information to impact the broader community. Tom’s efforts to advance environmental quality at a national level and in Washington state were just some of the examples cited during the college’s award ceremony.  

From a former student
Professor Miles’s (“Ed” as he encouraged his students to call him) first words of advice to our IMS 500 class were less than inspiring. “Study ocean policy because you find it interesting in and of itself, not to change the world.” It was 1978, a few short years after the first Earth Day. I was at IMS to learn how to save the world, at least the watery portion of it; Ed’s admonition seemed too cautious, maybe even cynical. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I studied physical sciences almost exclusively as an undergraduate, and I felt that I needed to build a knowledge base that included policy and law in order to be fully successful. I enjoy studying every aspect of the marine environment, not just biology or chemistry.
Why did you decide to come to UW’s SMEA for graduate school? 

Congratulations to Brian Tracey for being part of the first cohort of students who make up the Husky 100!
The Husky 100 recognizes 100 UW undergraduate and graduate students from Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma in all areas of study who are making the most of their time at the UW. Through the Husky Experience, students discover their passions in life and work.