How did SMEA first come across your radar? What were your impressions of the program?
SMEA first came across my radar while I was on campus to attend a symposium for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program in the fisheries building. My boss at the time invited someone from the university to come talk to the interns from Quinault about opportunities at UW, which also included graduate school. 

To-Nhu “Leslie” Nguyen, student in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, has been selected by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) for the Next Generation Fellowship, an opportunity that gives financial and academic support to Earth system science students from historically underrepresented groups. Nguyen was selected as the program’s public policy fellow.
“I am pleased to welcome this year’s cohort of fellows,” said UCAR President Antonio Busalacchi. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
My journey to SMEA’s MMA program was a winding one. I never felt a clearly defined path to one field, but rather found myself vacillating between my interest in human psychology and my love of the natural world. I took several introductory courses in both fields during my early undergrad years, and ended up settling on a degree in psychology to study cognition and human decision making. 

A trio of recent publications feature a host of School of Marine and Environmental Affairs affiliates, and cover a wide array of topics. This is a good snapshot of the breadth of topics and material addressed through SMEA research and coursework.
Recent graduate Tressa Arbow ’19 was on a team of authors including Affiliate Professor Eddie Allison, which addressed the lagging change toward healthy and sustainable food sources. 

Though the 2020-2021 academic year was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, SMEA students were undeterred. This academic year, 26 students will have received their Master’s of Marine Affairs. The Class of 2021 was in a unique position to have experienced a portion of their graduate studies in-person, while turning to virtual learning in the Spring 2020 quarter.
Despite the distance imposed on SMEA students, this cohort was able to make significant contributions and maintain the academic rigor expected for the degree, all while getting creative in forging social connections. 

2021 SMEA graduate Abigail Rogerson has been named to the University of Washington’s “Husky 100”. Rogerson was a member of a capstone project team advised by Dr. Nives Dolšak, which presented their work “Cascadia transboundary climate change and natural resource governance” in March 2021.
The “Husky 100” recognizes 100 students; graduates, undergraduates, and professional students across the three campuses (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma) “who are making the most of their time” at the University. 

As a culminating presentation by the Nexus Fellows in Indigenous Ocean Ecologies, first-year SMEA student and Nexus Graduate fellow Izzi Lavallee will lead a presentation on the work their “research family” has done around “Indigenous Ocean Ecologies”. The presentation will feature several undergrad fellows speaking about the community-engaged projects they designed this year. Izzi worked closely with SMEA Assistant Professor P. 

Several students nearing graduation will be presenting their thesis research on Friday, May 14th. In pursuit of their Master’s of Marine Affairs, students may elect to complete a collaborative capstone project, focus on courses-only, or complete thesis research. Under the guidance of their faculty advisor, student presenters have worked for nearly the last two years on projects of their design.  This series of presentations represents the culmination of this work. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
About ten years ago I started organizing back in my hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area, working on everything from anti-eviction campaigns to wetland protection campaigns and local election campaigns. When I went back to school some years later to finish my bachelor’s degree, I was excited to be thinking about and working in marine science again, but I was bummed that the policy and advocacy work I was doing had to take a backseat to my education. 

Students completing the Capstone Track in their Master’s of Marine Affairs program will be delivering their findings and final report to the School of Marine & Environmental Affairs community this Friday (March 5th).
After a year of preparation, research, analysis, and reporting, Capstone projects culminate in a 25-30 minute presentation where the Capstone Project Team delivers their work to the client.