Editor’s note: Hello and welcome to Currents 2021-2022! As the new executive board we have been putting out articles, together with our wonderful writers, since last month – and we thought it was about time to introduce ourselves. We are all second year students, excited to experience SMEA in person for the first time. Take a look at our mission statement, courtesy of the hard work of last year’s executive board. Be sure to check out the blog each week for new articles centering science communication and environmental justice!

Gabriela (Gabi) Carr (she/her): Editor-In Chief

Why did you want to get involved with Currents?
I went to a very writing-intensive high school with a big focus on the humanities, but then went on to an undergraduate degree in biology where I didn’t write nearly as often. Currents has been a wonderful way to get back into the saddle with writing. I love that each article gets looked at by a peer editor, staff editor, faculty editor, copy editor, and photo editor – 5 pairs of eyes on your work, which offers an excellent learning opportunity and is a real luxury in a fast-paced school environment.

One of the reasons that Currents has been so enjoyable is that each writer can write about topics that are exciting to them, rather than ones they are assigned and graded on, making for engaging and thought-provoking work. In most of our articles, our writers also explicitly consider environmental justice themes; we use our interdisciplinary SMEA training to bring human dimensions into science communication.

What are you looking forward to this quarter?
Our cohort has been making the best of virtual learning, which has been our entire time at SMEA so far! We’ve gotten to know each other online, which makes this fall not feel quite like the first day of school, but closer to meeting dozens of awesome pen pals. I’m very much looking forward to meeting the second and first year students in person, as well as meeting our wonderful faculty who have been so thoughtful throughout Zoom school. I have only been to Seattle for half a day in my life, so as someone very interested in cities and urban ecology, I can’t wait to explore Seattle and the surrounding area.

What have you liked most about your time at SMEA so far?
The people have been wonderful, both students and faculty. I have loved our classes too, which, as someone coming from a STEM background, have been eye-opening concerning the human dimensions of marine and environmental issues. I have also been surprised at how much I have enjoyed learning to code in R, and have taken several classes in the subject, including Sunny’s spatial analysis class where we learned to make beautiful maps (more on that from Nico!) I very much enjoyed Ryan’s law class which gave us some excellent guidelines in beginning to understand ocean and coastal law on the local, national, and international level. It also gave me the confidence to read my lease critically and authoritatively as I moved up to Seattle!

What is something fun you did this summer?

I have been living in Los Angeles since 2017, so this summer I got some time to say goodbye to my favorite people and places there, which was wonderful. I also got the chance to go back home to New York for a month, where I spent lots of quality time with my family, especially my two nephews and niece, and friends.

What’s your favorite way to eat potatoes?
Mashed potatoes are the key to my heart. However, it’s a close run with loaded baked potatoes, and all other forms of potato are pretty great too.

Olivia Zimmerman (she/her): Managing Editor

Why did you want to get involved with Currents?

I have always really enjoyed writing, and had wanted to further develop my science communication skills prior to starting SMEA. I was a bit wary of taking on additional commitments in the first quarter of grad school but James, last year’s Editor-in-Chief, encouraged me to feel it out. He had found it to be an exciting opportunity to dive deeper into topics of interest that may not be covered at length in classes. Within my first few weeks of coursework, I had a seemingly endless list of topics I wanted to write about. I love the creativity that Currents supports in giving students autonomy to write about whatever interests them. Marine affairs is a broad and multi-disciplinary field, and Currents facilitates self-directed learning and creativity.

I also really appreciate that Currents encourages all articles to address issues of social and environmental justice. Anti-racist frameworks should not be applied tangentally to environmental issues, but should be the lens through which we view them. Working with a team of passionate, creative, and innovative fellow students and faculty reviewers has also really enhanced my experience in SMEA.

Have you read any good books or watched any good shows this summer?

I recently finished Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina which was a shocking and important read. The ways in which the law can break down, be malleable, or simply not exist in the high seas leads to an enormous amount of not only unsustainable fishing practices, but of significant human rights violations. I loved this book for its compelling investigative journalism, and also for its comprehensive exploration of actionable solutions.

I am also nearly finished with All We Can Save, an anthology edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson. I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone who is feeling the weight of eco-anxiety and grief. It is a collection of essays by women leading the climate change movement and explores the inspiring changes that are currently underway, and the unending list of species and ecosystems that will continue to exist if humans work together in rapidly implementing climate solutions.

What is something fun you did this summer?

My capstone partner and I began conducting interviews for our research this summer, which has been fascinating and so rewarding. We have been speaking with Tribal natural resource managers about their perspectives on flood management and floodplain restoration programs, and I have learned so much. Very excited to dive into analysis this fall!

I am currently winding down my summer with several weeks on the east coast. My partner and I visited family in North Carolina where we enjoyed warm ocean swimming (always a treat for my Pacific Northwestern self!), then made our way up to New England. The maritime culture and dramatic coastlines on the east coast have been so fun to explore. We wandered Boston’s cobblestone streets, enjoyed an insanely delicious meal in the North End’s Little Italy, caught live music in Portland’s historic Old Port, paddled Maine’s Kennebec River in small-town Hallowell, and are now headed north to stay in a renovated ice fishing shack and explore Acadia National Park. It’s been the perfect balance of tasty food, local drinks, and exciting adventure, which is always a mark of a successful getaway in my mind!

What’s your favorite way to eat potatoes?

I remember being young and confidently stating that my favorite food was potatoes for years. There was a lot of wisdom there! Such a versatile and delicious food. I will still happily take potatoes in any form, but my favorite is the ever-popular mashed (usually accompanied by many hot sauces).

Nicolette Worrell (she/her): Social Media Coordinator

What is the best SMEA class you’ve taken?

I loved Sunny’s spatial mapping in R class. I really enjoyed putting the skills in R that I had gained over the year to use by making fun maps and learning new skills that I can use in the future. I also thoroughly enjoyed all of Sunny’s classes — the structure and teaching style resonated with me a lot and helped me stay engaged. Her classes were very rewarding. I took one every quarter my first year!

Have you read any good books or watched any good shows this summer?

My top books for this summer were: Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal, and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia — I rated these all 4 out of 5 stars or higher. I also started watching Ugly Delicious on Netflix which is captivating! I’m a sucker for a good food documentary. That being said, please feel free to recommend some to me!

What are you most excited about for your Currents position?

I love the outreach capability of social media, so I’m really excited to expand on that this year to get more people interested and involved in SMEA stuff!

What’s your favorite way to eat potatoes?

I personally love every form of potato, but I have to say mashed potatoes are my favorite. You can’t go wrong with a bit of mashed potatoes.

Chase Puentes (she/her): Creative Director

What are you looking forward to this quarter?

Like Gabi, I really can’t wait to meet my classmates and professors in person. We’ve all done our best to foster a sense of community online through this challenging year, but I think it will give us a renewed sense of energy to be able to work together face-to-face. Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that part of the reason I chose to come to grad school at UW was for its gorgeous campus- I’m very much looking forward to sitting in the quad on sunny days and holing up in a cozy library corner through fall and winter!

What are you most excited about for your Currents position?

I’m absolutely thrilled to step into this position and come up with new ways to convey ideas from our brilliant writers! We’ve already published an article using Tik Toks as evidence of the author’s points (see Nico’s ‘Food Sovereignty in the Arctic’ piece!) and I hope to work with other writers to publish photo essays, audio files, poems, and all other manner of creative communication.

What have you been up to this summer?

Oh boy- so much! I was lucky enough to be selected by the College of the Environment as a science communication fellow over the summer, so I spent time interviewing faculty on amazing research projects and honing my writing skills through several articles. At the same time, I was working as an active travel guide throughout the San Juan Islands and Olympic National Park, leading week-long biking, hiking, and kayaking tours for big groups. My favorite part of summer was taking a break from work to visit family and friends in California, and then road tripping and camping with my partner all the way back up the coast to Seattle.

Who is your favorite science writer, communicator, or photographer?

I’ve always admired communicators like Bill Nye, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, and Stephen Hawking for presenting complex science to wide reaching audiences in accessible ways, but most recently I’ve been loving Alie Ward, host of the podcast Ologies. Not only is she full of never-ending enthusiasm for all walks of science, but she doesn’t sacrifice her own voice, humor or wit in interviews, a quality which I strive towards as well. I never thought I’d be able to sit through an hour and a half of nerds talking about horology or deltiology, let alone enjoy it enough to laugh out loud!

What’s your favorite way to eat potatoes?

I discovered Irish nachos last year and haven’t been able to get enough ever since! Slice a potato into thin medallions, brush with olive oil and roast in the oven. Once they’re nice and golden, coat liberally with cheddar and sour cream, green onions, diced tomatoes and jalapenos. YUM!

Nikki Canning (she/her): Copy Editor

Why did you want to get involved with Currents?

The amazing articles. Before I started at SMEA, I remember reading Sallie Lau’s “Rice: Is it nice?,” Susanna Maher’s “This is Bananas: Packaging and Waste in the produce industry” and Abby Keller’s “Eating for Yourself and the Planet: Get you a diet that can do both!” They were all so thoughtful and informative. That the writers were thinking about the kinds of things I was, but at a more advanced level, affirmed that I had made the right decision in coming to SMEA. I started writing for Currents my first quarter and was floored by my colleagues’ level of talent and professionalism. I’m flattered to be included. It’s also an incredible opportunity to learn to write for a broader audience than strict academic writing allows.

What are you most excited about for your Currents position?

I’m happiest when I’m helping a team of people I admire produce their best work. Getting to offer my assistance through something as fun as editing is a ridiculous stroke of good luck. I suppose the moments I’m most excited for are the ones where I get to see all the beautiful final drafts of articles everybody has written.

What have you liked most about your time at SMEA so far?

It feels saccharine to admit this, but the reading assignments. I have never in my life had to read so much, or had such a high rate of transformative readings. I also really enjoy working with the Kelly lab because I get to hear about cutting edge environmental DNA research with amazing environmental monitoring applications, despite not specializing in that myself. The people are also always a great time.

What’s your favorite way to eat potatoes?

In a full flavored curry or stew. I love assertive savory and spicy flavors. The creamy texture and mellow taste of potatoes bring rich dishes like that to another level.