Class Year

93

Current Hometown:

St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, England

Job and Employer

Marine Biologist, Marine Mammal Naturalist and Expedition Leader for Lindblad Expeditions

Work:

For the last sixteen years, I have worked all over the world as a lecturer, Zodiac driver and expedition leader for several expedition ship travel companies. For the last six years, I have also assisted as a driver for an Antarctic Killer Whale satellite-tagging project.

I have had incredible experiences and learned so much about the various cultures and remote places during the trips. But at the end of the day, it is a job about dealing with people, all the joys, and challenges that come with that. It is a great opportunity to teach people about wildlife and conservation issues, especially climate change. Everyone day is a lesson in Human Ecology, really. 

Community work & family

I also work as a support research scientist for a study of marine invertebrates in the polar, temperate and tropical regions with my husband who works at British Antarctic Survey.  We try to give presentations to school groups when we can.

Graduate School

University of Rhode Island

Graduation Year

2004

Degree

Masters of Marine Policy

Senior project:

Tidal Influence’s on Finback Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) Movements in the Bay of Fundy.

Internship:

Whale Watch intern for Maine Whale Watch and Logistics Coordinator for Mount Desert Rock my first summer at COA.

Human ecology in action:

It was during my time at COA and Mount Desert Rock that I learned so many valuable skills and made personal connections that have influenced every part of my career so far.  We learned to think about ecosystems in a sustainable and holistic way long before they became “buzzwords” in science and management.  One of my career highlights was talking with President Carter in the Artic about these issues and explaining how studying human ecology helped shaped how I teach people about the natural world.

A COA experience that was particularly significant or memorable:

I applied to COA with the intent to study whales. I was very fortunate to be a work-study student at Allied Whale and then spent three summers at Mount Desert Rock.  The chance to learn research techniques and gain important hands-on field experience was priceless as an undergraduate.  I have studied or taught about whales since I was 18 and still have a passion for learning more about them every day.

Considerations for prospective students:

The heart of COA is the excellent staff and facility that want to give students opportunities to grow and learn in ways that many larger universities just can’t compete with.  They will support you to challenge yourself and to learn to think about the world and your place in it differently.