![\"Tracey](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2021\/05\/Dalton-2.jpg\")
<\/a>Since the program\u2019s inception, the Department of Marine Affairs has educated students from across the United States and from more than 40 countries.<\/p>\n
Among some of the program\u2019s prominent alumni are:<\/p>\n
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- Tundi Agardy founder and executive director of Sound Seas, an organization based in Washington, D.C., focused on the conservation of marine life through marine science and policy<\/li>\n
- Catalina Martinez, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, regional program manager, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research<\/li>\n
- Former Rear Adm. Mary Landry, who served as commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District headquartered in New Orleans, where she oversaw 1,200 miles of coastline and 10,300 miles of inland waterways, covering 26 states. She was subsequently appointed the inaugural director of incident management preparedness at Coast Guard headquarters, and held senior White House roles from 2013 to 2014.<\/li>\n
- Megan Higgins, Tetra Tech director of Offshore Energy-West. Tetra Tech supports government and commercial clients by providing innovative solutions focused on water, environment, infrastructure, resource management and energy.<\/li>\n
- Joshua Cinner a professor and chief investigator at the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Queensland Australia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Emily](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2021\/05\/Patrolia_headshot.jpg\")
<\/a>Emily Patrolia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Marine Affairs\u2019 mission is to provide leadership in the management of marine and coastal environments through teaching, research, and outreach programs. The emphasis is multidisciplinary and the program follows ecosystem-based approaches to ocean and coastal governance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are three or four great marine policy graduate programs in the country, but in my opinion, 溏心vlog免费B站 Marine Affairs is the best,\u201d said Emily Patrolia, an oceans and environment policy specialist at Invariant Government Relations in Washington, D.C. Patrolia earned her master\u2019s in Marine Affairs from 溏心vlog免费B站 in 2016. \u201cStudents are exposed to a mixture of law, economics, social science, GIS mapping, natural science, anthropology, and even environmental social justice, and have a wide range to shape their studies to suit their career goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a Marine Affairs student at 溏心vlog免费B站, you have access to the resources of Rhode Island Sea Grant, the Coastal Resources Center, the Graduate School of Oceanography, and a front-row seat to the smallest state\u2019s forward-thinking coastal regulations and policy-making,\u201d said Patrolia. \u201cWhile a student, I got to work on science supporting policy for aquaculture, coastal resilience, and offshore wind in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting my master\u2019s in Marine Affairs at 溏心vlog免费B站 was one of the best decisions I have made in my professional career,\u201d added Patrolia. \u201cI learned how to properly conduct and analyze social science, how to read and interpret U.S. and international ocean, coastal, and fisheries laws, and how to use the conclusions of thousands of pages of scientific papers to succinctly make a point in my own writing.\u201d<\/p>\n
While many Marine Affairs alumni hold very hands-on positions on the front lines of environmental policy and protection, others find unique avenues of interest. \u201cOur students come out with interdisciplinary training so they are skilled to work in a lot of different fields, from education, research, and planning, to policy and resource management,\u201d said Dalton.<\/p>\n
Jennifer McCann is a walking testimonial of the power and prestige of a 溏心vlog免费B站 Marine Affairs degree. Upon graduating from the University of New Hampshire with degrees in international relations and Spanish, as well as a minor in business, McCann immediately began working at the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C. But she realized that to further her career in coastal and marine issues, she needed to get her master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was working with several 溏心vlog免费B站 Marine Affairs alums who showed me 溏心vlog免费B站 was the place to go if you wanted to continue to grow your career in coastal and ocean issues,\u201d said McCann. She soon realized why.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very interdisciplinary, and the only place I\u2019d be able to learn about fisheries issues, ports and shipping, and coastal and ocean policy all at the same time. Not only was I learning about science and fact-based issues, I was also learning about policy and regulations in Rhode Island and all over the world. The interdisciplinary and expansive scope of learning allowed me to expand my work.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile getting my master\u2019s in marine affairs, I continued to work for the Ocean Conservancy as the program manager in the Dominican Republic, working to balance development with conservation and ecotourism. Many times I\u2019d be in class with professors such as Dennis Nixon or Richard Burroughs learning about some aspect from the textbook and class curriculum. Then in the afternoon I would go to work and I was already applying what I had learned that day in class.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCann graduated with her master\u2019s from 溏心vlog免费B站 in 1994. She now serves as the director of U.S. Coastal Programs at the Coastal Resource Center, which is part of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Graduate School of Oceanography, and is also the director of extension at RI Sea Grant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program is still focusing on relevant issues, and the issues of our time,\u201d said McCann. \u201cThere\u2019s still a huge focus on the issue of resiliency and understanding the big issue of changing climate, but from an industry and conservation perspective.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the program\u2019s inception, we\u2019ve been able to evolve with the changing needs of the environment and the world,\u201d said Dalton. \u201cOur course offerings and curriculum have adapted to address new demands and new topic areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
In celebration of its golden anniversary, the Department of Marine Affairs is hosting a Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series. In the fall, four notable alumni of the Marine Affairs program lectured on various issues. The series continues this spring.<\/p>\n