Footsteps in the sand
Think of the marine scientists emerging from Skidmore College through the years, and
the first name is often Penny Chisholm '69. A recipient of the National Medal of Science in 2013 from President Obama, she was cited for her identification and genetic study of the dominant photosynthetic
organisms in the sea—tiny but abundant blue-green algae that constitute the base of
the ocean's food chain and play a critical role in regulating the planet's climate.
Lately, students and recent alumni are carrying on the legacy of top researchers like
Chisholm. Here are five who've pursued scientific inquiry from the ocean's surface
to its depths, and from coastal boundaries to the skies above. These will be names
to watch long into the future.
Melanie Feen '16 presents her research poster
Melanie Feen '16
Major: geosciences
Influences: An advanced oceanography course with Prof. Greg Gerbi and research in the oceanography
lab of Prof. Meg Estapa
Experience: Researching at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and helping calibrate
an oxygen sensor deployed in the ocean on a marine robot
Future goal: To help shape the way ocean and climate science is communicated to policymakers,
with a focus on education and the opportunity to protect the oceans
Melanie has a lifelong love of the ocean, but it wasn't until she began working with
Gerbi and Estapa that she decided to pursue a career in ocean and climate research.
With the support of a Parents Fund award (a philanthropic effort by the parents of each graduating class), Melanie spent the
summer after her graduation assisting scientist David Nicholson at WHOI. She is listed
as the co-author of a research paper—about their work calibrating sensors to measure
oxygen in the ocean—that's under review for publication in Limnology and Oceanography: Methods.
Birds are now the focus for Wray Gabel '16
Wray Gabel '16
Major: biology (Ecology, Evolution, and Animal Behavior track)
Influences: Courses, research, and mentoring with Profs. Abby Drake and Monica Raveret Richter
Experience: Working as a research assistant in seabird migration through Hokkaido University
in Japan
Future goal: Completing a graduate degree in wildlife biology (focusing on ornithology)
Wray, now working for the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, developed a deep appreciation
for research and learning at Skidmore. After lab work, study abroad in Australia,
and a travel seminar in Costa Rica, she conducted field work in Japan with funding
from a Skidmore SEE-Beyond Award, available to approximately 20 students for internships, apprenticeships, or other
experiences to deepen their understanding in their disciplines. Crediting Drake with
instilling practical skills and Raveret Richter with inspiring her passion for ecology,
Wray says working in Japan confirmed her career choice. She's already working toward
a graduate degree—for example, taking an online course in bird biology through Cornell
University.
Sam Kastner '15 in his seaside element
Sam Kastner '15
Majors: physics and music
Influence: Taking "Introduction to Geophysics" as a freshman
Experience: Collaborative research on coastal oceanography with Prof. Greg Gerbi
Future goal: Applying his doctorate as a scientist or professor, or contributing to "the public
policy debate around the perception of science and alternative energy"
Sam is currently a graduate student working toward a Ph.D. at the University of Washington,
where he's studying waves and mixing in the upper ocean as part of the environmental
fluid mechanics group. It's an area of study he began with Gerbi, from whom he learned
that research can be fun, intellectually stimulating, and rewarding. In addition,
Sam says, "Researching taught me how to think through a problem analytically, which
helped all aspects of my academic career—especially music! Having academic balance
helped me be a better musician."
Chris Malvicini '17 and colleague in the Philippines
Christopher Malvicini '17
Majors: biology and environmental studies
Influences: Interest in working in developing nations and making a difference in communities
through science
Experience: Interning in coral-reef ecology at the University of the Philippines' Marine Science
Institute
Future goal: A career in environmental engineering, helping to improve infrastructure and access
to safe, clean drinking water
Having spent summers working with coffee farmers and model-farming techniques in Honduras
and then conducting plant genetics research at Indiana University, Chris sought out
a new field experience and received a Parents Fund award for an internship in the Philippines, where he'd grown up. The opportunity not only
enhanced his understanding of reef ecology, especially in the context of local communities
and ecological education, but also solidified his interest in applied sciences and
shaped his environmental science capstone project back at Skidmore. In addition, he
says he gained experience in cross-cultural scientific writing and communication,
and an appreciation for the "individual persistence and collaborative thought" required
for graduate-level research.
Evan Nitkin '17
Major: geosciences
Influence: Taking "Introduction to Oceanography" as a freshman
Experience: A summer course, "Coastal Geoscience of the North Atlantic Ocean," through East Carolina
University, focusing on the coasts of Ireland and North Carolina
Future goal: Studying and working with the interfaces between natural and human-built environments,
to make the world a better place
Looking for a way to bring his anthropology minor into his geoscience studies, Evan
found it in a summer course focusing on the role of natural environments in the formation
of local cultures. In exploring the coasts and cultures on opposite sides of the Atlantic,
he also discovered a broader context for his Skidmore studies: "Before the Atlantic
Ocean formed, parts of Ireland abutted what is now the northeastern U.S.," he says,
"so a lot of the local geologic formations and fossils I've studied in geoscience
classes—even just in Skidmore's North Woods—were in Ireland, too."