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
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.

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
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."

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."