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Alumni Perspectives

One of SoMAS’ paramount objectives is to educate and train students to become the next generation of marine and atmospheric scientists, environmental resource managers, and citizens who possess a fundamental grasp of environmental issues and the choices that society faces in handling these issues.

UndergraduateDavid Conover & MSRC Alumni honor former Dean & Director Jerry Schubel

The first undergraduate degree offered through SoMAS was a minor in marine sciences established in 1988. In 1992, an Oceanography and Environmental Studies track was established in the Multidisciplinary Studies undergraduate degree program. Also in that year, the Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC) offered its first undergraduate major, as the University’s Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres (ITPA) was transferred to MSRC, bringing with it the Atmospheric Sciences/Meteorology BS degree program. Over time, other undergraduate degree programs followed: a BA in Environmental Studies (2001) and a BS in Marine Biology and a BS in Marine Vertebrate Biology (both in 2005). The Environmental Studies major is designed for students anticipating a non-science career but one with a strong environmental bent, e.g., environmental journalism. The Marine Biology and Marine Vertebrate Biology degrees prepare students for a career in the sciences or environmental management. In 2016, the Sustainability Studies program became part of SoMAS, adding alumni with degrees in Sustainability Studies, Coastal Environmental Sciences, Environmental Humanities, Ecosystems and Human Impact, and Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning. Several students also graduate with a minor in Geospatial Sciences offered at SoMAS.

Graduate

MSRC’s first graduate degree program, the Marine Environmental Studies Program (MESP), was Alumni Day 2004 at Stony Brook Manhattanauthorized in April 1970 and produced its first graduate in May 1971. The MESP program was a Masters of Science program designed for practicing professionals and recent college graduates with varied academic backgrounds. Its curriculum offered a strongly interdisciplinary examination of the diverse factors affecting the marine environment and was designed to prepare students for careers in the then-rapidly expanding fields of coastal management, environmental monitoring and protection and resource management. During the 1975-76 academic year, MSRC conducted an internal review of the MESP program. As a result of this review, the program name was changed to “Marine Environmental Sciences Program” and the program’s focus was shifted more towards hard science, with somewhat less emphasis being given to management and specific environmental problem-solving.

In April 1978, the Board of Trustees of the New York State Education Department approved MSRC’s Ph.D. program in coastal oceanography. The following September, the program was approved by New York Governor Hugh Carey. The Ph.D. program graduated its first two students in December, 1981.

In 2007, as MSRC was renamed the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, our graduate programs were re-titled to more properly reflect the unified educational experience within the school that is offered to both marine and atmospheric science students. At present, SoMAS offers both MS and Ph.D. degrees in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, with concentrations in either the marine or atmospheric sciences.

In 2010, SoMAS established an MA in Marine Conservation and Policy, which provides students with an understanding of contemporary marine conservation and policy issues and helps them develop the necessary skills to apply this knowledge in marine conservation positions that require advanced training and a broad skill-set, but are not research-based.

Since 1971, SoMAS programs have produced over 1000 graduates.  The alumni profiles below highlight a few of our graduates.

#seawolvesforlife

Check out the articles below for features of our alumni

 

Ana Penavic, MA, 2024

Ana PenavicMA, 2024

Jessica Salmon, MA, 2023

Jessica SalmonMA, 2023

Alex Casamassima, BA, 2023

Alex CasamassimaBA, 2023

Miles Litzmann, MS, 2023

Miles LitzmannMS, 2023

Alex Kutsupis, BA, 2022

Alex KutsupisBA, 2022

Demetrios Caroussos, MA, 2022

Demetrios CaroussosMA, 2022

James Pizaro, BA, 2022

James PizaroBA, 2022

Steven Silverman, MA, 2021

Steven SilvermanMA, 2021

Megan Gallagher, BA, 2021

Megan GallagherBA, 2021

Kayla Clauson, MA, 2020

Kayla ClausonMA, 2020

Mia Ramirez, BA, 2020

Mia RamirezBA, 2020

Anna Smith, BS, 2020

Anna SmithBS, 2020

Christine Suter, MA, 2020

Christine SuterMA, 2020

Roxanne Saravia, MA, 2019

Roxanne SaraviaMA, 2019

Chris Crosby, BS, 2019

Chris CrosbyBS, 2019

Sara Cernadas-Martin, PhD, 2019

Sara Cernadas-MartinPhD, 2019

Andrew Glinsky, MA, 2019

Andrew GlinskyMA, 2019

Lucy DiBenedetto, BS, 2019

Lucy DiBenedettoBS, 2019

Greg Marshall, PhD, 2019

Greg MarshallPhD, 2019

Gina Greer, MA, 2019

Gina GreerMA, 2019

Katie Conroy, MA, 2018

Katie ConroyMA, 2018

Emily Markowitz, MS, 2018, BS 2015

Emily MarkowitzMS, 2018, BS 2015

Rachel Coccia, MA, 2017

Rachel CocciaMA, 2017

Kaitlin Giglio, MS, 2017

Kaitlin GiglioMS, 2017

Celeste Stout, MA, 2017

Celeste StoutMA, 2017

Chad Marvin, BA, 2017

Chad MarvinBA, 2017

Shannon Davis, MA, 2017

Shannon DavisMA, 2017

Mary Bracho, BA, 2016

Mary BrachoBA, 2016

Emily Nocito, BS, 2016

Emily NocitoBS, 2016

Daniel Leite, MA, 2015

Daniel LeiteMA, 2015

Melissa Scheiber, BA, 2015

Melissa ScheiberBA, 2015

Molly Adams, MA, 2015

Molly AdamsMA, 2015

Tyler Abruzzo, MS, 2015

Tyler AbruzzoMS, 2015

Liz Ahearn, MA, 2015

Liz AhearnMA, 2015

Michael Colbert, BS, 2015

Michael ColbertBS, 2015

Gabriella Carvajal, MA, 2015

Gabriella CarvajalMA, 2015

Erica Cirino, BA, 2015

Erica CirinoBA, 2015

Danica Warns, MA, 2015

Danica WarnsMA, 2015

Christopher Martinez, PhD, 2014

Christopher MartinezPhD, 2014

Sarah Schaefer, MA, 2013

Sarah SchaeferMA, 2013

Brian Gallagher, BS, 2013

Brian GallagherBS, 2013

Christine O'Connell, PhD, 2013

Christine O'ConnellPhD, 2013

Kenneth Lang, MA, 2013

Kenneth LangMA, 2013

Carolyn Weis, MA, 2013

Carolyn WeisMA, 2013

Owen Doherty, PhD, 2012

Owen DohertyPhD, 2012

Elizabeth Rogers, MA, 2012

Elizabeth RogersMA, 2012

Cassie Bauer, MS, 2012

Cassie BauerMS, 2012

Jake LaBelle, MA, 2012

Jake LaBelleMA, 2012

Laura Picariello, MA, 2012

Laura PicarielloMA, 2012

Christopher Lang, MA, 2012

Christopher LangMA, 2012

Andrew Carter, MA, 2012

Andrew CarterMA, 2012

Kelly Lombardo, PhD, 2011

Kelly LombardoPhD, 2011

Julie Schipper, BA, 2011

Julie SchipperBA, 2011

John Holden, BS, 2011

John HoldenBS, 2011

Morgan Gelinas, MS, 2011

Morgan GelinasMS, 2011

Debbie Aller, BA, 2011

Debbie AllerBA, 2011

Hazel Wodehouse, MA, 2011

Hazel WodehouseMA, 2011

Geoff Bansen, BS, 2010

Geoff BansenBS, 2010

Katie Kennedy, BA, 2010

Katie KennedyBA, 2010

Tom Di Liberto, MS, 2009

Tom Di LibertoMS, 2009

Carolyn Hall, MS, 2009

Carolyn HallMS, 2009

David Novak, PhD, 2009

David NovakPhD, 2009

Lynn Abramson, PhD, 2007

Lynn AbramsonPhD, 2007

Laurie Zaleski, MS, 2002

Laurie ZaleskiMS, 2002

Laura Klahre, MS, 1997

Laura KlahreMS, 1997

Marci Bortman, PhD, 1997

Marci BortmanPhD, 1997

Lisa Clough, PhD, 1993

Lisa CloughPhD, 1993

Sanjay Gupta, MS, 1992

Sanjay GuptaMS, 1992

DeWitt Davies, PhD, 1990

DeWitt DaviesPhD, 1990

Hans Dam, PhD, 1989

Hans DamPhD, 1989

Gene Carl Feldman, PhD, 1985

Gene Carl FeldmanPhD, 1985

Gregg Rivara, MS, 1985

Gregg RivaraMS, 1985

Tom Wilson, MS, 1983

Tom WilsonMS, 1983

John Budin, MS, 1981

John BudinMS, 1981

Frank Roethel, PhD, 1981

Frank RoethelPhD, 1981

Craig Allen, BS, 1979

Craig AllenBS, 1979

Wayne Penello, MS, 1979

Wayne PenelloMS, 1979

What do our alumni say about their experiences at SoMAS?

Anitra at graduation

“I highly recommend Stony Brook and the Marine Sciences Research Center to prospective students. The faculty here are not only first-rate researchers; they sincerely care about seeing graduate students achieve their career goals in science. Students come to the SoMAS from a variety of backgrounds and with a broad range of interests. This diversity is on of the SoMAS’s greatest strengths. Students can pursue their interests in all areas of oceanographic research, and have the opportunity to participate in and design projects in locations ranging from the Long Island Sound to the Atlantic Ocean. Living near the water is an added plus. While some students rely on the sound as a study site, others are happy to go kayaking, swimming, sailing, and fishing there when they are not in the lab.”

Anitra Ingalls, Ph.D. 2002
Assistant Professor, University of Washington

 

"My marine remote sensing research progress, starting at SoMAS, attests to our ability to meet the challenges of marine science’s new frontier and to SoMAS's commitment to educating a new generation of marine scientists.”

Xiao-Hai Yan, Ph.D. 1989
Professor of Oceanography, Co-Director of Center for Remote Sensing
University of Delaware Graduate College of Marine Studies

 

Mead AllisonSoMAS is at the vanguard of a new public awareness of the importance and fragility of the coastal zone. I cannot imagine a more exciting opportunity for prospective students seeking to make a meaningful contribution to important issues, while at the same time receiving a high quality education.”

Mead Allison, Ph.D. 1993
Associate Professor
Tulane University

 

“SoMAS offers a rare opportunity to interact with students and faculty from all over the world, in many disciplines, and of all ages. This diversity is a form of learning experience that no oceanography textbook can ever give.”

Shino Tanikawa Oglesby, M.S. 1997
Executive Director at NYC Soil & Water Conservation District

 

Diana GreenfieldI was very happy with my decision to come to SoMAS at Stony Brook for my Ph.D., and I would highly recommend SoMAS to future students. One of the biggest assets of the department is its open and friendly atmosphere. Not only is it relatively easy to collaborate with other laboratories on site, but the majority of students socialize together creating a warm, welcoming environment, which is so important considering how much time one spends on campus and interacting with colleagues. Students who decide to attend SoMAS are rewarded with a wonderful opportunity to develop their own research interests with excellent faculty, and, when one has spare time, students can easily drive or take the train into New York City or hang out at the many nearby beaches.”

Dianne Greenfield. Ph.D. 2002
Research Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina & South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

 

“The interdisciplinary emphasis of the marine science program at Stony Brook has been one of its great strengths and prepared me well for my current position as an associate professor of environmental science at Rutgers University. In my research, I have recently been occupied tracking down mercury in some of our urban coastal waters, which as this photo of the New Jersey Meadowlands attests, should not be thought of as beyond repair. I am often struck by the importance of the experiences I had at SoMAS that were not directly related to my graduate research.

Through these experiences, I learned something about benthic ecology, organic geochemistry, and how to host a “distinguished visiting scholar,” all of which has been extremely useful as a teacher and a professional scientist. I have great memories of the positive work and social environment among the students and faculty at SoMAS, which recent visits back to Long Island tell me still exists.”

John Reinfelder, Ph.D. 1993
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University

 

Tom Hurst with fishWhen I came to the MSRC to study the population biology of fishes, I was impressed by the breadth of topics addressed by the faculty. However, I couldn’t predict how valuable this diversity of interests would become to me. During the course of my research on the winter ecology of striped bass, I have frequently called upon the expertise of geologists, benthic ecologists, and physical oceanographers in planning experiments and interpreting findings. In addition I have had the opportunity to participate in a variety of estuarine research projects outside my own work. Through this cooperation, I have gained a much better understanding of my study organism, and the estuarine environment in which it lives. Working among such a diverse group of scientists has been an incredibly challenging experience, and one which has been invaluable to my professional development.”

Tom Hurst. Ph.D. 2000
Research Scientist, National Marine Fisheries Service