We are excited to announce that Roy Arezzo has been selected for the 2024-2025 Teacher at Sea Alumni Association NOAA Fellowship. Roy will start in May 2024 and will spend his fellowship year

• working as a consultant for a variety of education and outreach programs among NOAA offices,
• supporting TASAA with a variety of activities,
• developing an independent project using NOAA-related resources and potentially collaborating with other TAS alumni.

For his independent project, Roy aims to use NOAA resources to engage diverse audiences through community science projects focused on water quality, stormwater innovations and restoration projects.

Roy Arezzo has over 30 years of experience teaching science in New York City public schools, and he is excited about the opportunity to give back to the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program. Throughout his career, Roy has demonstrated a passion for community engagement and environmental education, using them as pathways to provide real-world opportunities for his students. In 2007, Roy participated in NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program, sailing the Bering Sea out of Alaska on NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson for a pollock survey —a pivotal experience that influenced the design of curricula for The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. Read more about his experience at sea here.

With a background in biology, Roy graduated from Marist College and earned a Master’s in Environmental Science Teaching from CUNY. Throughout his teaching career, he spearheaded numerous community science projects, focusing on community gardens, compost, cycling, and water quality. He has led outdoor trips for youth as an open water rowing coach, and field teacher. While working at a Brooklyn Middle School, Roy connected students to their watershed by starting a Trout in the Classroom program. Roy and his school turned a trash-filled lot into a community garden and started a campus-wide compost program.

In 2003, Roy played a key role in establishing the New York Harbor School, introducing oyster gardening research and developing the original field class for incoming 9th graders. As a founding teacher, he went on to develop and teach courses in biology, environmental science, and marine science, as well as introducing the first Advanced Placement science program. Roy was recruited to take over the Aquaculture CTE program to partner with the Billion Oyster Project in restoration projects. There, he developed a diverse advisory committee(which he still serves on),was awarded a grant to develop the aquaponics lab, and expanded work-based learning opportunities.

Roy’s commitment to environmental education extends beyond the urban environment. During his summers, he engaged in professional development as a field tech and research assistant. His first placement was in an environmental health science lab working with Columbia University Summer Research Program for Teachers studying molecular biology, where he continued to serve on the advisory board for over a decade. As a Mentor Teacher participant in the Armada Program, he researched the impact of climate change on the Antarctic shelf aboard the RVIB Nathanial B. Parmer in 2008. In 2023, Roy served as the Urban Stormwater Education and Outreach Coordinator at The Nature Conservancy, collaborating with the Stormwater Innovation Center. While monitoring water bodies in Rhode Island, he focused on water quality and prevention of cyanobacteria blooms.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Roy enjoys snow sports, cycling, and diving. He holds an Advanced PADI certification from Australia and recently became Nitrox certified in the Galapagos. When he is not in the field, on the water, or on his bike, he likes to see live music or escape the city for the forest.

We are excited to have Roy join our team and are thrilled to be able to continue the fellowship this year!