Alumni Spotlight

Lesley Urasky (TAS, 2012), a science teacher at Saratoga Middle/High School in Saratoga, Wyoming, has been named the 2024 recipient of the American Geoscience Institute's (AGI) Edward C. Roy Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching. "Lesley Urasky provides the kind of high-quality earth science education that helps young people understand the problem-solving... View Article

Jenny Goldner (TAS 2011), a fifth-grade science teacher at Jay Upper Elementary School in Jay, Oklahoma, is one of this year’s Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Medal honorees. Excerpt from the article by Sheila Stogsdill from FourStatesHomepage.com: Continually bringing her enthusiasm to her classroom, Jenny says “I am willing and excited to try anything if it... View Article

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... View Article

As a teacher at Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School, Germaine Thomas (TAS, 2023), teaching and fishing are a natural combination. When school lets out for the summer, she heads out to the water for her other profession: commercial salmon fishing in Prince William Sound. For National Seafood Month, NOAA Fisheries featured Germaine in an... View Article

This month, we are delighted to spotlight alum Jeff Miller (TAS, 2015). Jeff was one of the first teachers to join the TASAA Project ROVe Cohort in 2021. He participated in the online “Introduction to ROVs” course, which brought together fifteen Teacher at Sea Alumni from across the country to learn about ROVs and marine... View Article

This month, we are proud to spotlight Dr. Dieuwertje (DJ) Kast (TAS, 2015). DJ is the Director of STEM Education Programs at University of Southern California. She is the recipient of a 2023 Moxie Award from Built In. These awards recognize 100 women, chosen from among 800 nominations, across the tech industry for their outstanding... View Article

[8/3/2023: Scroll down for an update on Brandy's expedition to Australia] TASAA is excited to share the news that two of our alumni, Brandy Hill (NOAA TAS 2018) and Catherine Fuller (NOAA TAS 2019) have been named National Geographic Society’s 2023 Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. They join a cohort of 50 educators from the U.S., Canada,... View Article

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund presents the Career Award for STEM Teachers to outstanding STEM teachers in the North Carolina public primary and secondary schools and provides $175,000 over five years. These awards recognize STEM teachers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in their classrooms, schools, and communities. After a rigorous selection process, four exceptional STEM teachers... View Article

Teacher At Sea Alumna, Ashley Cosme, was crowned the 2023 Mrs. Indiana-American at the annual Mrs. Indiana pageant held on March 4th, 2023, in South Bend, Indiana. Ashley is a science teacher at Crown Point High School. Ashley’s pageant platform and mission during her reign as Mrs. Indiana-American is to empower the next generation of... View Article

We are excited to announce that Denise Harrington has been selected for the 2022 Teacher at Sea Alumni Association NOAA Fellowship! Denise will start in July 2022 and spend her 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... View Article

On February 8th, 2022, President Joe Biden named the recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Among the awardees this year are two Teacher at Sea Alumni: Kristin Joivell (NOAA Ship Fairweather, 2009) and Rolie Adrienne “Andi” Webb (NOAA Ship Oregon II, 2014). Kristin Joivell is from Alexandria, PA… View Article

Ozone diagrams created by 8th and 9th graders at Lafayette Junior/Senior High School. Photo Credit: David Amidon. As NOAA and NASA announced the 2021 Antarctic ozone hole condition on October 27, the 8th- and 9th-grade science classroom at Lafayette Junior/Senior High School also concluded their first science project on ozone hole prediction. For 70+ students who started... View Article

Congratulations to Beverly Owens, TAS, 2013, who is a 2019 recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Science and Mathematics Teachers (CASMT). She’ll receive a $175,000 grant (over five years) to support professional development activities and equipment for science teachers at her school and across the Cleveland County, NC district. Beverly’s proposal was based on providing experiential… View Article

In an effort to support teachers with varying access to materials, Teacher at Sea alumna, Susan Kaiser, presented student options for data collection related to climate change topics at the National Science Teachers Association conference in Reno, NV in October 2018. She modeled how carbon dioxide gas affects Earth systems, and showed teachers how to… View Article

On November 3, 2018, fifteen members of the New England Teacher at Sea traveled to Woods Hole, MA—a hub of ocean science research facilities on Cape Cod. A blustery nor’easter did not deter these hearty New England teachers from participating in day long workshop at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Ocean Science Discovery Center…. View Article

David Amidon (TAS, 2017) and his students from Lafayette, NY connected with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Corps Officer, Lieutenant Cherisa Friedlander and Sabrina Shemet, all the way on the South Pole, during a videoconference on September 19, 2018. Amidon sailed on NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker with LT Friedlander during a Juvenile Rockfish Survey… View Article

Sue Cullumber (TAS, 2013), recently attended the marine science conference, MarCuba 10th Congress of Marine Sciences, in Havana, Cuba. The conference was held at the convention center during the week of October 15, 2018 and was represented by 18 different countries and over 650 participants. During the conference, Sue had the opportunity to present about… View Article

NOAA’s Southeast Region Teacher at Sea Alumni (SE TASA) Workshop was held on May 18-20, 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina. Fourteen Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) from the region (KY, FL, GA, NC, and SC) attended this two-and-a-half-day professional development workshop in order to strengthen oceanographic content knowledge, build partnerships with NOAA scientists, gain knowledge… View Article

To commemorate 50 years of service by NOAA ships Fairweather and Rainier, NOAA hosted a ceremony and public ship tours at the Marine Operations Center – Pacific (MOC-P) in Newport, Oregon on March 22, 2018. Rainier and Fairweather are two of four ships in the NOAA fleet that conduct hydrographic surveys in support of the... View Article

NOAA’s Pacific Southwest Region Teacher at Sea Alumni (PSWTASA) Workshop was held on November 17- 19, 2017 in La Jolla, CA at NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC). Thirty-two Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) from the region (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, and UT) attended this two-and-a-half-day professional development workshop... View Article

To commemorate the 50 years of service of NOAA Ship Oregon II, NOAA Fisheries Mississippi Laboratories, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, hosted an open house on October 5, 2017, followed by a dockside celebration where NOAA Ship Oregon II was recognized for her many accomplishments. This event recognized the ship’s successful history, and the unwavering pride... View Article

Karen Grady (TAS 2017) and Kristin Hannan, a Fishery Biologist from NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center shared shark jaws, vertebrae, and other specimens with an excited crowd at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History "Expert is In" event on June 28, 2017.   Karen sailed with Kristin this past spring on an experimental longline survey... View Article

The annual National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference: Sun, Surf, and Science was held in Los Angeles, California from March 30, 2017 – April 2, 2017. Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) came together to support NOAA’s Office of Education at the NOAA booth during the conference. TASA informed the science teachers and others about... View Article

NOAA’s Pacific Northwest Region Teacher at Sea Alumni (PNW TASA) Workshop was held on November 4-6, 2016, in Seattle, WA at NOAA’s Western Regional Center Sand Point Facility. Eighteen Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) from the region (WA, OR, WY, MT, AK, and ID) attended this three-day professional development workshop in order to strengthen oceanographic... View Article

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program alumna, Cristina Veresan (TAS 2015), and NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) Research Fisheries Biologist, Denise McKelvey, helped celebrate World Ocean Day on June 4, 2016 at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Qrius Education Center. Museum ocean activities reached over 1,000 people and focused on the World Ocean... View Article

On May 10, 2016, NOAA Teacher at Sea Program Support Specialist and Fisheries Biologist, Emily Susko, visited James Monroe Elementary School in Everett, Washington, to speak to Barney Peterson’s (TAS 2006 and 2016) fourth-grade students. Ms. Peterson sailed on NOAA Ship Rainier in 2006 and will sail on the Oregon II during a Shark/Red Snapper... View Article

Since her first research cruise with NOAA Teacher at Sea, Debra Brice (TAS 2003) continues to seek opportunities to experience science. She feels that her students need to have an appreciation for the value of science in their lives. In May 2016, Ms. Brice sailed on the Research Platform – FLIP (Floating Instrument Platform). FLIP... View Article

Dieuwertje (DJ) Kast (TAS, 2015) was selected for the 2016 Forbes “30 under 30” in science annual list for her Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) work with 3000 low income and minority students in the Los Angeles, California community. DJ is the STEM Programs Manager for the University of Southern California (USC) Joint Educational... View Article

A steady stream of awards and accomplishments continue to mount for Teacher at Sea alumna Laura Guertin (TAS 2014). She was one of 100 women selected to receive the National STEM Award. INSIGHT Into Diversity 2015 Inspiring Women in STEM Award for inspiring young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).... View Article

Elizabeth Martz (TAS, 2007),  Candice Autry (TAS, 2006) and June Teisan (TAS, 2015), were among 100 speakers at the 4th USA Science and Engineering Festival held at the Washington, D.C. Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 16 and 17, 2016.   They volunteered at the NOAA booth were Science on a Sphere® (SOS) was featured.... View Article

Congratulations to Vincent Colombo (TAS 2015), for being selected as a 2016-2017 Sussex County, DE Vocational-Technical School District Teacher of the Year. Mr. Colombo teaches biochemistry and integrated science at Sussex Technical High School in Georgetown, DE.   He sailed aboard NOAA ship Oscar Dyson for 21 days in June 2015 while scientists conducted a Walleye... View Article

Congratulations to  Lindsay Knippenberg (TAS 2011), for being selected as a 2016-2017 Teacher of the Year by Mooresville Graded School District. Ms. Knippenberg has 14 years of teaching experience and currently teaches Marine Science and Earth Science at Mooresville High School in North Carolina. She was recognized by the district for demonstrating outstanding teaching ability... View Article

Sue Zupko (TAS 2011 and 2014) held the second annual Seven Seas Celebration on April 15, 2016, at Weatherly Heights Elementary School in Huntsville, Alabama. Over 200 students and parents attended this successful marine science and math activity night. Volunteer parents, teachers, and students helped create and run the activities. Participants made nautical flags, weighed... View Article

Rebecca Loy (TAS 2015) presented at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) Museum in Syracuse, New York on November 21, 2015. The Technology Alliance of Central New York (TACNY) sponsored Ms. Loy’s talk, “What's Down There? Exploring the Oceans with the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program”.   More than one-hundred people of... View Article

Congratulations to June Teisan (TAS 2015) for being inducted into the Class of 2016 National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF)! June is a middle school science teacher from Harper Woods, Michigan and was one of five exceptional teachers in the nation inducted into this 25th anniversary class.   During her 27 years as a science teacher,... View Article

The annual National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference: Empowering Performance was held in Nashville, Tennessee from March 31, 2016 – April 3, 2016. Several Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) came together to support NOAA’s Office of Education at the NOAA Booth during the conference. TASA informed the science teachers and others about NOAA’s mission... View Article

Andrea Schmuttermair (TAS 2012) and her students at Colorado STEM Academy in Westminster, CO addressed the impact of marine issues on inland states during their Problem Based Learning project, Marine Mission. Students learned about marine debris, ocean acidification sustainable seafood, overfishing, aquaculture, and climate change from their teachers and NOAA scientists.   Special thanks to NOAA... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni Susan Kaiser (2012), Cathrine Prenot (2011), and June Teisan (2015) volunteered at regional science conferences in Nevada, Texas and Pennsylvania. They informed the public about the Teacher at Sea Program (TAS), shared their experiences at sea, and distributed NOAA education materials.   Through their efforts at these conferences, NOAA Teacher at... View Article

On September 22, 2015, Jason Rolfe, NOAA Marine Debris Program Mid-Atlantic and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, visited Elizabeth Bullock’s (TAS 2011) students at Green Acres School in Rockville, MD.   Students learned how marine debris negatively impacts marine life, ways in which it can be removed and prevented, and how to be good ocean stewards. They participated... View Article

Dr. Suzanne Acord (TAS 2014) received the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program Excellence in Science Education Award in July 2015. She was presented with the award by Mr. Carlos Santana, Constituent Services Representative from the Office of U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono, on January 22, 2016. The award was given to Dr. Acord during the NOAA... View Article

Victor Nordahl, a NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center Ecosystems Survey Branch Supervisory Research Fisheries Biologist, joined NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumna, Elizabeth Martz (TAS 2007), a sixth-grade science teacher at Middletown Middle School at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Q?rius Education Center on Wednesday, December 16, 2015. They discussed advances in methods and... View Article

Ms. Turtle Haste (TAS 2007)received the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program Excellence in Science Education Award in July 2015. She was presented with the award by the alumni coordinator for the Teacher at Sea Program, Jennifer Annetta, on Friday, November 6, 2015 at Desert Ridge Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Teachers selected for this... View Article

Mr. Chris Monsour (TAS 2007) received the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program Excellence in Science Education Award in July 2015. He was presented with the award by the director of the Teacher at Sea Program, Jennifer Hammond, on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, at Columbian High School in Tiffin, Ohio. Teachers selected for this distinguished award... View Article

Dr. Laura Guertin (TAS 2014) put a creative spin on charting the sea floor on June 17, 2015 during the Expert is In presentation at the Smithsonian National Institution of Natural History’s Q?rius Education Center. She introduced the concept of hydrography by connecting it to the underwater search for the popular Avenger’s character, Captain America.... View Article

Megan O’Leary (TAS 2007) and Stacey Klimkosky (TAS 2009) from Truro Central School in Truro, Massachusetts, volunteered on June 7 and 8, 2015 at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s World Oceans Day Celebration. World Oceans Day is held every June 8 and is the United Nations recognized day of ocean celebration and action. ... View Article

On July 15, 2015, ten NOAA Teacher at Sea alumni were honored with the distinguished NOAA Teacher at Sea Program Excellence in Science Education Award at an event on Capitol Hill hosted by United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Chief Scientist Dr. Rick Spinrad. Well after their... View Article

TAS Alumni Explore Our World of Water at the National Marine Educators Association Conference  Jackie Hams, (TAS, 2011) and Angela Greene, (TAS, 2014) volunteered at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) booth during the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) Conference held in Newport, Rhode Island from June 29 – July 2. When not at the... View Article

Barney Peterson (TAS 2006) and Her Students Raise and Release Thousands of Coho Salmon  Barney Peterson and her fourth-grade students at Monroe Elementary School in Everett, WA, have been raising and releasing Coho Salmon fry for the last 14 years! Each January the class receives 300-400 eyed eggs for their classroom hatchery. Students are responsible... View Article

A trip aboard NOAA Ship Pisces to study Deep-Water Coral opened a whole new world for Sue Zupko (TAS 2011 and 2014). She shared this “deep-sea world” with her students and their interest led to a Seven Seas Celebration at Weatherly Heights Elementary School in Huntsville, Alabama on April 17, 2015. Teachers and volunteers at... View Article

 Angela Greene (TAS 2013) and her middle school students at Tecumseh Middle School in New Carlisle, OH, collect data in a pond ecosystem to determine the overall health of the pond through a series of water quality tests and hands-on data collection. They add their data to larger sets of data, allowing them to compare... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea Stacey Klimkosky and scientist Grace Simpkins, a Match Made at Sea!  Stacey Klimkosky (TAS 2009) and Grace Simpkins, project manager for the NOAA Outreach and Education on Protected Species NOEPS program, developed by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Protected Species Branch in Woods Hole Laboratory, presented at the International Teacher Scientist... View Article

10 NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) volunteered March 12 – March 14, 2015 at the NOAA booth during the National Science Teachers Association Conference in Chicago. TASA distributed NOAA education materials and demonstrated hands-on ocean activities. They informed science teachers and others about NOAA’s mission and service to the public, as well as showed... View Article

Lollie Garay (TAS, 2009) and Anne Marie Wotkyns (TAS, 2010), in addition to being NOAA Teachers at Sea, also participated in the PolarTREC program (Teachers and Researchers Experiencing and Collaborating). In a journal article for Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, Ms. Garay and Ms. Wotkyns wrote about how teachers and researchers work together to enhance... View Article

Dr. Trey Driggers and Ms. Kristin Hannan, two NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Mississippi Labs Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) research fisheries biologists, visited Silver Spring, Maryland on February 6 and 7 to share their vast shark research and knowledge with students and the public. During their visit they collaborated with NOAA Teachers at... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni John Sammons (TAS 2005), Jill Stephens (TAS 2009), Dana Clark (TAS 2014), and Jennifer Fry (TAS 2009 and 2012) volunteered at regional science conferences in order to share their experiences at sea, inform the public about the TAS Program and distribute NOAA education materials. Through their efforts at these conferences,... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni Mary Patterson (TAS 2009), Dana Clark (TAS 2014), and NOAA Captain Rick Brennan (Chief of the Coast Survey Development Laboratory in Silver Spring, MD) presented at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Expert Is In Event on December 17, 2014. They spoke about how NOAA ships chart the seafloor,... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) from the Mid-Atlantic Region (Washington D.C., DE, MD, VA and WV) attended a two-day workshop at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, MD on November 7-8, 2014. The workshop met the following objectives:    · Enhance science content knowledge and pedagogical skills.     · Model scientific field investigations... View Article

Dr. Suzanne Acord (TAS 2014) and her 11th grade students from Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, HI learned about ocean careers and research aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette on December 1, 2014. Students toured the ship and had the opportunity to talk with NOAA Officers and Chief Scientist, Dr. Don Kobayashi, about life at sea,... View Article

Greenbrier Intermediate School held its third PTA Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Muscles Night on October 16, 2014, in Chesapeake, Virginia. The STEM event featured community presenters from local, regional and state organizations, including NOAA ENS (Ensign) Roxanne Carter from the NOAA Marine Operations Center - Atlantic in Norfolk, VA. The community exercised their minds... View Article

Eighty-five of Chris Henricksen’s (TAS 2014) fifth graders from Mark Twain Elementary School in Westerville, Ohio received a special visit from NOAA Corps Officer Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) Theresa Smith on November 7, 2014. LTJG Smith is an alumnus of Westerville City Schools currently assigned to the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science... View Article

Sue Cullumber (TAS 2013), enjoyed Chief Steward, Margaret Coyle’s Cheese and Onion Potato Latke recipe, while aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter. When Ms. Coyle was asked what skills and experiences are needed to become a Chief Steward, she said, “A person needs good cooking skills, to be organized, personable, and dedicated – this is a... View Article

Jennifer Fry, (TAS, 2012 and 2009) while aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette off the coast of American Samoa, enjoyed cuisine prepared by Chief Steward, Clementine Lutali. Ms. Lutali was the first Samoan woman to be a Chief Steward for NOAA and has been with them for 14 years! This American Samoan dessert delicacy is... View Article

Sue Cullumber’s (TAS, 2013) favorite recipe while aboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter, was the Stuffed Flounder prepared by Chief Steward, Margaret Coyle. Ms. Coyle has been with NOAA for 8 years and cooking for 25 years!    Stuffed Flounder Recipe Courtesy of Margaret Coyle, Chief Steward of NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter Ingredients:    4,... View Article

Patty McGinnis (TAS 2013) sailed on R/V Ocean Starr in May, 2013. While at sea, her favorite recipe prepared by Chief Steward, Crystal Nailor, was the Crab Boil. You too can enjoy this recipe!   Crab Boil Recipe courtesy of Crystal Nailor, NOAA R/V Ocean Starr Chief Steward      4 bay leaves      4 lemons, wedged     ... View Article

October is National Seafood Month! This is a time to highlight smart seafood choices, sustainable fisheries and the health benefits of eating a diet rich in seafood. Elizabeth Harrington (TAS 2013), while aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II, enjoyed a Scallops Provencal recipe prepared by Chief Steward, Walter Coglan.  Scallops Provencal  Recipe Courtesy of Walter Coglan,... View Article

Four TAS Alumni – Joan Le (2014), Amanda Peretich (2012), Elizabeth Bullock (2011) and Elizabeth Martz (2007) volunteered at the NOAA booth during the Maker Faire in Silver Spring, MD on September 14, 2014. The Alumni assisted Jeannine Montgomery, Outreach Specialist from NOAA’s Office of Education, with hands-on activities. The public put their ideas about... View Article

Yaara Crane (TAS 2013), Lindsay Zurawski, and Hassan Mims, all teachers from Annadale High School in Annandale, Virginia, led a week-long summer program in July for rising 11th graders. The program is inquiry-based and introduces students to new experiences in different subject areas.    Each day, students took a field trip to a new place to... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni, Johanna Mendillo (2012), Anne Mortimer (2011), and NOAA  Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) Midwater Assessment and Conservation Engineering (MACE) scientist, Darin Jones, were invited by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Museum to share their knowledge about walleye pollock in the North Pacific and Bering Sea during Experts Are... View Article

Jillian Worssam (TAS 2004), an eighth-grade teacher at Sinagua Middle School in Flagstaff, Arizona, was invited by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to be an OceansLIVE panelist in Washington D.C. during Capitol Hill Ocean Week on June 12, 2014. OceansLIVE is a web-based platform that links educators, scientists and others to a geographically dispersed audience.... View Article

Ellen O’Donnell (TAS 2012) flew in a NOAA Twin Otter with Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) aerial survey team, led by Tim Cole, on their North Atlantic Right Whale surveys in the Gulf of Maine on June 23 – 27, 2014. Ellen saw a variety of marine life and whales from the air and gained... View Article

Steven Frantz (TAS, 2012) was aboard NOAA ship Oregon II’s 300th fishery and living marine resource missions during a shark longline survey in July 2012. During this research mission, Mr. Frantz learned about a variety of sharks and one of the many ways he chose to share what he experienced was to create a shark... View Article

Britta Culbertson (TAS, 2013) participated in the 2014 Hurricane Awareness Tour on May 21 in New Orleans, LA and on May 22 in Tallahassee, FL. During the tour, NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft, a Lockheed WP-3D Orion, traveled to several regional airports on the Gulf Coast. Britta met up with the plane and its crew in... View Article

Artist Sydney Inouye beautifully painted, “The One Who Got Away” for the science crew of NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette. Sydney is a 2014 graduate of Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, HI and one of  Suzanne Acord’s (TAS, 2014) former students. She is very interested in squid and after learning about Dr. Acord’s Teacher at Sea... View Article

Nearly 1,700 finalists from around the world competed at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May 2014 in Los Angeles, CA. Finalists qualify for Intel ISEF by participating in local, regional, state, or national fairs associated with Society for Science & the Public.  Jacqueline Hams (TAS 2006 and 2011) was invited by the National... View Article

NOAA Corps Officers LT Madeleine Adler and LTJG Aaron Colohan visited Green Acres School in Rockville, MD on June 9, 2014. Fifth grade students in Elizabeth Bullock’s class constructed boats out of at least 50% recycled materials and raced them as a culminating activity for an interdisciplinary Boat Race Project. LT Adler and LTJG Colohan... View Article

NOAA scientists from NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (NMFS PIFSC) visited Suzanne Acord’s (TAS, 2014) ninth grade students at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, HI on May 15, 2014. The Chief Scientist, Dr. Don Kobayashi, and the science crew from NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette (Adrienne Copeland, Melanie Abecassis, Eric Mooney,... View Article

Dr. John Carlson, NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center research fishery biologist, and his team traveled to Andros, Bahamas in March 2014 to locate, tag and track one of the most endangered marine fish, the smalltooth sawfish. Elizabeth Eubanks (TAS 2007), Tammy Orilio (TAS 2011) and their students followed Dr. Carlson’s expedition through twitter @NOAAFish_SERO and... View Article

Candice Autry (TAS 2006) taught her seventh and eighth grade students at the Sheridan School in Washington DC several global concepts this year such as: climate change, sea level rise, population density, plate tectonics, and food vs feed. On May 13, 2014, Ms. Autry and her colleagues, Mr. Simon Kanter and Mr. Mike Stoll, brought... View Article

Elizabeth Martz (TAS 2007) and Steven King (TAS 2010) volunteered at the NOAA booth on April 26 and 27, 2014 during the third USA Science and Engineering Festival. The festival was held at the Washington DC Convention Center and was attended by over 325,000 people. Ms. Martz displayed marine specimens and shared information with the... View Article

Britta Culbertson (TAS 2013) was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson during a Walleye Pollock survey in September 2013. Her high school level lesson plan “Fishing for Information” has students examine large NOAA fisheries datasets and develop research questions based on the data. Students analyze the data and create graphical or other mathematical representations, and develop... View Article

Stacey Klimkosky (TAS 2009) the Truro Central School media teacher, students and staff welcomed NOAA Outreach and Education on Protected Species NOEPS) marine educators and scientists from the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) in Woods Hole, MA to her school for NOAA Ocean Day on April 15, 2014. These “Scientists Teaching Science” from the... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea alumni (TASA) volunteered April 3-5, 2014, at the NOAA booth during the National Science Teacher Association Conference in Boston. TASA distributed NOAA education materials and demonstrated hands-on ocean activities. They informed science teachers and others about NOAA’s mission and service to the public, as well as showed our impact on science,... View Article

Mary Patterson (TAS 2009) volunteered at the STEM Alliance Event on March 28, 2014, in Laredo, TX. The event was hosted by the Office of Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) and Texas A&M International University. STEM professionals, activities and career information reached local Hispanic and female students who are underrepresented in the areas of Science, Technology,... View Article

Seventeen NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni from the Mid-Atlantic Region (DC, DE, MD, and VA) met in Silver Spring, MD on March 14 – 17, 2014, for a three-day workshop with the following objectives: Enhance science content knowledge Share local NOAA data and resources Explore ways in which workshop content can be incorporated in curriculum ... View Article

Rita Salisbury (TAS 2013) volunteered to share information about the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program and demonstrated fisheries hands-on activities at NOAA’s Heritage Week Open House on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at NOAA’s Science Center in Silver Spring, MD. A series of free activities was open to the public, including guest presentations, interactive exhibits, and... View Article

Paul Ritter (TAS 2013) was the keynote speaker at the 18th annual Science in the South Conference at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL on January 31, 2014. K-12 educators from across Illinois attended to build teaching skills, expand content knowledge and network with other teachers. Mr. Ritter shared his experience aboard NOAA ship Pisces... View Article

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH) invited Frank Hubacz (TAS 2013) to visit her in her Capitol Hill office while he was in Washington DC in December 2013. Senator Shaheen was interested in learning more about the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program and how Frank's research experience aboard NOAA ship Oscar Dyson in April 2013 impacted... View Article

Rebecca Himschoot (TAS 2007) was one of 102 teachers nationwide to receive the 2012 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science. The White House announced the winners of the nation’s highest honor for teachers of math and science on December 20, 2013. Congratulations Rebecca!   The award includes a $10,000 cash prize from the National... View Article

Frank Hubacz (2013), Yaara Crane (2013) and Chris Peters (2013) presented hands-on ocean related activities and their TAS experiences at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History on Wednesday, December 18, 2013. They were invited to participate in a weekly public event called “The Scientist is In: Ask an Expert” that is held at the... View Article

Lesley Urasky (2012), Andrea Schmuttermair (2012), Cathrine Fox (2011) and Britta Culbertson (2013) represented the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program (TAS) at the regional National Science Teachers Association Conference in Denver, Colorado on December 11 -14, 2013. The NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) shared their TAS experiences with the public, informed them about the... View Article

Beverly Owens (TAS 2013), Britta Culbertson (TAS 2013), and Anne Byford (TAS 2010) represented the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program (TAS) at the regional National Science Teachers Association Conference in Charlotte, NC on November 7-9, 2013. The NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) shared their TAS experiences with the public, informed them about the TAS... View Article

Channa Comer (TAS 2011) a high school science teacher at Urban Assembly Academy of History and Citizenship for Young Men in Bronx, NY was aboard R/V Hugh R. Sharp while scientists conducted fisheries research on sea scallops in northeastern waters. Ms. Comer challenges her students to design a sea scallop dredge in order to understand... View Article

Marla Crouch (TAS 2013), Julia Harvey (TAS 2013), Katie Sard (TAS 2013), Britta Culbertson (TAS 2013) and Barney Peterson (TAS 2006) represented the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program at the regional NSTA conference in Portland, OR on October 24-26, 2013. The NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni (TASA) shared their TAS experiences with the public, informed... View Article

Elizabeth Bullock (TAS 2011) and Yaara Crane (TAS 2013) shared hands-on STEM activities related to their NOAA Teacher at Sea Cruise at the NOAA booth during U.S. Representative Frank Wolf and the National Science Foundation sponsored “Change the World: Science & Engineering Careers, a public STEM fair” on September 28, 2013 held at the Dulles... View Article

While aboard NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter in June 2013, Sue Cullumber (TAS 2013) launched a  Global Drifter Buoy (GDB) off the coast of New Jersey. That buoy has now traveled 528 nautical miles. You can track all the drifters currently at sea on this interactive map.  You can view Ms. Cullumber’s drifter buoy lesson plan... View Article

After returning from her Teacher at Sea (TAS) cruise in 2012, Kathleen DeLussey, wasted no time sharing her experience with her third-grade students. In September 2012, Ms. DeLussey created a project, “Teacher at Sea—Third Graders Learning and Loving Oceans”, requesting public funding for ocean related non-fiction reading materials through Donors Choose. She received nearly $600... View Article

Amanda Peretich (TAS 2012) was one of twenty teachers selected as a participant in the 2013 Siemens Science Teachers as Researchers (STARs) Program at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) in July.   After two weeks of research immersion at PNNL, Ms. Peretich went to NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) in Seattle, WA. She... View Article

Susie Hill (2007), Nauticus Education Specialist and NOAA Teacher at Sea '07, and her "Explore the Bay” Summer Campers had the field trip of a lifetime at the NOAA Headquarters in Norfolk, VA on August 6, 2013. The six campers, ages 10-13, spent the day with NOAA Corps Officers LCDR Denise Gruccio and ENS Charles... View Article

Jennifer Goldner, a fifth-grade math teacher at Jay Public Upper Elementary School in Jay, OK, was aboard the NOAA ship Oregon II in August 2011 Scientists conducted a shark longline survey in the Southern Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. During this research cruise, Ms. Goldner met Dr. William Driggers and Ms. Kristin Hannan... View Article

The House Ocean Caucus invited NOAA Teacher at Sea alumni Michele Brustolon (TAS 2010) and Allan Phipps (TAS 2012) to the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on July 11, 2013, to speak at a briefing titled “NOAA Science Transforming Classrooms and Communities”. They were asked to address how the Science, Technology, Engineering, and... View Article

Staci DeSchryver (TAS 2011), an earth science teacher at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, CO was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson while scientists conducted Fisheries research off the coast of Alaska.   Below Basic: Ocean Acidification and Its Impacts on Marine Organisms By: Staci DeSchryver Grade Level: 9-12  Subject (Focus/Topic): This lesson addresses the... View Article

NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s (AFSC) Science and Research Director, Dr. Douglas DeMaster, recently expressed his support for the NOAA Teacher at Sea (TAS) Program. In his letter, he explains that over the last 21 years, NOAA science benefits “greatly from the assistance provided to our research scientists by the many teachers we have had... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea alumna, Elizabeth Bullock’s (TAS 2011) fifth grade students at Green Acres School in Rockville, MD had a special visit from NOAA Corps Officer, LT Wendy Lewis on Tuesday, June 4. Ms. Bullock’s students constructed boats out of at least 50% recycled materials and raced them as a culminating activity for an... View Article

Andrea Schmuttermair (TAS 2012) was aboard NOAA Ship Oregon II during a SEAMAP Summer Ground Fish Survey. While on her research cruise, Ms. Schmuttermair learned about NOAA Careers during an interview with one of the junior NOAA Corps officers. You can view the interview by going to Ms. Schmuttermair’s blog, and you can see the... View Article

See how Stacey Jambura (TAS 2012) brings her experience aboard NOAA ship Oregon II back to her classroom by going to the Sargassum Hide-n-Seek lesson plan. Although Ms. Jambura lives in Iowa, she was able to bring the Gulf of Mexico to her students by teaching them about marine research sampling. Through a hands-on simulated... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea Program’s mission is to provide teachers with hands-on, research experience at sea, giving them unique insight into oceanographic, hydrographic, and fisheries research by facilitating partnerships between educators and world-renowned NOAA Scientists. Over the last 23 years that the program has operated, 650+ teachers have experienced this mission.   NOAA Teacher at... View Article

Alicia Gillean (TAS 2012) was one of over 200 applicants to be selected by PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) in November 2012. Mrs. Gillean is going to Northern Alaska from May 30, 2013 – June 27, 2013, to participate in a PolarTREC research expedition at Toolik Research Station in conjunction with the University... View Article

Dakota Feather, a sixth grader at Jay Middle School and student of TAS alumna 2011, Jenny Goldner, won first place for his artwork at the 2013 Tulsa Indian Art Festival in February. Dakota sold his artwork to a festival attendee. Congratulations Dakota!   Dakota is the illustrator for the ABC Shark Coloring Book that he and... View Article

Congratulations to Bryan Hirschman (TAS 2009) for being accepted as a NOAA Planet Steward! Twenty-five high school teachers from all over the United States were selected in the fall 2012 and will launch the pilot project this spring with their students. Planet Stewards is a project of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and... View Article

Ellen O’Donnell (TAS, 2012) presented at the New Hampshire Science Teachers Association Conference on March 10 and 11, 2013. She talked about the Teacher at Sea Program, her experience at sea, and the project Sisters at Sea. Sisters at Sea is a middle school collaborative research project that was created by Ms. O’Donnell and her... View Article

Valerie Bogan (TAS 2012) presented at the 42nd Annual Hoosier Association of Science Teachers (HASTI) Conference for Professional Development in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 6-8, 2013. Ms. Bogan presented information about the Teacher at Sea Program and her experience to educators from all grade levels.  She also presented hands-on activities that she developed after her... View Article

Stacey Klimkosky (TAS 2009) and Megan O’Leary (TAS 2007), two New England Teacher at Sea alumni from Truro Central School in Truro, Massachusetts, received a mini-grant from the Cape Cod 5 Cents Savings Bank Charitable Foundation in order to partner with NOAA oceanographer, Jim Manning, to track the pathways for water particles across the North... View Article

Partnership professionals, teachers, and scientists from around the world attended the first International Teacher and Scientist Partnership (ITSP) Conference in Boston, MA on February 13-15, 2013. The ITSP conference included sessions for both new and experienced stakeholders in teacher-scientist partnerships and included a mix of keynote speakers, panel sessions, workshops, and networking time. On Wednesday,... View Article

Caroline Singler (TAS 2010) shared her TAS experience aboard the USCGC Healy in the Arctic and hands-on activities that demonstrated how sound waves travel through the air, water and solids at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Family Science Days on Saturday and Sunday, February 16-17, 2013 in Boston, MA. Children saw how... View Article

Ellen O’Donnell (TAS 2012), Laura Rodriguez (TAS 2010), Caroline Singler (TAS 2010), and Lisa Hjelm (TAS 2008) presented posters about their Teacher at Sea experience and their subsequent work at the International Teacher Scientist Partnership (ITSP) conference in Boston, MA on Friday, February 15, 2013. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual... View Article

Amanda Peretich (2012) represented the Teacher at Sea Program at NOAA’s Heritage Week Open House on Saturday, February 9th at NOAA’s Science Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. A series of free activities was open to the public, including guest presentations, interactive exhibits, and hands-on activities for ages five and up.   Ms. Peretich shared her TAS... View Article

We at the Teacher at Sea Program wish Elizabeth Bullock the best of luck as she begins a new journey in life! She is leaving the TAS Team as the Program Support Specialist, to begin teaching a fifth and sixth grade class. Elizabeth will be missed very much, and her new students are lucky to... View Article

 Michele Brustolon (TAS 2010) and her eighth-grade science students welcomed U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D – N.H. on Wednesday, January 16. Senator Shaheen heard about Ms. Brustolon’s presentation on December 19, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History at the “Scientist Is In: Ask an Expert” event and wanted to see first-hand what Ms.... View Article

Sue Zupko (TAS 2011), Kathleen Harrison (TAS 2011) and Michele Brustolon (TAS 2010) were invited to present at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natura History on Wednesday, December 19, 2012. Each week at the Smithsonian’s Sant Ocean Hall, a scientist or science educator is invited to share their knowledge and experiences with the public... View Article

Jillian Worssam (TAS 2008) represented the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program at a regional NSTA Conference in Phoenix, AZ on December 6-8, 2012. She informed the public about Teacher at Sea and distributed NOAA education materials. Ms. Worssam’s work at the conference helped to teach science teachers and others NOAA’s mission and service to the... View Article

During the summer of 2011, high school biology and chemistry teacher, Cat Fox from Dolores, CO, was aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson for 18 days during a fisheries research cruise off the coast of Alaska. Ms. Fox blogged in detail during her experience and created sixteen cartoons called “Adventures in a Blue World” that are... View Article

Sue Oltman (TAS 2012) represented the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program at a regional NSTA conference in Atlanta, GA on November 1-3, 2012.   Sue informed the public about Teacher at Sea and distributed NOAA education materials. Her work at the conference helped to teach science teachers and others NOAA’s mission and service to the public,... View Article

Deborah H. Campbell (TAS 2012) represented the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program at the Illinois Science Education Conference (ISEC) on November 1-3. Deborah traveled from Chicago to Springfield, IL to share her experience aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. Her work at the conference helped to teach science teachers and others NOAA’s mission and service to... View Article

Jason Moeller (TAS 2011) represented the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program at a regional NSTA conference in Louisville, KY on October 18-20, 2012. Jason informed the public about Teacher at Sea and distributed NOAA education materials. His work at the conference, helped to teach science teachers and others NOAA’s mission and service to the public,... View Article

Elizabeth Eubanks (2007) was selected to participate in an Arctic Tundra Dynamics project with PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) in 2008. She traveled to Barrow, Alaska to work with Dr. Steven Oberbauer on a project titled, Biocomplexity Associated with the Response of Arctic Tundra Carbon Balance to Warming and Drying across Multiple Spatial... View Article

This year, the Marine Mammal Protection Act is marking its 40th anniversary. Under the act, NOAA is responsible for responding to stranded and distressed marine mammals, including gray whales. Check out this video featuring Rebecca Kimport (TAS 2008) and NOAA Marine Mammal Biologist David Withrow as he speaks about his experience rescuing three young gray... View Article

Caroline Singler (TAS 2010) received a local Massachusetts Foundation for Educators at Lincoln Sudbury (FELS) grant to travel with a colleague to Hawaii for two weeks this summer in order to study geological features of the Big Island. Caroline teaches science at Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School in Leominster, MA. You can read her FELS... View Article

Kevin Sullivan (TAS 2011) was awarded a Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program grant to the United Kingdom. He is currently in Glasgow, Scotland to participate in the one-year teaching exchange program.   Kevin will be teaching biology at the Williamwood School in Glasgow, Scotland. This secondary school has been ranked the top public school in Scotland.... View Article

John Taylor-Lehman (TAS 2011) Spends Time in Trinidad Studying Leatherback Turtles  During the spring of 2012, representatives from the Earthwatch Institute, contacted John Taylor-Lehman (TAS 2011) and offered him the opportunity to be a facilitator for a student program in Trinidad that works with scientists to study leatherback turtles. John thought that this would be... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni, Jennifer Goldner (TAS 2011) and Kaci Heins (TAS 2011), were two of fifteen teachers worldwide who were selected to attend Honeywell Educators Advanced Space Academy this summer in Huntsville, Alabama. They both had previously attended Honeywell Educators Space Academy. This Space Academy is a professional development program designed to help... View Article

Tiffany Risch (TAS 2008) from Rhode Island and Jillian Worssam (TAS 2008) from Arizona were selected to participate in the Maury Project from July 9 – July 20, 2012 at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. This two-week workshop is designed for master precollege teachers and supervisors of science who teach or supervise... View Article

Rita Larson (TAS 2009) is a fifth-grade teacher at King Elementary School in Woodbridge, VA. She was aboard NOAA Ship Rainier for 18 days in August while scientists conducted hydrographic surveys to map the seafloor and coastline in Alaskan waters.  Rita presented her experience at sea on June 22 at NOAA’s National Satellite Observation Center for... View Article

Rita Larson (TAS 2009) is a fifth-grade teacher at King Elementary School in Woodbridge, VA. She was aboard NOAA Ship Rainier for 18 days in August while scientists conducted hydrographic surveys to map the seafloor and coastline in Alaskan waters.  Rita presented her experience at sea on June 22 at NOAA’s National Satellite Observation Center for... View Article

A group of sixth and seventh grade students at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington D.C. got a special visit from NOAA marine mammal biologist Dave Withrow on February 22, 2012. Rebecca Kimport (TAS 2010) welcomed Mr. Withrow to present his experience with “Operation Breakthrough,” a 1988 international effort to rescue three gray whales... View Article

Dr. William B. Driggers and Kristin Hannan, research fisheries biologists with NOAA, visited NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumna, Jennifer Goldner and 150 fifth grade students at Jay Upper Elementary School in Jay, OK on May 9, 2012. Jennifer Goldner first met Dr. Driggers and Ms. Hannan while she was on NOAA Ship Oregon II in... View Article

Beth Lancaster, a 2008 NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumna, attended the commissioning of a state-of-the-art coastal mapping vessel, NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler, during a special ceremony at NOAA’s Marine Operations Center-Atlantic in Norfolk, VA on June 8, 2012. Beth led a team of four tenth-grade students at Naugatuck High School in Naugatuck, Connecticut, who... View Article

A group of New England NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni had the opportunity to work with a NOAA Northeast Fisheries physical oceanographer, Jim Manning, on May 19, 2012 during a two-day professional development workshop. Alumni learned about shallow ocean currents and how drifter buoys are constructed to track these current patterns. They then were put... View Article

A NOAA Northeast Region Teacher at Sea Alumni Workshop was held on May 19-20, 2012, in Woods Hole, MA at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Woods Hole Aquarium. Nine Teacher at Sea alumni from the northeast region attended a two-day professional development workshop in order to strengthen oceanographic content knowledge and build an alumni... View Article

During the recent professional development workshop held May 19 and 20, 2012 at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the Woods Hole Aquarium, New England Teacher at Sea Alumni learned about sea turtles and NOAA’s Protected Species Branch from Heather Haas, a NOAA research fisheries biologist. Heather’s current work is focused on sea turtle ecology,... View Article

NOAA Teacher at Sea hosted a webinar for 25 third graders at Monongah Elementary School in West Virginia on Monday, April 30, 2012. They had the opportunity to learn and ask questions about gray whales from NOAA Fisheries scientist Dave Withrow from Seattle. The students are part of Teacher at Sea alumni Lynnette Swiger’s class.... View Article

Four NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni: Caitlin Fine (TAS 2011), Rebecca Kimport (TAS 2010), Elizabeth Martz (TAS 2007), and Candice Autry (TAS 2006) shared hands-on science at the NOAA booth during the USA Science and Engineering Festival on April 28-29, 2012.The festival was held at the Walter E. Convention Center in Washington D.C. It is... View Article

Ten NOAA Teacher at Sea alumni participated in the National Science Teacher Association conference in Indianapolis, IN from March 28 – March 31, 2011. While at the conference, the alumni worked in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s booth to inform the public about NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program and distribute NOAA education materials. The... View Article

The first NOAA Northeast Region Teacher at Sea Alumni Workshop was held on October 22-23, 2011, in Gloucester, MA at NOAA’s Northeast Regional Office. Ten Teacher at Sea alumni from the northeast region attended a two-day professional development workshop in order to strengthen oceanographic content knowledge and build an alumni network in their region.  Attendees... View Article