The Island View
Monthly Newsletter
February 2019
Dear SML Community,

Einstein said, “We have to do the best we are capable of. This is our sacred human responsibility." SML staff are engaging their very best work right now to combine world class scientists with student support to create unrivaled educational experiences. Support includes scholarships, updating the scientific lab spaces, and attracting and retaining the very best scientists to help us meet our goal to provide outstanding experiential, place-based education and to support innovative research programs focused on understanding and sustaining the marine environment.

There is lots of evidence of our success all around:
  • The submission of multiple peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts to professional science journals, written by undergraduates who spent last summer conducting research at SML.
  • A National Public Radio report on the fantastic work of SML Alum Dr. Matt Savoca.
  • Multiple scientific presentations at the Regional Gulf of Maine Research Association by SML students and researches each year.
  • Leadership roles in international marine, conservation, and environmental science organizations by SML staff, faculty, scientists, and alumni.
  • Successful scientific careers by SML alums: Randi Rotjan, Jarrett Byrnes, Jackie Webb, Julie Ellis, and Chelsea Wood to name a very few.

There are so many examples of SML success; check out An Nguyen's story below. With your steady support, we are confident that together, we can continue to harness the incredible power of all SML resources for outstanding programs. This enables SML to contribute in significant way to sustaining the life-giving ocean, which we believe is another sacred human responsibility.
With deep appreciation and warm wishes,
Jennifer Seavey, Ph.D.
Kingsbury Executive Director
Shoals Marine Laboratory
Alumni Excellence
An presenting at the 2018 Research Symposium. (Photo credit: Jim Coyer)
Congratulations to An Nguyen, our 2018 Data Management Intern, on her new position as an Assistant Information Manager with the Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project ! An came to SML this past season through a National Science Foundation funded collaboration between the lab and the Environmental Data Initiative ( EDI ). An was tasked with organizing, cleaning, and preparing the SML rocky intertidal data set for publication through EDI’s data portal. Thanks to An’s hard work, the data set is now publicly available and can be found here . In her new position, An will be interacting with a team of international scientists working at the LTER site and assisting them with a variety of coding and data management procedures.
Generosity of the SML Community
One of the wonderful things about SML is how our community extends outside of alumni. Many long-term volunteers and supporters are people who were never SML students, but instead were island staff, have strong childhood ties to the Seacoast and the Isles of Shoals, or visited Appledore later in life as a participant in one of our Adult and Family Programs. Ted Weinreich (Cornell Alum class of 1965, pictured in the red cap on the right, photo by Jim Coyer) is one of the latter, and over the past few years has become an enthusiastic supporter of SML’s mission.
 
Ted got his start in Seascapes and Landscapes in 2015, and was so enchanted by the magic of Appledore that he returned again and again for Shoals Ecology, Take a Bite out of Appledore, and Shoals History and Archaeology. We recently asked Ted to tell us how he found SML. This is what he had to say: “I know exactly how I got involved with SML. I read in the Cornell Alumni Magazine of the meticulous study of group intelligence of honey bees (By Cornell's Dr. Tom Seeley) conducted on Appledore Island that got me hooked on visiting...”
 
This winter Ted reached out to SML to ask if we had a special need that he could support. SML’s Director of Facilities Ross Hansen jumped at the offer as he had been worrying about what we would do about our rusted out pickup truck that failed several times last summer. Ted was excited to provide the funds to buy a new trailer. “I feel so privileged to be able help buy this trailer to bring luggage, food, and equipment up the hill to dorms, mess hall, and labs. And I have also planned for the future, purchasing a Cornell Annuity which will provide a legacy to SML from my wife and I.” We are grateful to Ted for his gift now and in the future!

Would you like to help us with a specific and urgent need? We have needs from island housing upgrades to research lab supplies. Would you like to support SML in your estate plans? Click here or reach out directly to our Executive Director, Dr. Jennifer Seavey . 
Mixing Arts and Sciences
Students participating in an Artist in Residence session. (Photo credit: Jennifer Seavey)
In his 1998 book Consilience, E.O. Wilson argues that linking science and the humanities is a critical step to significant intellectual advancement. Many academics agree that mixing different ways of knowing or studying the world, such as art and biology, can lead to improvements in our understanding of the complex problems humanity fac es. SML has embraced this idea in practice and research. SML offers a unique Artist in Residence program that brings professional artist into our classrooms and provides unique art experiences to our students. Preliminary results suggest that SML students who participate in art programming display increased creative thinking and problem-solving skills. We believe these skills to be essential to solving environmental challenges of today and tomorrow. SML is proud to keep pushing forward innovations in science education. Applications for the AIR program are open now!
Join Our Team!
Join our team!! SML is hiring seasonal staff. We are looking to fill the following positions:
  • Research Vessel Captain
  • Head Chef
  • Sous Chef
We are especially interested in chefs enthusiastic about sustainable seafood. The successful candidates will need to live on Appledore Island, working a 5-day on/2-day off rotation from May – September. Being willing to help supervise/teach our student staff (college students) is critical. Learn more about requirements and applying here .
Summer Calling: Celia Thaxter's Garden
On January 24th, Garden Steward Marie Nickerson spoke at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at their special event focused on artists of New England and their gardens. Marie shared the stage with two other experts, who discussed the gardens of Emily Dickinson and Edith Wharton. Her presentation titled "Summers for Celia: Then & Again" featured a comparison of the original garden to the restored garden on Appledore today.
Want to plan a visit to the island this summer? Our garden tour schedule is now live! (Photo credit: Peter Randall)
‌
Follow us on social media:
Shoals Marine Laboratory is a joint partnership between
Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire.