Rising Tides Newsletter - October 2020
I hope this message finds you and your families safe and healthy during this remarkably unpredictable time. 2020 has continued to deliver us challenges in spades, and my first two and a half months as Dean have repeatedly reminded of the African proverb: “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” 

A Tribute to Our Friend, David Hollander, PhD (1959-2020)
David passed away unexpectedly at his home on Saturday, September 26th, 2020. He leaves a tremendous legacy, the last 20 years of which were spent as part of our family at the USF College of Marine Science. Please join our Facebook group to share photos, memories, and stories that we know will be treasured by his wife Sandra, son Jonah, and all of us grieving this devastating loss.


Enjoy our multimedia special features
A Grand Challenge That Rivals Rising Seas: Creating a Culture of Diversity in Ocean Science
"Our College, in collaboration with the College of Engineering, has a good record of working to improve diversity in STEM, in ways that have been recognized externally,” said David Naar, PhD, associate dean of academic programs and student affairs.
 In Perfect Isolation
USF geophysicist Alastair Graham, PhD, experienced the onset of the global pandemic while aboard an icebreaker on the bottom of the world. Check out his epic journey! “It played out like one of those disastrous zombie movies,” Graham said.
Take 2 (seconds, literally): Like the multimedia story format we are trying out (the two stories above)? Let us know what you think by sending an email . A simple Yay! or Nay! will do!
USF College of Marine Science Becomes Home for International Marine Minerals Society (IMMS)
“We are committed to providing the science needed to inform effective policy and decision-making, and well positioned to facilitate constructive dialogue on the future of ocean mineral extraction," said Tom Frazer, PhD, dean of the College of Marine Science.
Spotlight on the Marine Resources Assessment (MRA) Program
The MRA program is a teenager! We checked in on how it’s doing at 13 years old. “The MRA program has a lot of momentum behind it now,” said Ernst Peebles, PhD, director of the program.
Back at Sea – FINALLY!
The first CMS research cruise since the start of the pandemic, this three-day trip covering almost 400 nautical miles aboard the Florida Institute of Oceanography’s R/V Weatherbird II was the culmination of months of planning and hard work, not to mention a few uncomfortable pre-cruise nasal swabs!
Congratulations & Awards
  • Congratulations, Amelia Shevenell, PhD! She was nominated to the National Academies Committee on a Mid-Term Assessment of NSF Progress on the 2015 Strategic Vision for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research.
  • Congrats, Brock Murch, one of NASA’s “unsung heroes”!
  • Congrats, Karyna Rosario, PhD! She is featured in a beautiful spread in Futurum, a magazine and online platform aimed at inspiring young people to follow a career in the sciences, research and technology.
  • On October 1st, we celebrated (virtually!) our talented graduate students and the critical fellowships that support their research and education.
  • Congrats Jessica Caggiano! She was awarded funding through the Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) competition.
Copyright 2020 University of South Florida. All rights reserved.
140 7th Avenue South St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
Contact Us or Call 727.553.1634