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The Island View
Monthly Newsletter
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Dear SML Community,
The very best thing about working at SML is witnessing our positive impact on students and alumni. Their stories fill all of us with excitement about what we do every day at SML and hope for the future. Our students and alumni have big blue hearts for the ocean, science, SML, each other, and for lifelong learning!
Katie Golias (University of Maine '18) took three classes at SML last summer, at the end she reported “by being on Appledore you really do become close with those around you and I believe that is what makes the whole experience that much better; as it is one whole community coming together to learn, enjoy, and love everything that makes us connected to the marine sciences.” SML forges these types of connections between our students, faculty, visiting researchers, and of course, Appledore Island. We strive to prepare our students for successful careers in the sciences or wherever their interests and passions lead them. Please enjoy reading about SML alumni Amber Litter and Michael Coburn below. They, along with Katie and so so many others are what make SML so special and show the power of place-based, immersive, island learning!
I hope all you will consider visiting SML this summer, we have many opportunities and we would love welcome you (back). Summer is coming!
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With deep appreciation and warm wishes,
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Jennifer Seavey, Ph.D.
Kingsbury Executive Director
Shoals Marine Laboratory
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Shoals Alumni Spotlight: Amber Litterer, '14-'19
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Amber Litterer wears many hats within the SML community! Starting as an intern in 2014, she returned as Island Coordinator 2016-2017, and worked as an SML Tern Program Research Technician in 2018. She will be rejoining the Tern Program again for our 2019 season.
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“My interests in ecology and conservation started as an undergraduate at UNH when I took my first dive off the shores of Appledore Island as a Nearshore Ecology Intern. Every day I spent on Appledore was a day spent learning something new. While there are numerous field stations around the world, there are few that train undergraduates to work with scientists who are experts in their fields. Being able to consider researchers, professors, and students as peers gave me the drive and confidence to ask new questions and allowed me to grow as a scientist. This winter, I am working as an intern at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, I am looking at predator-prey interactions of Neotropical katydids, wandering spiders, and bats. The research questions we're asking may be different but, the immersive experience has not changed. Once again, I've found myself on an island field station, though training with tropical ecologists in the rainforest. Reflecting on my Shoals experience, I can clearly see how it laid the foundation for my career as a scientist and I could not be more grateful. Next, I will be working as a Research Technician for the SML Tern Program and then applying to graduate programs in conservation management.”
Amber’s SML experiences were made possible by SML donors like you and research grants from New Hampshire Fish and Game in support of the SML Tern Program.
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Shoals Alumni Spotlight: Michael Coburn, SML '77
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We recently heard from SML Alum Michael Coburn (pictured on the right with fellow alum Jackie Webb). Michael is currently a Professor and Chair in the Department of Urology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He wrote about his memorable summer experiences at SML in 1977. After 40+ years away, he visited SML again in 2018.
“I came to Shoals in the summer of 1977 to attend Introduction to Marine Science course during the summer after my Junior year, while an undergraduate at Cornell University…It was my first field biology experience, and was remarkably engaging on many levels – scientifically, intellectually, socially, artistically – and led me to many other rewarding and meaningful experiences through the present day. My career has migrated over the years from marine science to medicine but, my attraction to and interest in the marine and aquatic environment have been a continuing thread of interest for me.
Last summer, I returned to SML for Alumni and Friends Weekend. It was my first return since 1977…The alumni program was diverse and fascinating! It was a pleasure to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. I hiked and snorkeled and learned more than I ever knew about the unique environment and the diverse programs. As alumni, we have an opportunity to provide essential support to the future of the Lab. I would love to meet other SML alumni over this coming Labor Day weekend!”
All of us at SML look forward to seeing Michael this summer along with lots of other amazing alumni and friends of the lab. See more info about this weekend below.
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Whether you are an SML alum from our
very first class or from our most recent class, a long-time volunteer, a current or former faculty member, or one of our many friends and supporters in the community, we welcome you to
SML's Alumni & Friends Weekend
!
Join us for a relaxing weekend connecting with old friends, meeting new ones, and exploring Appledore Island. Families are welcome! Introduce your loved ones to the magic of Appledore, and show them the island and laboratories that have generated so many nostalgic memories. This year's Alumni and Friends Weekend is scheduled for
August 30-September 2
- mark your calendars!
Use the button below to register your interest and receive an email notification as soon as registration opens!
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Photo credit: David Murray of Clear Eye Photo
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July 1-15, 2019
This two-week intensive field-based course helps students gain proficiency in various research and assessment methods of terrestrial and aquatic plant communities of the Isles of Shoals and nearby coastal habitats of the Seacoast and Great Bay Estuary.
Click here to download a flyer.
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July 15-29, 2019
New in 2019, the intent of this course to challenge the students with a real world problem in the Gulf of Maine that is a realistic and meaningful example of ecosystem research and management in today’s world.
Click here to download a flyer.
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Follow us on social media:
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Shoals Marine Laboratory is a joint partnership between
Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire.
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