Forbes Darby, NOAA fisheries
January – May, 2017
Forbes Darby (Forbes.darby@noaa.gov), a Communication Program Manager at NOAA Fisheries, was not an “official” Scientist-in-Residence, but did join Ocean Discovery on assignment from NOAA and created a suite of communications tools for use by the organization. Forbes first conducted an audit of our current communications tools and then identified areas of enhancement. He created a Communications Manual that guides the organization’s strategic communication, as well as a variety of templates, including templates for powerpoint presentations and promotional flyers. Forbes was also instrumental in the rebranding of the Ocean Discovery Institute logo and continues to advise the organization on strategic communications.
Jasmin John, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
January – March, 2018
Jasmin John (Jasmin.john@noaa.gov), a climate scientist at NOAA, was Ocean Discovery’s first official Living Lab Scientist-in-Residence. Jasmin worked closely with the Student Initiative team to design a new field trip experience for 6th grade classes in partnership with Dr. Andreas Andersson at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Jasmin designed a field trip lesson in which students visit various locations throughout San Diego’s Mission Bay to sample temperature, salinity, and pH. The students’ measurements will become a new database tracking changes in ocean conditions over time. Jasmin’s personal journey and her courage in the face of challenges resonated in all the students she interacted with during her stay.
catalina martinez, NOAA office of exploration and research
January – March, 2019
Catalina Martinez (catalina.martinez@noaa.gov), a Regional Program Manager at NOAA, was the first scientist to complete a residency after the opening of the Living Lab in October 2018. Catalina worked on a project to better understand the barriers to access to NOAA resources and opportunities for young people from underserved communities such as City Heights. She helped pilot new programming based around her area of expertise, deep-sea exploration; facilitated a listening session with our partner teachers to understand barriers they face in the classroom to accessing NOAA educational resources; and collected information from high school, college, and early-career students about barriers they encountered. Catalina’s commitment to being a champion for our students and our programs will leave a lasting legacy.
Dr. S. James “Jim” Gates, brown university
July 2019
Dr. Jim, as our students fondly referred to him, was Ocean Discovery’s first “short-term” Scientist-in-Residence, staying for an impactful 10-day residency. Jim, one of the world’s preeminent theoretical physicists and experts on super string theory, is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Science and was a member of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Jim shared stories about his childhood, family, and career with hundreds of elementary and middle school students. He also had a conversation with Ocean Leader program alumni and participated in a panel discussion with Shara Fisler, Ocean Discovery’s Executive Director, at a special event held in Jim’s honor with partners, supporters, and the community. Jim will return to the Living Lab in December 2019 to celebrate the release of his new book on Albert Einstein.
ERIKA SANTACRUZ LOPEZ, GRUPO TORTUGUERO
August 2019
Erika, a biologist who studies the physiology and conservation of sea turtles, joined us for a short-term residency and was our first international scientist to visit. Erika is originally from Spain but now lives in Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California, Mexico. Erika leads the local chapter of Grupo Tortuguero, a sea turtle conservation and monitoring organization that works throughout all of Mexico. In 2019, we partnered with Erika and Grupo Tortuguero on our long-term sea turtle research project in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries. Near the end of this project, Erika traveled to San Diego to deliver our project data, meet with our Ocean Leader Research Fellows and NOAA partner scientists, and talk to students about her career in sea turtle research. It was an honor to host a visiting scientist from Bahía de los Ángeles, the site of our BAHIA program, and we look forward to continued collaboration with Erika.
