What sets Ocean and You apart from other content providers is my strong scientific background. Ocean and You was actually created at the request of my son's elementary school principal, who felt that my scientific expertise and ocean experience could inspire his students.

Several people are helping me improve my teaching of younger kids. My son, Kevin, who has just turned seven, loves trying out my exercises, and has some fun ideas of his own. Teachers who have seen early versions of my programs have offered helpful feedback, and guidance on age-appropriate pedagogy. I am also fortunate to be linked into a wonderful network of educators, the National Marine Educators Association. My colleagues at NMEA have answered countless questions about everything from fun exercises to books on the way kids learn at different ages. Finally, I am currently taking an online course in Environmental Education, where I learn a good deal from my fellow students as well as from the instructor.

Kids' Comments on My Teaching

Adults' Comments on My Teaching

I asked some of my former students at NCSU to write me letters of recommendation, and was very touched by their response. Here are the letters from Casey, Nicole and Erin.

Personal History

I grew up in Oakland, California, with the ocean always in view. At UC Berkeley, I got a physics degree, with honors, but discovered that my real interest was environmental science.

I followed my love of the ocean out to sea, by joining the NOAA Corps of Commissioned officers. With the NOAA Corps, I operated research vessels on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and collected a lot of sea stories. NOAA then sent me to a lab in Seattle, where I studied pollution transport in Puget Sound.

My work at the NOAA lab caught the attention of my thesis advisor at the University of Washington. For my PhD, I studied physical circulation on the Columbia River Bar. I did post-docs at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UC Santa Barbara, studying the effects of coastal currents on marine organisms and coastal ecosystems. During graduate school and my post-docs, I also became a storyteller, and started thinking about the uses of storytelling in marine education.

At NC State University, I continued my physical/biological research, helping the state plan locations for new oyster sanctuaries. Here I also found my passion for teaching introductory oceanography, and a mission to provide students with the tools they need to make informed decisions about the ocean. I started conducting research on Ocean Literacy. From my college students, I learned what excites students, and what gaps they have in their understanding of the ocean. Some of my Ocean and You exercises grew out of my research.