What FSU Department of Oceanography alumni have to say about the program:

April and Lainie in Mud Photo

(2004) I thought Florida was supposed to be warm until I did Rescue Diver training in January in Dog Lake and spent 3 winters diving in Apalachicola Bay. Living in Tallahassee and going to FSU were wonderful experiences and I feel privileged to be an FSU alumni. I miss all of you and hope that our paths will cross again someday.

(2004) I made some wonderful friends and the faculty were very helpful and supportive.

(2003) The most memorable experience would have to be the field work at the Marine Lab. I had the opportunity to see the sunrise every day while driving the boat to the field site and then scuba diving to collect samples. I couldn't believe that I was paid for such a great experience. I also had the opportunity to be the principal lecturer in several sections of the Oceanography for Undergraduate class which I thoroughly enjoyed.

(2002) There are many memorable experiences from my graduate experience in the Department of Oceanography at FSU. The curriculum was intense and rewarding and the total experience has paid off immensely in my career pursuits. Perhaps most memorable was the spirit of teamwork that was fostered for our labgroup by my Thesis Advisor (William Burnett). I am not sure that I will ever encounter such a spirit of camaraderie for scientific endeavor as the years that I was fortunate to spend at FSU. The leadership of the faculty did not end with our labgroup collaboration, but was also fostered in coursework, where the diverse curriculum required the drawing on the expertise of the students around you.

(2001) Learning teamwork and discipline; making lifelong friends and colleagues; and growing technical skills that I use every day in my job.

(1998) I have always been and will remain grateful to my graduate advisor, Bill Dewar, for his great guidance and help. He is a very talented teacher and a great man, and we still maintain close personal and scientific relations.

(1996) All four years were great. The best moment was when I got married with another FSU student (from the Dept. of Math). We've lived happily since then.

(1996) No particular memorable moments, but I always remember the Department as one that exhibited the highest degree of professionalism and cooperation between faculty members and also with the staff. In addition, the entire faculty was always supportive of any oceanography graduate student's success, whether or not the student was one of theirs, or he/she was on the students committee. I will always be appreciative of the assistance I received from several of the faculty who were not on my committee, but gave me a substantial amount of their time away from their research to assist me with my own. Lastly, and most memorable, is the support I received from my dissertation committee, particularly Bill Landing, and the tremendous amount of respect I have for each of them.

(1993) I'm very honoured to have worked with Melvin Stern. His guidance was essential in my professional development. I loved Florida and the college atmosphere around campus but the most memorable moment must be when I met my future wife and later got married at Wakulla Springs.

I'm employed at the European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the world's leading centre for medium range weather forecasts. The Centre is a relatively small organization whose staff comes mostly from around Europe but with extensive connections with the rest of the world. I firmly believe that my PhD was a key factor in hiring me, combined with work experience at FSU. Based on what I do now I should have been able to work on the subjects at hand but I do not believe that the Centre would have hired me if I had not gotten my PhD.

(1989) I remember the first meeting I had with Dr. O'Brien. I was supposed to ask him about the possibility of joining his group, but that day Dr. O'Brien was very busy, so in order to save time and before I could say anything he told me, "Edgar, you're going to work with me. I'll show you where your desk is." And that's how I moved from the Love Building to OSB.

(1988) I remember my experiences in the oceanography department fondly. Each professor is among the most memorable people I have met, and all classes, especially the core classes, have been instrumental in my career.

(1987) Watching a seepage meter bag fill up almost to the bursting point - with Jeff Chanton in the Florida Keys - was what got me hooked on oceanography. He was right - you had to see it to believe it. Explaining it was quite another matter!

(1986) I really made good friends here, which I continue to see regularly after 20 years.

(1984) Great support from Tony Sturges, as well as Drs. Weatherly, Nof, and O'Brien and Bill Holland (NCAR).

(1984) I really enjoyed the field research, including diving, out of the lab at Turkey Point. I was also allowed to dive in Wakulla Springs to help our research divers get accustomed to using the dry suits they would wear in Antarctica.

(1980) The shared enthusiasm of the graduate students who were working hard to finish their research, on-station in the Middle Grounds off Tampa Bay, watching the dolphins surf the bow of the research vessel Tursiops, turning off the flood lights offshore and observing the multitude of stars that one can not see on land, free FSU baseball games (graduate students were not paid much), Bruce McFarlande taking a header over the side of a flat boat in Lake Jackson in December.

(1980) Enjoyed working with Dr. Sturges on his Gulf of Mexico work, particularly flying in the Navy P3s out of New Orleans. Also enjoyed the faculty and students in the entire department, picnics were always a great time for the entire family.

As the senior Coast Guard military oceanographer, one of my final tours as a Captain (0-6) was as Chief of Ice Operations. As such, I traveled to Europe (Norway, Sweden, and Finland) and to the Antarctica (McMurdo, Scott Base, and the South Pole Station). A nice finish to a career which included twice commanding the International Ice Patrol and a tour at the Coast Guard's Oceanographic Unit before it closed.

(1978) I encourage all students to take full advantage of the FSU Marine Laboratory. This provided great educational opportunities when I attended FSU.

FSU Marine Lab Photo

(1971) I remember the first cruise at FSU where six of the crew were girls for the first time at the new marine center at Carabelle, FL. We visited Tampa and the Gulf near Cuba. This is where I learned endurance in a tropical storm and where the professors took note that we were a tough group.

(1971) Eating my first (and raw) oyster on a trip to the coast with my advisor, Winston Menzel. Acceptance of an individual with an interest in fisheries and aquaculture in a Department of Oceanography was unique.

(1971) Dr. Raymond Staley was an outstanding teacher, advisor, and mentor who diligently "coached" me in the nuances of physical oceanography.

(1971) I entered the Oceanography Department in the same year that Carl Oppenheimer took over as head of the Department. I took all the core subjects during the next few years from professors such as Warnke, Staley, Menzel, Oppenheimer, and Collier. They were all wonderful people, and since the department was relatively new, there was a real sense of camaraderie among both students and professors. Every Friday afternoon, the students and profs would head off to a local pub for a few beers, and it was common for the profs to invite students to their homes for dinner or a party. To the students, Al Collier was one of the friendliest profs, but he was not totally accepted by the rest of the profs because he only had an MS degree. However, I have come to realize that it was Al who was the best teacher of all of them. He realized that there was no point in having knowledge if you couldn't communicate your ideas both verbally and in writing to others. In his class (marine ecology), he proved to us that we were all totally pathetic at presenting our ideas in a logical, orderly fashion, and went out of his way to help us develop our speaking and writing skills. Later, I founded an environmental consulting firm which grew to 50 employees, and I interviewed hundreds of potential employees over the years. The great majority of them were rejected as employees because they, too, were hopelessly inadequate at speaking and writing. On the other hand, the skills I learned from Al Collier helped me to be able to write complex proposals and prepare excellent presentations and documents, which turned my company into a multi-million dollar business.

(1969) I was one of the first women in the program - it had just become a department at the school - and we were in temporary buildings in the parking lot. It was a very motivated group of students and we spent most of our time in the labs - for classes, research and social activities. I helped outfit the research vessel Tursiops, and spent much of my time going back and forth to the Marine Lab (which was being built at the time) or out to sea. I enjoyed working at sea which led to my career as a marine technician doing chemical analyses along with other lab responsibilities when shore based.

(1956) SCUBA diving on Fowey Rocks with Prof. Harold Humm, long before certification was thought of, and immediately grabbing a fire coral. Taking solo sampling trips 25 miles out in the GOMEX until they provided an undergraduate assistant, presumably to record where I was last seen. Another trip taking an inboard diesel boat from Alligator Harbor to St. Marks with the engine ready to quit any time because of water in the fuel tank. Touring the state with George Grice, who went on to fame if not fortune, sampling coastal waters for copepods.

Let me share this: Oceanography as a career let me travel the world on cruises and to international meetings. The best part of oceanography is that you can do anything you want (that some agency will pay for, not that they don't get their money's worth) and call it "oceanography." It's a great field for free spirits. You get to follow your bliss. I hope it's still that way.