Congratulations 2020 Nautilus Education Program Participants!
![2020 Nautilus Expedition participants map](/sites/default/files/styles/responsive_image_sm/public/images/2020-04/2020_NEP_map_collage.001.jpeg?itok=lzM7rTcZ)
UPDATE: August 7, 2020
As Ocean Exploration Trust has been continually assessing how to move forward with our exploration and education programs, we have been basing our decisions on the safety and wellbeing of our program participants, crew, staff, and communities. OET plans to continue the 2020 E/V Nautilus field program, but with a significantly reduced number of people onboard. Due to these measures, OET has made the decision to defer the 2020 Seafloor Mapping internship and offer participation in the 2021 Expedition season for all deferred participants.
UPDATE: June 5, 2020
The Ocean Exploration Trust’s top priority is the safety of our team. We are closely monitoring Coronavirus COVID-19 recommendations from officials to make informed decisions regarding our 2020 Expedition season and COVID-19 risk mitigation protocols. As part of our risk mitigation, OET has made the decision to reduce the overall number of personnel on the ship for each expedition and limit the extent of personnel transfers to protect at-sea teams.
Given these factors, OET has decided to defer at-sea participation aboard E/V Nautilus this year for Science Communication Fellows, Ocean Science Interns, Video Engineering Interns, Navigation Interns, and ROV Engineering Interns. At this time, we anticipate being able to offer at-sea participation for Seafloor Mapping Interns later this year, near the end of our 2020 Expedition season. At-sea education programs are a valuable part of our mission and we are dedicated to providing impactful experiences to those selected for these highly competitive programs, including offering participation in the 2021 Expedition season for all deferred participants.
April 21, 2020
After reviewing a record-breaking number of competitive applications, the Ocean Exploration Trust is excited to announce the 18 educators and 23 students who were selected early this year to join our upcoming Nautilus Expedition as Science Communication Fellows and Science & Engineering Interns! Bringing unique perspectives, varied professional experiences, and representing communities across the United States and Canada, these participants are the newest members of the Corps of Exploration. Congratulations to all of our Fellows and Interns!
2020 Science Communication Fellows
The Science Communication Fellowship immerses formal and informal educators and artists in the Corps of Exploration as expedition communicators. Fellows play a vital role in supporting the mission of Ocean Exploration Trust by incorporating the excitement of ocean exploration, science, technology, engineering, and math into their schools, organizations, communities, and sharing it with a global audience via the Nautilus Live website. Fellows become ambassadors for exploration, delivering personal accounts, expedition operations, and daily life at sea to varied audiences through live audio commentary online, ship-to-shore broadcasts, local events, and creative instruction within their home classrooms, schools, organizations, and communities. Congratulations to these fellows!
![Collage of Science Communication Fellows headshots](/sites/default/files/styles/responsive_image_sm/public/images/2020-04/combined_scf_collage_0.jpg?itok=cLlJ7W2_)
Science Communication Fellows
Lisa Ball | Lawrence High School - Lawrence, KS
Christopher Clauss | Marlborough School - Keene, NH
Abrian Curington | BlueCatCo - Fircrest, WA
Katie Doyle | Flour Bluff Intermediate School - Corpus Christi, TX
Afrodita Fuentes | South Gate High School LAUSD - Whittier, CA
Lorraine Hetschel | Cholla High School - Tuscon, AZ
Bill Holeman | Lemont High School - New Lenox, IL
Shellby Johnson | University of California Santa Barbara Bren School - Santa Barbara, CA
Brenna Maloney | Explorer Magazine National Geographic Society - Washington, DC
Maynard Okereke | Hip Hop Science Show - North Hollywood, CA
Kim Weaver | Olympic Educational Service District - Bremerton, WA
Lead Science Communication Fellows
Kelly Ferron | Lindblad Expeditions - Olympia, WA
Alfonso Garcia Arriola | ACCESS Academy - Portland, OR
Lindsay Holladay Van Damme | Foundry10 - Seattle, WA
Brandy Jones | Alexander Elementary School Alief ISD - Houston, TX
Savanna Nilsen | The Sterne School - San Francisco, CA
Beverly Owens | Kings Mountain Middle School - Shelby, NC
Cassandra Weathersbee | Patriot High School - Manassas, VA
2020 Science & Engineering Interns
Science & Engineering Interns have been part of the Nautilus Exploration Program since 2011. The Science & Engineering Internship Program trains undergraduate and graduate students hands-on in the field of ocean exploration within the at-sea environment. Intern positions entail 2-5 week periods working aboard E/V Nautilus as Data Loggers, Seafloor Mappers, ROV Pilots, Navigators, or Video Engineers. In addition to their field-specific skills, all interns are mentored and trained in communications, leadership, and education outreach. This year, 23 interns were selected across the five internship disciplines to sail throughout the expedition season. Congratulations to these interns who we will be welcoming aboard this year!
![Collage of Science & Engineering Intern headshots](/sites/default/files/styles/responsive_image_sm/public/images/2020-04/seip_collage_combined_0.jpg?itok=N5fQfQNe)
ROV Engineering
Gibson Clark | University of British Columbia - Vancouver, BC
Ashton Jackson | University of Southern Mississippi - Long Beach, MS
Mychal Valle | University of California Riverside - Mira Loma, CA
Video Engineering
Rhett Barker | Montana State University Bozeman - Bozeman, MT
Rian Leung | graduate of Stonybrook University - Westbury, NY
Logan Ossentjuk | Seattle University - Seattle, WA
Seafloor Mapping
Andrew Chase | University of Hawaii - Honolulu, HI
Mikayla Drost | College of Charleston - Charleston, SC
Nicholas Foster | University of Southern California - Los Angeles, CA
Cesalea Osborne | graduate of Western Kentucky University - Lawrence, KS
Kara Sanford | University of New Brunswick -Timberlea, NS
Alyssa Snyder | Slippery Rock University - New Kensington, PA
Anna Sulc | University of Washington - Seattle, WA
Colleen Walsh | University of North Carolina Wilmington - Wilmington, NC
Victoria Obura | University of New Hampshire in partnership with the Nippon Foundation / GEBCO Scholars Program - Durham, NH
Ana Carolina Ribeiro Fieschi Lavagnino | University of New Hampshire in partnership with the Nippon Foundation / GEBCO Scholars Program - Durham, NH
TBD in partnership with NOAA EPP
Ocean Science
Kirsten Douet | University of Louisiana Lafayette - Lafayette, LA
Moronke Harris | graduate of the University of Guelph - Victoria, BC
Ashley Mickens | Miami University of Ohio - Kettering, OH
Chanel Vidal | Iowa State University - Ames, IA
Navigation
Jasmine Rodriguez | US Coast Guard Academy - New London, CT
James Selby | US Naval Academy - Annapolis, MD