Alumni Profiles
Thomas Ihde, Ph.D. in Marine Science '06
As a research assistant professor at Morgan State University’s Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL), Ihde specializes in Chesapeake Bay research, a field in which he developed expertise while earning his doctorate at the Batten School & VIMS.
Kacey Clayton, M.A. in Marine Science '23
Exemplifying that a marine science degree can be used in diverse careers, Clayton used her Batten School & VIMS M.A. degree to earn a prestigious Knauss Fellowship in the office of the NOAA administrator and start a career centered around conservation policy and grants.
John Pohlman, Ph.D. in Marine Science '06
Pohlman continued work at the Naval Research Laboratory while earning his Ph.D. at the Batten School & VIMS. Now a research chemist on the Gas Hydrate Project for the USGS, he recently reflected on successfully merging professional projects and academic interests.
Katherine Bemis, Ph.D. in Marine Science '20
Bemis defended her dissertation on a Friday and started at NOAA’s Systematics Lab, based in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, the following Monday. She works to connect research in systematics and taxonomy with fisheries management.
Joshua Bearman, M.S. in Marine Science '08
Realizing that research and academia weren't his passion, Bearman used his graduate degree to chart a path from music to public school education, and now to non-profit work providing environmental knowledge to students through experiential learning.
Erin Spencer, minor in marine science '14
As one of the first W&M undergraduates to earn a minor in marine science, Erin Spencer’s educational path has developed her into a world-class ecologist, National Geographic explorer, children’s book author and marine restoration communicator.
Aswani Volety, Ph.D. in Marine Science '95
From starting out as a young marine scientist in India to becoming Chancellor of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), Aswani Volety’s distinguished career underscores the global impact of a Batten School & VIMS education.
Gail Fricano, M.S. in Marine Science ‘01
Crediting her W&M education and the Batten School & VIMS alumni network, Gail Fricano has built a career in environmental consulting, specializing in habitat restoration, natural resource damage assessment, site remediation and oil spill investigations.
Felipe Arzayus, M.S. in Marine Science ‘00
Felipe Arzayus traded submarines for research samples when he left the U.S. Navy and pursued a marine science education. Today, Arzayus heads NOAA’s national monitoring and assessment of chemical contaminants in coastal areas.
Kristen Sharpe, M.S. in Marine Science '22
What started as part-time work in education for Kristen Sharpe turned into a full-time job at the Batten School & VIMS, which then inspired Sharpe to earn her own degree from the school. Today she serves as our Assistant Director of Outreach and Engagement.
Michael Wagner, M.S. in Marine Science ‘97
Inspired by a thesis committee member who emphasized evolutionary history, and another who studied environmental influences, Michael Wagner today applies his expertise to developing applied solutions to the problem of invasive species in the Great Lakes.
Caitlin Sughrue, minor in marine science '24
Caitlin Sughrue contributed significantly to the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Program while conducting research of her own. After graduation, Sughrue joined the National Parks Service’s Scientists in Parks program.
Alex Schneider, Ph.D. in Marine Science '24
Alex Schneider's dissertation investigated contributing factors to the blue crab population's recent rebound. She now works for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the U.S. Department of the Interior evaluating fisheries related to offshore renewable energy programs in the Atlantic.