Day 7 of our 2YC faculty cruise! Today is our last full day on the Sally Ride, and it’s been a good one so far. For me, the day started with an early, short visit to the ship’s gym. The gym may be the most booby-trapped gym I’ve ever visited. It requires a shimmy down […]
Imposter Syndrome (By Halle Morrison)
Imposter syndrome is strong with this one, it is. The feelings are a product of so much systemic bias you internalize during your life. I thought I had a handle on it waking up early and getting on the plane at O’Hare last week. After all, my work as a professor in Chicago has a […]
Tiny Books, Big Conversation (By Janice Ledgerwood)
On a research vessel, everyone arrives carrying something: equipment, research questions, expectations, and a small gift to share with the temporary community that will live and work together at sea. My contribution was a stack of handmade tiny books, drawing pencils, acrylic paint markers, and some ideas to explore for anyone who wanted to participate. […]
Be Curious, Not Judgmental (By Jordan Adams)
I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the idea of “community”. We can all be neatly grouped into our communities both within, and outside of, our careers. Each STEMSEAS 2026 2YC attendee spends a lot of time in the classroom. Several of us are married, some are parents, many of us are fond […]
The Clock on the Wall (By Rus Higley)
The digital clock on the wall in the lab says 158:21:40:00, which probably doesn’t mean a lot to most people. The first number, 158, means that today is the 158th day of 2026, while the rest tells me it is 9pm (2100 military time), 40 minutes, and zero seconds. I’ve never counted days in the […]
The Horizon Expands (By Pete Berquist)
Yesterday we woke up to a drizzly Seward, AK, after our first night onboard the R/V Sally Ride. We were tied up at the dock but still felt a subtle and unpredictable roll every now and then. We all checked in with our Chief Scientist, Marina Halverson, by 0645 to verify we were onboard; the […]
The Adventure before the Voyage (By John Burris)
Welcome to the June 2026 2YC Faculty STEMSEAS Expedition! We’ve had an eventful and educational couple of days, and we haven’t even set out to sea yet. We all began our first full day of the trip in Anchorage Alaska on June 5, waking to a clear and surprisingly warm day (for Alaska, not for […]
Land Bound (by Jeanette deCuba)
Tampa Bay welcomed us with whistling dolphins as we were piloted into the port. Most of our morning consisted of scanning the horizon for wildlife and barrier islands until the R/V Atlantis was docked and cleared customs. As soon as we got the signal from the bridge, we headed off the ship. But before we […]
Shrinking Cups and Spinning Dolphins (By Trinity Fushille)
Theres no better way to start the day than with a 6:00 am Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) and expendable bathythermograph (XBT) deployment. At sunrise, STEMSEAS fired the XBT off the aft of the Atlantis, a device that creates sound waves and measures the time it takes to reflect back to the machine, creating a map […]
(K)not calm seas — Panama expedition Day 4
The day began with rough seas. Large swells rocked the boat and the deck was secured so we were unable to go outside. Yet there was no lack of things to do! After an early breakfast we gathered in the main lab for a knot tying class from one of the SSSG’s, Ella. SSSG stands […]
