The Advisory Council of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography exists to advise the school on growth strategies in research, technology, and student opportunities, enhance the School’s reputation worldwide, and advocate for and build philanthropic support. The GSO Advisory Council will serve as the leading venue for advancing GSO and Narragansett Bay Campus and partner interests, building its resources to ensure the greatest fulfillment of the campus mission.
| Stephen Greenlee (Chair) | President, ExxonMobil Upstream Business Development and Vice President, ExxonMobil Corporation; Member; Chair of the University of Houston Energy Advisory Board |
| James Austin (Vice Chair) | Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas/Austin, Trustee at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a member of the External Advisory Board, School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire |
| Randy Brandenburg | Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems’ senior director for naval strategic initiatives; former system development program lead for the U.S. Space Command’s Air and Space Operations and Surveillance Systems; served as vice president of Product Development and Technology for Boston Globe’s online media site. |
| Roger Burke | URI Alum BS Chemical & Ocean Engineering ’80, MS Systems Management Univ of Southern California ’87, Strategic Business Management Professional and Consultant with 35+ years’ experience in Submarine Maintenance Engineering & Planning, Enterprise Software Development, Strategic Planning & Governance, Program/Project Management, Information Management & Collaboration, Business Process Improvement/Reengineering. Clients included: Abbott, John Hancock, Goldman Sachs, Pfizer, Corning, Hasbro, Wyeth, Genentech, Aventis, NY MTA, NASA, GE and many others. |
| Barclay Collins (emeritus) | Retired oil and gas executive, formerly with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation; responsible for numerous international oil and gas exploration, production and business development projects, primarily in Africa and the Middle East |
| John W. Farrell | Executive Director of the U.S. Arctic Research Commissioner (U.S. Government), former Associate Dean of Research and Administration at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography, former Director of the Ocean Drilling Program and Director and Co-Principal Investigator of the U.S. Science Support Program at Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc. |
| Robert Fetzer | Retired Founder Trico Marine Services, Houston TX, Offshore Energy Business; retired CEO of SeaFarm Inc, an International Aquaculture Company, Greenwich CT. Current Board Member Rhode Island Philharmonic |
| Peter T. Hahn | Professor of Business Management at the Gabelli School of Business, Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island where he specializes in Entrepreneurship education and training for undergraduates. Prior to RWU Peter was COO, President, and CEO of various mature and start-up pharmaceutical, medical device, and medical software companies in New Jersey and New England. |
| Matt Horn | Business Unit lead and member of the Division Leadership Team for RPS Ocean Science, a Tetra Tech Company; Principal Scientist specializing in trajectory, fate, and effects modeling providing unbiased scientific and environmental assessments and expert testimony on behalf of industry and government; Ph.D. graduate of URI GSO in oceanography. |
| Nancy Jamison | Retired Senior Vice President for Visa International; Chair of the Board of Trustees, Aquidneck Land Trust, Newport, RI |
| Anthony Mercurio | Managing Director at Marsh USA, Inc. in New York City where he has worked for 37+ years and helped a number of offices around the country secure a strong presence in the health care industry; helped in the creation of four new insurance companies, creating new capacity for major clients; has U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine credentials and is a U.S. Sailing certified race official; grew up in Westerly, R.I. and graduated from the University of Rhode Island. |
| Christopher Pell (emeritus) | Board Member and Vice Chair, The John A. Hartford Foundation, New York, NY; former Partner, Barclay Investments; and former Executive Director, The Preservation Society of Newport County, RI |
| Carl Peterson | Retired international merchant banker for metals and mining in Southern Africa, Asia including China, Europe including Russia, North and South America; formerly with RI Hospital Trust Bank, Engelhard Corporation and Gerald Metals, Inc.; Life Trustee, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; and Life Member, Naval War College Foundation |
| Christopher Du P. Roosevelt | Attorney, Mount Kisco, NY; former Asst. U.S. Attorney, S.D.N.Y.; former President, Oceanic Society, Publisher, Oceans Magazine; former Vice President, LH Research; former President, Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk (CT); former President/Trustee, Bermuda Biological Station for Research (renamed: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences); Presidential appointee and Chairman, Roosevelt Campobello International Park Commission; present and former trustee/director for several SE Connecticut non-profits |
| Russell Shippee (emeritus) | SHIPPS LIGHT, LLC, insurance, consulting, development; former COO of USI New England; President of E W Shippee & Sons; Chair of South County Hospital Capital Campaign; Co-Chair of Hasbro Children’s Hospital Capital Campaign; President of Providence Ronald McDonald House |
| Richard West | Rear Admiral (USN ret.), former Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy; former President/CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Washington, DC; past Chairman of the National Sea Grant College Program Federal Advisory Committee, the Hydro Services Federal Advisory Committee and current member of the National Academy of Sciences Marine Board |
| Jim Van Winkle | A recent Newport, R.I. arrival, having spent most of his life in Austin, Texas, where he earned a B.S. in Marine Biology and an M.B.A. His career in the technology industry led him to found and manage Kazan Software, an early contributor to many of the Internet’s foundational platforms. Next, Jim founded and led Travis Yachts, an operator of two large luxury charter catamarans. A lifelong sailor, Jim has crossed oceans, weathered hurricanes, swum with hammerheads, danced with recently retired cannibals and delivered hundreds of successful charters to thousands of amazing guests. With his family, Jim’s non-profit activities over the last 30+ years are extensive. His financial and managerial contributions have launched and fostered numerous charitable efforts to support children’s education, nutrition, healthcare and arts exposure. |