Aboard GSO, Fall 2020
This is a time of significant change for GSO; to take advantage of this moment we need a shared vision.Paula S. Bontempi, Ph.D., Dean, URI Graduate School of Oceanography
My time as a student at GSO was formative for me both as a scientist and as a person, and I am thrilled to return to the Bay Campus. I am excited about what lies ahead for GSO, but first I would like to thank Bruce Corliss for his years of service to our school. He set a wonderful example of leadership and has left a legacy of peerless science, campus renewal, collaboration and academic excellence.
I hope that you, your family and loved ones are well and staying healthy in the time of COVID-19. I know it has been a stressful period that is likely to continue longer than anyone would like, but please know that I am here to support the Bay Campus community through these trying times.
I’ve been enjoying taking laps around campus each week, slowly (and safely) meeting new people and reacquainting with so many. I have enjoyed listening to what is on everyone’s mind and coming up to speed on what GSO is up to now, its affiliations and projects.
This is a time of significant change for GSO; to take advantage of this moment we need a shared vision. What are the new frontiers to tackle in exploration and discovery, in basic and applied research, and how can we better integrate social sciences and economics into our work? We must also ask whether we are communicating our science effectively. What are the emerging avenues of communication, and how do we better engage partners and stakeholders, especially here in the Ocean State where so many are dependent on the blue economy?
I will be asking for the help of all GSO family members in developing a strategic plan, and laying a solid path for the long-term evolution of our beloved institution. Our goals should be wide-ranging and encompass both scientific and infrastructure needs. But also, critically, they must address how GSO faculty, students and staff can become leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion, with real commitments to representation as well as social and environmental justice.
Nothing we dream will happen overnight, but from what I know of GSO—its history, its leaders, its culture and its people—this school is a family. Together I look forward to pushing the boundaries of academics, research, technology, computing, modeling and exploring the oceans of our home planet, and maybe those of a few others, together.