Teresa Kennedy, Ph.D.
Alumna, URI Online
Professor of International STEM and Bilingual/ELL Education
University of Texas at Tyler
Dr. Kennedy is a Professor of International STEM and Bilingual/ELL Education (2009 – present) with a joint appointment in the College of Education and Psychology’s School of Education and in the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Tyler. She holds a master’s degree in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. in STEM Education (curriculum and instruction) from the University of Idaho, where she also earned a Masters in Spanish along with two undergraduate degrees. Dr. Kennedy has participated in two NOAA research cruises (2024; 2001) and conducted freefall lifeboat tests at Verhoef Aluminum Scheepsbouw Industries in the Netherlands (2013). With over 35 years of experience in higher education, she currently teaches oceanography and education courses to undergraduate students, and education courses to master’s and doctoral level students. Her PreK–12 teaching experience includes eight years at the secondary level and seven years at the primary/middle school levels in the U.S. states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
“My experience with the program was transformative on so many levels—personally, academically, and professionally. Through my directed study with Dr. Spivak, I collaborated with members of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, resulting in a manual that will soon be part of the Ocean Decade publication series. The support I received from Dr. Menden-Deuer and Dr. Spivak was incredible, leading me to opportunities I never imagined, like spending 52 days at sea with GO-SHIP A13.5. The hands-on experiences in Biological and Geological Oceanography courses deepened my understanding and confirmed my passion for oceanography. I also had the opportunity to publish a paper—Advancing Ocean Sustainability for Climate-Resilient Change—that I began in Dr. Heather McNair’s graduate writing course in marine and environmental sciences. The asynchronous online format was perfect, allowing me to continue my coursework while at sea, with unwavering support from the faculty. This program truly solidified my path in the field.”
Teresa’s Program Highlights
52 Days at Sea on GO-SHIP A13.5
Thanks to Dr. Art Spivack and Dr. Susan Menden-Deuer for their encouragement and support! Dr. Loes van Dam was also extremely supportive as I was working on her class from the ship.
Special Note: Biological Oceanography and Geological Oceanography were my two favorite courses as both included many hands-on activities that provided practical experience and deepened my understanding of marine and geological processes.These courses sealed the deal for me and confirmed that the field of oceanography is where I truly belong!
A13.5: February-March 2024
- Tasked with operating the CTD
- Monitoring eight analysts taking water samples
- Served as a member of the scientific research team sampling salinity as well as nitrate and seawater isotope composition
- Coordinated blog communications
- Assisted school outreach component of the GO-BGC Adopt-a-Float program.
Learning with Dr. McNair
I also thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Heather McNair’s graduate writing in marine and environmental sciences course. I continued working on the paper after the course and it was published in an open access book!
In addition to information I learned in other courses in the program, some of the information included in my chapter was gleaned from two courses that I took with Dr. Jessica Morgan in the Department of Natural Resources Science (Sustainable Natural Resource Management and Natural Resource Management Planning)—both excellent courses as well.
Published: Kennedy, T. J. (2024, June). Advancing Ocean Sustainability for Climate-Resilient Change. In L. Hufnagel, (Ed.), Globalization and Sustainability: Ecological, Social and Cultural Perspectives. IntechOpen. ISBN 978-0-85466-6980. https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/1176877
Directed Study Research Project
For my directed study research project with Dr. Spivak, I worked with Dr. Alison Clausen, Deputy Global Coordinator of the Ocean Decade at the Intergovernmental Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO). This work produced a manual that will soon be included in the Ocean Decade publication series!
In press: Clausen, A., Kennedy, T. J., Dufourneaud, O., Castillo, M. P., Deane, S., Durand, J., Gianccone, T., Jonda, S., Mascarenhas, T., Ng, K., Palazot, S., Salazar, E. R., Santisteban, R., Shuwen, X., van’t Land, & H., Zhou, Y. (2024). Ocean decade manual for non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United National Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
