Outcomes

According to external evaluation surveys, all competency targets increased significantly from before and after the pre-expedition course and research cruise (e.g., project background, proposal and field plan writing, field methods, etc.) as well as the targets before and after the post-expedition course (e.g., lab methods, data analysis, writing, presenting, networking, etc.) 

Student Outcomes as of May 2025 

(voluntary surveys)

Post SAS Success

While many S-A-S students have not yet graduated, fourteen of the first cohort (to date) have been hired by government agencies and industry or been accepted and fully funded for graduate school domestically and internationally. Throughout the first three years of the S-A-S program, S-A-S students have participated in over 40 internship and REU opportunities. S-A-S students have also produced six senior theses and 66 presentations at local to international professional meetings (not including the S-A-S symposia). S-A-S students and senior faculty published 13 peer reviewed papers during the first award. 

The S-A-S research symposia, partially funded by industry partners, offered students the opportunity to present their findings and network with over 30 representatives from fourteen academic, industry and agency partners from across the country, the majority were Eckerd Alumni. As one student reflected in their post-course survey, the “Symposium was a very good networking experience…That experience actually did get me a job.”

EC Alumni Engagement

Involvement in SAS by EC Alums has been in various components.  Some of the research projects are with EC Alums and includes them speaking to SAS class in the pre-expedition course (Matt Garrett at FWRI, Mark Mueller at BOEM, etc.).  Most alumni engagement is at the SAS Symposium through attendance, guest judges, and sponsorship of the symposium (see tables below) with ~30 alumni invited each year.  Additionally, many SAS students have received internships and/or job positions through Alumni connections made via SAS.  Example is 2 SAS students receiving STRIVE internships with APTIM (sponsor) and 2 SAS EC grads being hired in May 2024 for positions in their field of research.

List of Institutions, Agencies, Companies participating in the SAS Symposium

• Tampa Bay Watch (private non-profit): Collaborator, Sponsor, Host, and Attendees

• Eckerd College (Academia): Primary S-A-S institution, Sponsor, Attendees including President, Dean of Faculty, and various Faculty.

• Univ. of South Florida College of Marine Science (Academia): Collaborator, Attendees

• U.S. Geological Survey (Fed. Govt.): Collaborator, Attendees

• Florida Institute of Oceanography (State Govt.): Attendees, Informational Booth

• APTIM (Industry): Sponsor, Attendees, Informational Booth

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (State Govt.): Attendees

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Fed. Govt.): Attendees, Informational Booth

• Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (Fed. Govt.): Attendees

• Odyssey Marine Exploration (Industry): Sponsor, Attendees

• Saildrone Inc. (Industry): Attendees

• GenExergy Foundation (Industry): Attendee, Booth)

• Helmholtz-Sentrum Hereo (Industry): Attendee

• R.C. Goodwing and Associates (Industry): Attendee

• Univ. of South Florida (Academia): Attendees

• Univ. of South Carolina (Academia): Attendees

• EGS Americas Inc. (Industry): Sponsor and Attendees

• Enercon Services Inc (Industry): Attendees

• WUSF/NPR (Media): Attendee and news stories about S-A-S

Beyond Eckerd - Outreach and Engagement

Outreach and recruitment products included radio interviews (NPR), creation of the S-A-S website and cohort websites, research cruise dispatches, social media posts across four platforms, and introductory S-A-S presentations at local high schools, EC admissions events, and professional conferences.  Engagement by professionals in government agencies, industry, and academia has been involved during the course program but primarily during the SAS Symposium in the form of attendance, guest judges, and sponsorship of the symposium.

List of Dissemination of SAS Program (Bold denotes SAS student participant)

1.     Program Website: https://scientistatsea.eckerd.edu/

2.     2022 Cruise/Cohort Website (designed and managed by students): https://scientistatsea22.eckerd.edu/

3.     2023 Cruise/Cohort Website (designed and managed by students): https://scientistatsea23.eckerd.edu/

4.     2024 Cruise/Cohort Website (designed and managed by students): https://scientistatsea24.eckerd.edu/

5.     Social Media: facebook, twitter, Instagram (SAS, Eckerd College, FIO, USF, USGS and personal feeds)

2.     EC website and Faculty Webpages: https://www.eckerd.edu/marinescience/, https://www.eckerd.edu/marinescience/faculty/schwing/

3.     https://www.eckerd.edu/marinescience/faculty/larson/

4.     https://www.eckerd.edu/marinescience/faculty/brooks/

5.     Recruitment through the EC Diversity Leadership Scholarship program, Sloan Foundation E-STEM program, EC First Year Research Program

6.     Reports to EC faculty meetings and Saint Petersburg Ocean Team

7.     Second Annual S-A-S Research Symposium December, 2023. Cohort 2 disseminated results of the first- year program to approximately 60 guests including professionals from academia, governmental agencies (from local to federal levels) and private industry, as well as members of the public.

8.     WUSF Radio, Eckerd students complete their second research cruise in the Gulf with a focus on oil spill recovery. Jessica Meszaros.  January 4, 2024. https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-01-05/eckerd-students-complete-their-second-research-cruise-in-the-gulf-with-a-focus-on-oil-spill-recovery

9.     Eckerd College, Natural Sciences Collegium Student Orientation Presentation, August 14, 2024

10.  SAS introduction and recruitment presentation (John Hilliard) Shorecrest High School Marine Science Club, Spring 2024.

11.  Vargas, A., Schwing, P.T., Larson, R.A., Brooks, G.R., Rivera, D., 2023, Scientist at Sea: Pathways to the Geosciences at Eckerd College, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

12.  Scientist at Sea Program at Eckerd College: Integrating Education With Research to Enhance Recruitment and Diversity in Geosciences. 2024. Rebekka Larson, Patrick Schwing, Gregg Brooks, Steven A Murawski, Julie N Richey, Sherryl Gilbert, Caitlin E Reynolds, Kylee Rullo, Eric Tappa and Eric Plage, ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting, New Orleans, USA.

13.  Scientist at Sea: Pathways to the Geosciences at Eckerd College.  K. M. Laguna, A. Vargas, D. Rivera, R. Larson, P. Schwing, G. Brooks; GOMCON 2024

14.  Kasey Laguna (Panel member): GOMCON 2024, Eckerd College Gulf Scholars Program (NASEM Funded)