The Top 5 Best Bits from the South Atlantic

Andrew McIntyre and Laura Guertin both sailed on JOIDES Resolution for the first time during Expedition 390 (South Atlantic Transect I). Four months after they departed the JR, they reconnected to discuss and compare the events and moments that made...

“I have friends that do kinds of jobs that you wouldn't expect scientists to do if you didn't know better.” An interview with Erica Bickford

Erica Bickford’s advice to early career scientists or students is to look outside academia and explore all the potential career options available to scientists. She is particularly aware of the importance of science in daily life and in the policy...

My Interview with Joshua Slocum

He grew up surrounded by the ocean being the oldest of three. Joshua Slocum enjoys Christmas and the summer. He remembers playing baseball and being called “Squashua” and “JJ”. His favorite childhood vacation was going to Disney World with his...

"Sharp Observations from a Keen Observer." an interview with Susan Loizer

We won’t say how long Susan Lozier has been shaping young minds at Duke University (she may let it slip), but she talks about amazing changes that have happened during her tenure. She grew up wondering how rivers get polluted,...

"You need to give yourself time to relax in-between those really grueling shifts; that way, you can continue to perform at your peak level"

Scientific ocean drilling expeditions are filled with scientists and technicians working long hours over consecutive days to determine the latest discoveries from the deep sea. You wouldn't think there would be much time for fun, but publication specialist Alyssa Stephens...

"We're not interested in just learning about science, we want to do science." An interview with Paul Hertz

His application to be an astronaut may have been turned down, but Paul Hertz is playing a big role in helping us understand how the universe works as the Director of Astrophysics at NASA. He found his passion for astrophysics...

“My science is all about sharing.” An Interview with Paula Buchanan

For Paula Buchanan, disaster scientist and emergency management researcher, the whole point of science is to share it with others so that it can benefit everyone. We talked to her about being a “degree collector,” persevering and setting boundaries in...

“Well, it isn’t necessarily what I planned, but it certainly sounds like an exciting job.” An Interview with Melissa Trainer

Melissa Trainer is a planetary scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and is working on the upcoming Dragonfly mission. We talked to her about pitching Dragonfly and finding out whether it got accepted on TV, accepting opportunities you didn’t...

"I have reservoirs of fear"

Maryalice Yakutchik was the Onboard Outreach Officer for JOIDES Resolution Expedition 392 (Agulhas Plateau Cretaceous Climate). During this conversation, she shares the fears she faced from the application process to her time on the ship. Quote from Maryalice: "All those...

“I sort of took a leap of faith and was lucky enough to also have somebody that wanted to mentor me.” An interview with Rachel Hampton

Rachel Hampton ended up in the geosciences because she couldn’t find the art history class she was looking for. From asking a TA if she could join him on fieldwork to doing her senior thesis on volcanoes without a professor...

"It's not just about the ocean, it's about the intersection of the ocean with other earth systems." an interview with Paula Bontempi

After being drawn to the oceans at an early age, Paula continues to examine many factors that influence changes in the oceans. As a program manager for NASA, she enjoys the opportunity to work with dedicated researchers and learn how...

The story of how my dad almost got attacked by a shark.

When my dad was in his younger years he was playing volleyball in South Florida. Because he had been playing for hours he had bloody feet from the sand. In this interview he shares with me how the current of...

“Science for me is a passion. I tell my students, if you're not having fun, do something else” An interview with Gregory Cutter

Having an idol is important in science so you can see yourself doing something similar. Gregory Cutter met his idol, Jacques Cousteau, when he was an assistant professor at Old Dominion University. As an oceanography professor, he worked with different...

“It's never been easier to make your own space.” An interview with David Shiffman

David Shiffman is a shark guy first, marine conservation biologist second. Sharks are in his Twitter handle, he’s writing a book about them, and he was wearing a shark shirt the day we interviewed him. We talked with David about...

The Power of Water for Children

First memories of water as a child and the story of a water birth

Sumiko Hatakeyama

Peace Boat staff Sumiko Hatakeyama shares the story of how meeting nuclear bomb survivors at the age of 19 started her peacebuilding journey. She also provides advice for aspiring peace builders, and encourages everyone to meet people in person and...

Amanda Huff and great aunt Marry Ellen talk about becoming a nun and the struggles with cancer.

In the interview, Marry Ellen discusses becoming a nun coming out of school. The challenges of having rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 23, and then having a child. As well as having a husband who faced cancer and lost...

"…they were relatively long shifts. But work-life balance is still important…and so we had a couple of fun activities that we would do."

Nannofossil paleontologist Claire Routledge highlights the need for a work-life balance while working 12-hours shifts, 7 days a week, for two months. After sailing on the South Atlantic Transect (Expedition 390), Claire shares her work responsibilities with nannofossils (along with...

"It's not data science, it's just science." interview with Dawn Wright and Mark Parsons

Dawn Wright, ESRI and Mark Parsons, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, share with us their journeys into data mapping, and how the field has grown, including at AGU. Before AGU embraced mapping scientists, people were starting to leave AGU. Now, they’re back,...

"…that first time looking up the central stairwell, seeing all the different logos from before… seeing just that snapshot of history…"

Bonus audio! Andrew McIntyre and Laura Guertin both sailed on JOIDES Resolution for the first time during Expedition 390 (South Atlantic Transect I) and sat down to record a conversation four months after their time on the JR had ended....

"I thought I might speak about – it's a little bit sad – but the day we heard that the ship business is no more after 2024"

Aidan Leetz joined JOIDES Resolution as a thin section technician for Expedition 390 in 2022. In this conversation, he shares his journey to joining the JR, his reaction to the news of the end of JR operations, and why he's...

“I want to do good science, which to me, doing good science and with great people makes it fun.” An interview with Susan Bates

Susan Bates has always been interested by the physical world and especially the ocean. She remembers standing on the beach as a kid in North Carolina wondering where the waves came from. Now, she gets to predict what the ocean...