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Mary Smith-Oceanographic Engineer I work as a research assistant in the Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering Departmant (AOPE) at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Within that department, I work in the Oceanographic Systems Laboratory (OSL). This is a group of 8 engineers & 2 technicians who design & build towed and autonomous robotic underwater vehicles; tools to support a wide variety of scientific applications. There are also several other engineers & technicians from other labs at WHOI that collaborate with us on these projects. Below are some of the projects we have been working on recently. I have a very interesting job with a lot of variety. I associate with interesting people from all over the world & have met most of the pioneers in oceanography and many of the leaders of the future. I love my job. I am involved in planning, logistics, implementation and project management. I do a lot of liason work with local schools, connecting students & teachers with resources in the scientific community. |
There is no conventional way to get to where I am at except to be very good at seeing what is needed and then making it happen (most scientists are not well grounded in the practical aspects of what they need to support their work). I am not a good example of a proper academic course to follow, but taking many math and science classes will help. There are so many aspects of support people that are needed to make this kind of science happen that a young person with a very strong work ethic should be able to create a niche if sufficiently motivated.
