Announcements

Alumni Board Meeting

Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 5:30pm, in the Dean’s Conference Room, SLAB Building at RSMAS. All alumni are welcome to attend — RSVP to alumni@rsmas.miami.edu.

Register Now!
2009–10 RSMAS Alumni & Friends
Socials at Scientific Conferences

Event: 62nd GCFI — Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
Location: Cumana, Venezuela — onsite
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Time: 7 – 9 pm
Host: Freddy Arocha, PHD ’97
RSVP to: alumni@rsmas.miami.edu

The RSMAS Alumni Association and the Office of Advancement & Alumni Affairs are interested in continuing our Alumni & Friends reunion events at major national and international meetings or scientific conferences. Please contact alumni@rsmas.miami.edu with suggestions for meetings or conferences suitable for hosting a reunion event.

Careers In Marine and
Atmospheric Science and Policy

Co-sponsored by the RSMAS Alumni Association and the UM Toppel Career Center
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS)

Presentation begins at 6:00 pm with panelists in academia, government, non-profit, and industry in the RSMAS Auditorium, followed by a networking reception in the RSMAS Commons.

Please RSVP for this event to Megan Garber at m.garber@miami.edu or 305-284-1818. Questions? Please contact Megan Garber at m.garber@miami.edu or Jenny Litz at jlitz@rsmas.miami.edu.

Alumni Weekend
UM Experience Lecture Series to feature
RSMAS’s new, Dean Dr. Roni Avissar

Friday, November 6, 2009
12 – 1:30 pm Luncheon
Coral Gables campus; Hurricane 100 Room, UM Bank United Center
1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
$20 per person, includes lunch and choice of 2 additional lectures

Flying High: New Dean, New Direction
After nearly 15 years, the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science has new leadership. Dean Roni Avissar, a dynamic atmospheric scientist and award-winning hydroclimatologist, reveals his plans to take the school to new heights in research, education, and outreach. He also shares details of his environmental work in the Amazon River Basin, the helicopter platform he pilots that allows his team to make weather observations just inches above the lush jungle canopy, and OLAM, the intricate new climate model developed in his lab.

For more information, contact alumni@rsmas.miami.edu.

Alumni Weekend Waterfront Happy Hour

Friday, November 6th 4 – 6 p.m.
RSMAS Commons

$10 includes hors d'oeuvres and cash bar

Open to all RSMAS alumni, students, faculty, staff and affiliates!

All UM alumni are welcome to attend!

View photos from last year's Happy Hour here. Contact: Karen Wilkening at 305-421-4612 or alumni@rsmas.miami.edu.

New Officers Elected to
RSMAS Alumni Association

The RSMAS Alumni Association has elected new officers to its Board of Directors! Jenny Litz, BS ’96, PHD ’07 (MBF) has taken the helm as President, following her term as Secretary. Jenny was the 2001-02 RSMAS Alumni Fellowship recipient and we are thrilled to have her continued involvement and leadership. Marilyn Brandt, PHD ’07 (MBF) is joining the Alumni Board as Vice President. She has been an active volunteer in the RSMAS Alumni Association for some time now. Long-standing Alumni Board member, Jennifer Schull, AB ’97, MA ’00 (MAF), is our newly elected Secretary. Our inaugural Alumni Fellowship recipient (1997-98), Jen served as Vice President last term and has previously served in all officer roles. Our outgoing President and another veteran Board member, Erica Rule, MA ’99 (MAF), will stay active as a Board member. Joan Feil Clancey, MS ’55 (MPO), Laura Bracken, MA ’07 (MAF), Tammy Laberge MacDonald, PHD ’09 (MBF), Susan MacMahon, BBA ’85, MA ’92 (MAF), and Nancy Voss, MS ’54 (MBF) were elected as Board Members. To become involved in the RSMAS Alumni Association, contact alumni@rsmas.miami.edu. For more information, visit http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/alumni/board.html.

Past Events

18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Alumni & Friends Social

Location: Blu Bar & Grill, Québec Canada
Date: Tuesday, October 13
Host: Jenny Litz, PHD ’07

6th Annual RSMAS Alumni Lecture

The RSMAS Alumni Association presented the 6th Annual RSMAS Alumni Lecture on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. Tyler Smith, PHD ’05 (MBF) returned to campus to present “Ark or Alamo? The Importance and Future of Caribbean Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems in a World of Shallow Water Coral Decline.” A diverse crowd of more than 100 alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members attended the lecture and reception afterward in the Commons. Tyler gave a stirring talk and spurred a great deal of discussion. Tyler’s return to the RSMAS campus as our Alumni lecturer was particular special to the RSMAS Alumni Association since Tyler is a past recipient of the RSMAS Alumni Fellowship.

Otis and Tyler
View a gallery of images from that evening.

3rd Annual RSMAS Crawfish Boil
A Smashing Success!

This year’s Alumni Crawfish Boil, held on Friday, March 27, was attended by more than 200 alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of RSMAS! Louisiana-native, CSTARS staffer and MAF student, Kevin Polk, served as our Head Chef and cooked up 320 pounds of tasty crawfish will all of the fixin’s, jambalaya and bread pudding. Kevin ran the show with his fellow LSU alum, Bill Spillers, using Bill’s custom-built super boiler trailer. The crowd enjoyed food, beer, Zydeco music, conversation and tons of fun! The event raised more than $800 toward the RSMAS Alumni Fellowship Fund, to boot! The RSMAS Alumni Association is grateful to the many alumni, students and friends who helped make this event a smashing success!

Bill and Kevin
Chefs Bill Spillers and Kevin Polk 		Alumni
RSMAS Alumni Fellowhip recipients Jen Schull, Adam Greer, Lyanne Yurco and Jenny Litz

View photos of the event here and here.

We want to hear from you!

Let the Rosenstiel School family and former classmates learn what you are doing now. Complete the form at: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/alumni/update.cgi or e-mail your latest news to alumni@rsmas.miami.edu. If you have any questions, call 305/421-4061.