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Although
we still have deep snowdrifts here in Ithaca, everyone at SML is
consumed with planning for the busy summer ahead. February has been an
especially productive month. We continued our very active student
recruiting efforts, and applications for SML Summer 2007 are on a very
encouraging track: as of yesterday, 95 students have applied for 112
seats in our courses. This is up from 56 students from one year ago at
this time. Twice as many Cornell students (22) have applied this year
relative to this date in 2006, and we have more UNH applicants as well
(17 relative to 15 in 2006).
The SML Executive
Committee met on February 12. This committee, which we reactivated in
December 2006, includes John Aber, Jon Pennock and Chuck Walker at UNH
and Paul Streeter, Don Viands and Drew Harvell at Cornell; Jessica
Bolker and I are ex officio members. Together, we are reviewing all
aspects of SML‚s operations and financial structure and strengthening
our partnership to operate SML. We are making important progress. For
example, Cornell and UNH contributed to help SML purchase 10 new
compound and 10 new stereozoom microscopes equipped with a shared
digital camera system. These will be SML‚s first new microscopes in
many years, and will arrive in time for our expanded course offerings
for SML Summer 2007. I predict that regular meetings of the SML
Executive Committee will create a far stronger SML and help us to
address opportunities and challenges ahead.
In
other news, I am delighted to be able to report that Doctor Hal Weeks
has accepted my offer to serve as Assistant Director for Island and
Coastal Programs. Hal is famous to a generation of SML students as one
of the founders of and core faculty for Ecology of Animal Behavior. He
is also a well-known expert on Appledore Island. I have described Hal
as knowing every rock on the island, knowledge that he acquired during
his doctoral research on sticklebacks living in Appledore‚s tidepools.
Hal will live on Appledore during the season, supervise our island
staff, and ensure that SML‚s courses and programs are as effective as
possible. In addition, Hal will be a „go to‰ person for proposing new
courses and for planning new research opportunities on Appledore.
During the off-season, Hal‚s office will be next to Ross Hansen‚s new
(but still very basic) office in the Carriage House at Creek Farm.
Earlier this month, we hired Captain Tom Davis to serve as SML‚s
Resident Captain! . Based in Portsmouth, Tom will be in charge of our
vessels throughout the year; he, too, will have an office in the
Carriage House. It was great to visit with Tom last week during my
brief visit to Portsmouth and to see the fine progress he is making on
repairs and upgrades of the R/V JOHN M. KINGSBURY and R/V J. B. HEISER.
Finally,
Tom Johnson is taking the lead in a new ad hoc committee to work with
our architects (Kuhn Riddle Architects, Amherst, MA) on plans for the
future of Creek Farm. Our planning effort embraces a very large vision,
which is to develop environmental and engineering leaders for tomorrow.
Our specific planning goals include: 1) Establish Creek Farm as a
"residential college on the coast" using sustainability as a theme
throughout; 2) Engage seacoast citizens from the start; 3) Complement
and support the Forest Society to help the general public enjoy Creek
Farm Reservation. The coming weeks and months will be exciting ones as
we work to ensure the best possible outcomes for Creek Farm and SML,
and I will keep you posted as things develop. Be sure to see us on the
web www.sml.cornell.edu and start making your plans to visit us on
Appledore next summer!
Sincerely,
William E. Bemis
Kingsbury Director of Shoals Marine Laboratory
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