URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2018_Melissa-McCarthy

A trace metal clean instrument, on the stern of the R/V Revelle , measures salinity, temperature and depth. Photo by Heather McNair.

“Right now, we have a critical mass of scientists and most of us happen to be women who are really interested in processes in the surface of the ocean,” Jenkins reflects. “We have a very cooperative working spirit — everyone is individually successful and we are also vested in each other’s success.” She notes that both she and URI Professor Tatiana Rynearson (article page 10), also involved with EXPORTS, arrived at the University in 2005 as part of a group of women brought in by the NSF ADVANCE initiative to recruit women into science faculty positions. All of those women are full professors today and provide a professional support network at URI. “The ADVANCE program created an atmosphere that helped women become more visible so younger colleagues can see, oh, this is a place where I can do science,” says Jenkins. “It has added value to the University.” postdoctoral fellows, adds Jenkins: “They are getting a chance be a part of that team, a part of that conversation, early in their career. They are getting plugged into a network of the top people in their field and have 40 days at sea to see how different groups do their science. It’s a great opportunity.” Similarly, the EXPORTS campaign is providing a professional pipeline for the Ph.D. students and

“As a group of scientists, we know what’s happening in terms of human contribution to rising carbon levels in the ocean. There is no debate. This is why the oceanography community is trying to help the public understand the ramifications of climate change.”

- Bethany Jenkins

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