Oceanography | Vol. 38, No. 3
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CAREER PROFILES Options and Insights
Degree: When, where, what,
and in what field?
I earned a bachelor’s degree in
marine biology from the College
of Charleston in 2009. After that,
I took an eight-year break from
academia to work for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration (NOAA). Nearly a decade into my government service, I
decided to pursue a childhood dream of earning a PhD. I left the
federal government and spent five years in graduate school at Bos-
ton University, where I earned a doctorate in marine ecology.
Did you stay in academia at all, and if so, for how long?
In a way, I’ve always been in and out of academia, even though I
only spent a few years in a traditional academic setting. Throughout
my time at NOAA and in various nongovernmental organiza-
tion (NGO) roles, I’ve consistently collaborated with academic
researchers and been part of peer-reviewed science publications.
So, while my CV doesn’t follow the typical academic trajectory, I’ve
managed to keep some of the best parts of academia—like pur-
suing my research interests and satisfying my curiosity—without
always being based at a research university.
How did you go about searching for a job outside of
the university setting?
I’ve been very fortunate that most of my jobs have evolved organi-
cally from one opportunity to another. During my undergraduate
studies, I worked on several projects closely tied to NOAA, which
opened doors for me there. After graduating from the College of
Charleston, I knew I wanted to go to graduate school eventually,
but I needed a break. I applied to the NOAA Corps, got accepted,
and what I thought would be a short-term job turned into a series
of NOAA-related roles that lasted eight years.
During that time, I met a principal investigator at Boston
University who later invited me to join her lab for graduate stud-
ies. When I started looking for post-PhD positions, one of my
long-time collaborators was launching an NGO and invited me to
join her team.
Is this the only job you’ve had post-academia?
If not, what else have you done?
I’ve had several jobs throughout my career—many of them inter-
connected. While at NOAA, my job responsibilities changed
Brian Kennedy, Chief Scientist, Ocean Discovery League —
briankennedy@oceandiscoveryleague.org
frequently. Sometimes that was intentional, and other times I sim-
ply found myself doing something completely different than what
I was originally hired for.
My first post-bachelor’s role was as a junior officer in the NOAA
Corps, where I was primarily responsible for the safe navigation of a
NOAA research vessel. NOAA provided all the training, and I spent
two years living aboard a ship, driving it, and maintaining safety
equipment. During off-hours, I worked with the onboard science
team, learning about sonar systems and remotely operated vehicles.
From there, I moved into a role at NOAA’s Office of Ocean
Exploration, where I worked more directly with ocean technolo-
gies. I continued going to sea, but now focused more on support-
ing science operations rather than ship operations. Later, I transi-
tioned into technology development and eventually into program
administration—managing teams and budgets. But I realized I was
getting too far removed from the science itself, which led me to
pursue my PhD.
What is your current job? What path did you take
to get there?
I’m currently the Chief Scientist at the Ocean Discovery League
(ODL), a nonprofit organization focused on accelerating deep-
sea exploration by developing accessible ocean technologies and
expanding the community of people engaged in deep-sea science.
At ODL, I work with engineers to help define scientific require-
ments for new, lower-cost technologies. I also help develop cur-
ricula and lead training sessions for workforce development and
capacity-building workshops related to deep-sea science.
In addition to my work at ODL, I serve as the external science
advisor for NOAA’s Beyond the Blue: Illuminating the Pacific explo-
ration campaign. In that role, I help NOAA build connections with
academic researchers and Pacific Island communities, and I advise
on exploration priorities and data products.
In my free time, I also work on my own research interests. Over
the 15 years since earning my bachelor’s degree, my career has taken
many twists and turns. Sometimes I’ve been deeply involved in sci-
entific work; other times I’ve played more administrative roles. But
all those experiences have given me a broad understanding of what
it takes to do meaningful science—from standing bridge watch on
a research vessel to trying to stretch a program budget just a little
further. Science takes a whole ecosystem of people, and I’ve been
lucky to see that from many different angles.