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research while balancing the myriad admin- istrative and management duties required by your job as dean? The way I balance the duties of being a dean and a research scientist is by working at at everything 120%, and I have a top notch staff that is terriÞ c. I am also fortunate to have two very bright post doctoral fellows working with me, one from India and the other from China. One is working on understanding changes in communities of phytoplankton (that is, the microscopic plants that dominate the oceans) and how they inß uence cycling of carbon. The other is exploring methods to interpret the spectral (or color) signatures of ocean waters to derive estimates of different biogeochemical con- stituents. How many students are currently enrolled in SMAST programs? We have about 65 Students and 17 full time faculty members. We also have many other faculty who are part time, adjunct from other universities and organizations, or with oth- er departments or other campuses within the UMass system. SMAST has the largest marine science program in the Inter- campus Marine Science (IMS) degree program. The SMAST as a whole, has a student, faculty and administrative popula- tion of up to 120 people. The majority of our students are in research intensive, thesis-based M.S. or Ph.D. programs. Can you talk about your new, non traditional program that is aimed at mid-career or other students seeking a non-thesis alternative? In response to a growing demand in education to pro- vide mid-career professionals and other students with differ- ent education goals with an opportunity to advance their skills, UMassD/SMAST created a Professional Science MasterÕs in Coastal and Ocean Administration, Science and Technology. This two-year, non-thesis masterÕs program blends the study of science and engineering with elective courses in manage- ment, policy, economics and law, and it provides a strong em- phasis on writing and communication skills. The last semester of the program requires that the student obtain an internship in industry, government, non proÞ t or academia. What students are you targeting, and what sorts of jobs are available for these students? We started the program two years ago and we have six students currently enrolled. Of course weÕd like to double that number by next fall and double it every year afterward until we reach a cohort of about 36 students. These students came to us from industry, right out of college, as well as from other backgrounds. They enrolled because they saw the value Academia Dean Steven Lohrenz explaining the use of the SMAST?s Slocum Glider ?Blue.? 28 MTROctober 2013MTR #8 (18-33).indd 28MTR #8 (18-33).indd 2810/16/2013 2:05:35 PM10/16/2013 2:05:35 PM