GB
Graeme Brown
  • English
  • Class of 2019
  • Chestnut Hill

Graeme Brown Studies Abroad with SEA Semester Program

2017 Sep 27

Colby College students Graeme Brown '19, Henry Oliva '19, and Claire Caputi '19 are among 21 undergraduates from top U.S. colleges and universities currently in Polynesia aboard the tall ship ocean research vessel SSV Robert C. Seamans gaining firsthand knowledge about environmental challenges and cultural practices in some of the world's most remote island communities.

SEA Semester: Sustainability in Polynesian Island Cultures and Ecosystems encourages students to engage in conversations about how human societies will operate in the future, given limited resources, growing populations, exponential increases in waste generation, and climatic disruption. Now in its seventh year, the program was developed by Sea Education Association (SEA) faculty in collaboration with academic partners in Polynesia.

After a highly selective application process, the class arrived last month for four weeks of preparatory coursework on shore at SEA Semester's campus in the oceanographic research community of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The students then flew to Pago Pago, American Samoa to board the SSV Robert C. Seamans, SEA's state-of-the-art 134-foot brigantine, which will serve as their home, classroom, and laboratory for the next seven weeks as they voyage to New Zealand.

The students will sail to several Pacific island countries, including Tonga and Fiji, for a comparative perspective. Along the way, they will confront challenging questions of colonial conflict, cultural identity, and environmental justice, while examining relationships between political structures, culture, and the natural environment. They will also explore issues of sustainability with local officials and visit historical, cultural, and agricultural sites. Using state-of-the-art shipboard lab and research facilities, they will investigate the complex factors that threaten fragile island ecosystems and the surrounding marine environment.

The program will conclude in early November in Auckland, New Zealand, where the students will compile their research and present their findings.

Founded in 1813, Colby is one of America's most selective colleges. Serving only undergraduates, Colby offers a rigorous academic program rooted in deep exploration of ideas and close interaction with world-class faculty scholars. Students pursue intellectual passions, choosing among 58 majors or developing their own. Independent and collaborative research, global opportunities, and internships offer robust opportunities to prepare students for postgraduate success. More than 100 courses at Colby, from across the disciplines, integrate the museum's resources to enhance the academic experience. Colby is home to a community of 2,000 dedicated and diverse students from more than 80 countries. Its Waterville, Maine, location provides unique access to world-class research institutions and civic engagement experiences.