I work with ships, ocean data, and the software that supports both.

I am a NOAA Corps officer, hydrographer, mariner, and developer. I currently serve as Commanding Officer of NOAA Ship Fairweather, a 231-foot hydrographic survey vessel working primarily in Alaska.

My first NOAA assignment was also aboard Fairweather. I joined the ship as a Hollings Scholar intern in the summer of 2009, then returned as Operations Officer from 2016 to 2018. Taking command in 2026 brought me back to the platform that first showed me how navigation, ocean mapping, engineering, and public service fit together.

I studied electrical and computer engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, with a geography and GIS minor. Later, at the University of New Hampshire, I earned a master’s degree in ocean engineering and an IHO Category A certificate in hydrography. My thesis developed autonomous surface-vessel systems for hydrographic surveys.

Across ship and shore assignments, I have worked on uncrewed systems, survey planning, data acquisition, navigation, process automation, and technical collaboration. I build software when a useful tool is missing, and I contribute to open projects when shared work can reduce duplicated effort.