News
SEA Announces Next President: Launching a New Era of Ocean Education
The Board of Trustees of Sea Education Association (SEA) is pleased to announce the appointment of its next president, Dr. Richard Hopper. Later this fall, Dr. Hopper will follow Dr. John Wigglesworth who has served in the role since November 2022, leading the organization in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the UN Decade of the Ocean.
Rick has over 39 years of professional experience in the field of education, first leading study abroad programs, then analyzing and overseeing investments in higher education as a Senior Education Specialist at the World Bank, and subsequently serving for a decade as president of community colleges in New England. He earned his doctorate in international education policy from Harvard University and was a Fulbright Scholar in Bangladesh examining higher education equity policies for the landless poor. He also led the development of partnerships with UNESCO, OECD, NGOs, foundations, and universities. For the past two years he has been serving as Chief of Party for a US-funded higher education reform initiative in Vietnam.
Rick is a lifelong resident of coastal New England – growing up on the Connecticut shoreline and the coast of Maine. A scuba diver since 1985, Rick has explored the coral reefs of southern Japan, the Caribbean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, the South Pacific, Thailand, and around the United States from Hawai’i to Florida and the Gulf of Maine. Having witnessed firsthand the loss of vibrant sea life due to climate change and pollution, Rick is deeply concerned about the impacts that changes in the ocean will have on low-lying communities and food systems worldwide. Rick is eager to lead SEA as it expands awareness of marine health and helps train the future stewards of our ocean.
SEA Board Chair Jeremy Salesin expressed his enthusiasm for Dr. Hopper’s appointment: “SEA has a proud 50-year legacy of ocean education both as an integral part of the Woods Hole research network and as an advocate for sustainability within coastal communities around the world through top-rate education aboard our tall ships in both the Pacific and the Atlantic. As our next president, Rick brings with him a critical understanding of educational institutions and a passion for ocean stewardship – the ideal profile to support SEA’s evolution to meet the challenges of the coming era.”
Rick’s appointment is timely, bringing fresh energy as SEA redoubles its programmatic focus on mission-critical topics such as climate change, coral reef conservation, marine biodiversity, and sustainable coastal communities. SEA offers a carefully designed curriculum delivered at its Woods Hole campus on Cape Cod, aboard its two tall ship sailing school vessels with floating laboratories, and/or with local partners in coastal communities in the Caribbean and the South Pacific. The newly redesigned institutional website and logo of SEA also underscore our steadfast commitment to ocean education in all its forms, reflecting the organization’s expanded portfolio of programs that emphasize scientific research excellence while embracing the blue humanities to better highlight the human relationship to the ocean through the disciplines of sociology, history, literature, economics, and the arts.
“Experiential education with the ocean and the marine ecosystem is the key to inspiring not only emerging researchers but also policy experts,” says Dr. Hopper. “We rely on field-based scholars to marshal the data and evidence necessary to educate and inform the world about our ocean. SEA remains at the forefront of hands-on marine science, ethics, and management. I am thrilled to lead the institution forward as we expand programs, stir passion for ocean health, and share our unique body of knowledge. By growing multi-disciplinary expertise SEA will expand its base of support and continue shaping the future leaders in environmental awareness, responsible stewardship, and conservation.”
Sea Education Association (SEA) is an internationally recognized leader in ocean education, located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. SEA provides undergraduate, gap, and high school students with the opportunity to study ocean sciences and blue humanities through immersive experiences in Woods Hole, aboard one of SEA’s tall ships, and within coastal communities around the world. For more information about SEA’s programs and impact, please visit www.sea.edu.
For media inquiries, please contact SEA’s Marketing & Communications Office, 508-444-1938, [email protected].