January 11, 2024
January seems to be a good time to pass along updates to the broader FHL Community – we don’t exactly do FHL New Year’s Resolutions, but it is helpful to pause to look at where we’ve been in the last year, and then gather ourselves for the onrush of spring and summer applications and planning efforts.
We greet the year with some staff changes. A very exciting addition to our academic staff will be FHL’s first Teaching Faculty, Marjorie Wonham, hired with funds from the Provost in support of the growing Marine Biology major on campus. Mar is no stranger to FHL, having received her PhD at UW and spending some time here as a graduate student and instructor. Mar will be based at FHL and will be closely involved with undergraduate curricular planning as well as teaching a full course load here.
We have a new Associate Director of Advancement, Shannon Koller, who has thrown herself with enthusiasm and expertise into raising funds for FHL. She already “gets it” both about how (and why) people feel strongly about FHL, and how much FHL counts on its donor base for so much of what we do! The Maintenance crew has hired two new members, Ben Mayfield and Alex Moreno, to replace George Iliff who retired in the fall, and Tommy Pieples who tragically passed away last summer. Office and Whiteley Coordinator Stephanie Zamora moved on to an exciting job with San Juan EMT, and has just been replaced by local resident Jayne Conner. The custodial team now includes Laura Greenan, and the Dining Hall team has reclaimed Megan Connelly from a job with the County and is in the process of hiring another cook. We are also in the process of selecting a new Academic Services Coordinator. So if you visit you will see quite a few new faces, but an unchanged attitude of “how can we facilitate your time at FHL”, since that mindset is one we select for as we choose new staff.
We heard about the importance of this mindset in various ways over the past year as over 300 diverse members of the FHL community, from decades ago to now, provided input to a strategic planning effort. Three groups explored different facets of our mission and operations: Facilities, Research, and Education/Outreach. Each group discussed Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats at FHL, then used these to brainstorm about achievable goals that will have us seizing opportunities while simultaneously addressing current weaknesses.
Several consistent themes arose in all three sessions. Participants were often passionate about the strengths of FHL, including its egalitarian and collaborative culture, access to field sites and organisms, and facilities that enable diverse types of research. A weakness noted in all sessions was the declining condition of much of FHL’s equipment and infrastructure, partly the result of insufficient staffing for repair and maintenance. A consistent challenge noted was the lack of affordable year-round housing on the island, an issue that plagues most institutions located in tourist destinations like Friday Harbor and one that makes it difficult to recruit staff or researchers from off island.
When it came to priorities for FHL’s future, one rose to the top during all discussions: increasing the number of resident faculty and research scientists. Such residents are essential for providing intellectual vibrancy, ensuring that FHL remains scientifically relevant, and attracting top students and colleagues. They also bring in modern equipment, and the funds (direct and indirect) needed to support and maintain the equipment as well as infrastructure improvements.
We have begun the detailed work of creating action plans to implement the many goals identified, and this effort will continue with a set of committees targeting particular issues. One strategy for achieving the goal of increased year-round use of FHL facilities is to build more research and educational partnerships, e.g. with state and federal agencies, regional tribes, and research consortia; we have begun reaching out to colleagues and funding agencies both within and outside of UW to start those conversations. We are nearing completion on one major infrastructure improvement project; remodeling Lab 2 and purchasing new equipment to make it a Marine Genomics Center. We anticipate that this facility will both support classes and attract new researchers. This is such a satisfying step that we’re already thinking about our next infrastructure target for this funding source, the Field Stations and Marine Labs program at NSF.
I was hugely gratified by the time and energy many people took to participate in the planning effort, and by the outpouring of constructive feedback about the opportunities FHL has been providing over the decades. With all this positive energy, and the continued help of both the UW administration and our amazing donor base, we can move forward strongly!
For other updates, keep an eye on the News and Events section in the email announcing a new Tide Bite on the 1st of each month. If you aren’t signed up for Tide Bites, I encourage you to do so!
Dr. Megan N. Dethier, FHL Director
January 2024