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For Dr. Rozalind Jester, it Truly is Better Under the Sea

Feb 11, 2016


Anyone who thinks science is boring has surely never taken a class with FSW Marine Science Professor Dr. Rozalind Jester.

“We’ve swum with and measured whale sharks, surveyed coral reefs, and counted families of sea lions,” Dr. Jester said. And that was just for one of her classes.

Dr. Jester provides many opportunities to her students to step outside of the classroom and experience hands-on science projects and research opportunities. Last year, she led a group of six FSW Honors Scholar Program students to study abroad in Baja, Mexico, where they worked with scientists on undergraduate research projects.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life, just being there to watch these six students not only have the best experience of their lives, but to put into practice the ideas and complete the research we’d spent the previous semester talking about,” she said.

Since joining FSW in 2007, Dr. Jester has taught Intro to Oceanography, Marine Biology, and Biological Oceanagraphy, but she’s always had one main goal for all of her students.

“I want them to understand how they relate to science,” she said. “Overfishing, climate change, habitat destruction, and ocean acidification are all of our problems. We have to talk about them and acknowledge what’s happening, but at the same time, as instructors we have to lead by example and give students small projects where they can help change these issues and leave our classes feeling that they have had a positive impact.”

Each semester, Dr. Jester and her students go to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Lab where they work with researchers collecting data for fish biodiversity studies. She also leads class field trips to locations like Bunche Beach, where they measure the population of periwinkle snails in the mangroves, and Fort Myers Beach, where they collect plankton samples and study them through microscopes right under the pier.

Two to three times a year, Dr. Jester holds environmental cleanups at local beaches and along roads, while for another class project on conservation, her students planted fruit trees in front of LightHouse Commons on the FSW Thomas Edison Campus.

Dr. Jester had not originally planned to be a marine biologist. “I’d always loved the ocean but never really liked science,” she said. “I was studying to be an accountant. Then I took an oceanography class to fill my prerequisites and immediately became fascinated.”

And while Dr. Jester earned her PhD in ocean science from the University of California, Santa Cruz, “Home of the proud Banana Slugs!” she also attended a community college, influencing her decision to teach at FSW.

“I went to a community college, so I knew that the classes are not like traditional university classes,” Dr. Jester said. “I love working with the nontraditional and diverse students at community colleges, and my favorite part is being in the water with them the first time they see life under the sea, or when they complete a project and have pride in the work they have done,” she said.

“I want to remove the stigma with students that science is boring and nerdy,” Dr. Jester said. “We are all connected to the planet through scientific processes, and I want my students to see the connection we have with the ocean, our influence on it and how it impacts all our health and our lives.”

Last Updated: February 11, 2016

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