University elevates study of fisheries to bachelor of arts degree

VICTORIA BARBER

February 01, 2008 at 1:16PM AKST

Picture a typical liberal arts program: students studying subjects such as political science, writing, economics and anthropology.

Now picture those students taking that knowledge and applying it – to a fisheries degree.

It’s not a typical program of study, but starting in the fall, University of Alaska Fairbanks students will be able to do just that and earn a Bachelor of Arts in fisheries.

The B.A. is one of many new programs being launched in the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences as a result of a $5 million endowment from the Rasmuson Foundation.

"We have developed something that is new and unique," said Trent Sutton, undergraduate fisheries coordinator at the UAF. "It’s an opportunity to develop something that is certainly needed in Alaska but also beyond Alaska."

The B.A. allows students supplement their fisheries studies with subjects not typically associated with fisheries or ocean science. Sutton said that these new combinations will lead to new and much-needed kinds of fisheries professionals.

Fisheries and business management, for example, could prepare a student from a fishing community to return home and manage the family business. Political science and fisheries would be a unique advantage to a young Alaskan with political ambitions.

Anthropology would provide a background to a fisheries student who is interested in understanding traditional fishing methods, and economics would be an advantage to students interested in the market forces that affect the fishing industry.

Kris Norosz works in government relations at Icicle Seafoods. She that the state will benefit from having more well-rounded fisheries graduates in the job pool.

"There are employees with biology degrees who are helping to form policies that affect industry and if they don’t understand world markets and products ... it makes it hard for them to understand the implications of their decision," Norosz said.

"We need accountants, fleet managers, plant managers, marketing and sales (staff) ... there are a lot of different types of jobs besides sliming fish that are career jobs," she added.

Along with the addition of the B.A. program, the endowment has allowed UAF to hire five new faculty members and construct a Learning Center, which will include laboratories, lecture halls and videoconferencing equipment for distance learning.

A minor in fisheries science has been added, and all fisheries majors will have to complete internships as part of a program-wide emphasis on hands-on learning.

Amanda Rosenberger is a fish ecologist who was one of the first faculty members to be added to the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Rosenberger said that she thinks the internship requirement is "the best way we can take advantage of how unique Alaska is and the opportunities that are available in the state."

"Honestly, I think its one of the most fun things you can do as a student, to get in the field and mess with the fish," Rosenberger said. "If you haven’t done that then I don’t think your education is complete."

She added that potential employers throughout Alaska have expressed eagerness to participate in the program.

"We don’t need to worry about having enough jobs for our students," Rosenberger said.

Recruiting and training more rural Alaska and Alaska Native students to take their place in the Alaska fisheries industry is a key component of the Rasmuson program expansion. UAF will be raising awareness in rural high schools and working with the organizations such as the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program to help prepare students for the transition to university.

Doug Molyneaux, salmon research biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said that UAF’s emphasis on rural and Alaska Native recruitment will help to address a critical gap between Alaska’s emerging workforce and the jobs that are available at state agencies such as Fish and Game.

"Rural residents have the context of their life experience to perhaps better develop management approaches and apply research findings to rural fish and wildlife issues," Molyneaux said.

"But there is more to these jobs than tromping in the woods and streams and oceans. Fish and Wildlife specialists need strong skills in math, computers and writing."

"This program should provide for a broader pool of candidates to fill future vacancies," Molyneaux added. "The state has been having difficulty filling these vacancies, and because of this, has been looking more and more to outside Alaska."

Fisheries students will also have the option of completing part of their degrees in Anchorage, at the University of Alaska campus there, and in Juneau, at the new UAF Lena Point Fisheries Facility or the University of Alaska Southeast campus. Students will be able to communicate remotely with UAF faculty via teleconference.

Wherever students choose to study, Alaska has a unique appeal to students interested in fisheries science. Jessica Johnson, a senior in the fisheries program, moved from her home in Montana to study at UAF.

Johnson said that she was sorting through a pile of college brochures when a pamphlet from UAF grabbed her attention.

"I liked it that students were able to get out into the field," said Johnson.

Johnson has taken two internships while at UAF. She said that it’s critical for students to discover how they feel about getting "hands on" with fisheries science.

"Quite a few people go into the program and they don’t get into the field until their senior year and I think they say, ‘Ew, gross,’" Johnson said. "It made me more excited to apply the knowledge that I had from class."

Sutton said that he hopes that these innovative elements along with new facilities and better staffing will help UAF fisheries program become competitive with programs at large universities such as the University of Washington.

The Rasmuson fisheries expansion, he said, is ultimately about making Alaska a better place.

"We could be training administrators in seafood processing plants ... state senators on Capitol Hill exacting legislation that enhances fisheries," Sutton said. "People who are going to go out there and make a difference for fisheries in Alaska."

Victoria Barber can be reached at (907) 342-2424 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 424.