Harvard University News

Dozens of oil tankers used by Russia have stopped sailing under the Liberian and Marshall Islands flags in recent weeks after the United States ramped up sanctions enforcement on ships linked to those registries, according to shipping data and interviews with industry and government officials.The shift reflects the close relationship between the U.S. and the flag administration companies of Liberia and the Marshall Islands, which are headquartered not in their home countries, but in Virginia, just miles from Washington D.C. and within the jurisdiction of U.S.

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro on Tuesday called for a “new maritime statecraft” to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition.During remarks at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Secretary Del Toro stated that maritime statecraft, in a broad sense, encompasses not only naval diplomacy, but a national, whole-of-government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval.“Our new maritime statecraft should be bold…

U.S. federal Maritime Commission Chairman Daniel B. Maffei announced Phillip C. “Chris” Hughey has been hired as the General Counsel of the Federal Maritime Commission and appointed to be a member of the Senior Executive Service.In his capacity as General Counsel to the Commission, Hughey will provide legal advice and recommendations to the Chairman and Commissioners on regulatory and policy matters. He will serve as a member of the agency’s senior management team and will also…

The U.S. Senate confirmed on Tuesday evening President Biden’s nomination of NOAA Rear Admiral Nancy Hann to lead the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) and NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), one of the nation’s eight uniformed services.“From flying into hurricanes to crewing remote explorations to the deepest depths of the ocean, the NOAA Corps drives NOAA’s science forward,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “Rear Admiral Hann’s leadership…

Warming oceans are leading to an increase in the harmful neurotoxicant methylmercury in popular seafood, including cod, Atlantic bluefin tuna, and swordfish, according to a research.The scientists developed a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive model that simulates how environmental factors, including increasing ocean temperatures and overfishing, affect levels of methylmercury in fish.The Harvard University researchers found that, while the regulation of mercury emissions has successfully reduced methylmercury levels in fish, spiking temperatures are driving those levels back up and will play a major role in the methylmercury levels of marine life in the future.

Admiral Karl L. Schultz assumed the duties as the 26th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on June 1, 2018. He previously served from August 2016 to May 2018 as Commander, Atlantic Area where he was the operational commander for all Coast Guard missions spanning five Coast Guard Districts and 40 states. Previous operational assignments include Sector Commander in Miami, Florida, as well as command tours aboard Cutters VENTUROUS, ACACIA and FARALLON. His senior staff assignments include Chief of the Office of Congressional and Governmental Affairs; Congressional Liaison to the U.S.

Longtime business and civic leader Yui Hay Lee has joined the Port of Oakland’s Board of Port Commissioners. Lee was sworn in yesterday to a seat on the seven-member Board.Lee, President and CEO of Oakland-based YHLA Architects, was nominated by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and appointed by the City Council. He replaces eight-year Board veteran Alan Yee, whose latest term expired.“We’re delighted to welcome Yui Hay Lee to our Board,” said President Ces Butner. “He brings a strong business background, exceptional planning and development experience and a commitment to the community.”Lee founded his architectural firm in 1980. He served as a Commissioner on the Oakland/Alameda County Coliseum Authority from 2007-2018. Mr.

Ten new research institutes from Europe, North America and Australia have joined the Nereus Program research partnership, bringing the total to 17. Launched in September 2011, the program is an international collaboration between The Nippon Foundation and the University of British Columbia with the aim to make comprehensive forecasts of the ocean’s future, the program has grown into one of the world’s largest research initiatives in its field. Principle investigators from eight…

Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman, President and CEO of ABS, was recognized for his distinguished career of excellence, innovation and service to the maritime industries by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) as this year’s recipient of the Maritime Person of the Year Award on September 21, 2017 in New York City. The honoree is presented with the Captain Emery Rice Medal and awarded annually to a civilian or military leader from around the globe. Named for an 1895 MMA graduate and World War I hero…

Within the U.S. inland waterways industry, any mention of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will almost certainly be in reference to the “Infrastructure Report Card” that ASCE prepares and issues every four years, describing the condition and performance of America’s infrastructure in 16 categories: aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, hazardous waste, inland waterways, levees, ports, public parks, rail, roads, schools, solid waste, transit and waste water.

Rear Admiral Paul Thomas develops and maintains policy, standards and program alignment for waterways management, navigation safety, boating, commercial vessels, ports and facilities, merchant mariner credentialing, vessel documentation, marine casualty investigation, inspection and port state control activities. He serves as the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy overseeing three Coast Guard directorates: Inspections and Compliance, Marine Transportation Systems, and Commercial Regulations and Standards. A specialist in Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection, he has served at the Marine Safety Center in Washington, DC and many others before that. His other tours include, among others, service as Commanding Officer of USCGC CAPE ROMAIN.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that Adm. Kirkland H. Donald, U.S. Navy (Ret.), has been elected to its Board of Directors, effective Jan. 1, 2017. Donald retired from the U.S. Navy in 2013 after 37 years of service. In his last assignment as the director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion, he was responsible for the safe and effective operation of the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program, which today includes all submarines and aircraft carriers. After retiring from the Navy, Donald joined Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc.

Industry analyst and environmental consultant Dagmar Schmidt Etkin, PhD, takes a hard look at a rapidly shifting operational landscape in the Arctic. Always an honest broker of information, Etkin tells it like it is. Oil spill risk is present anywhere that oil is present in reservoirs, or is transported, consumed, stored, and handled in some way. The Arctic is no exception. Not only are there oil reserves in the Arctic, some of which are being or will soon be considered for exploration and production, there is also oil being transported as cargo or as fuel to Arctic communities.

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus announced today that the next ship of the next generation of fleet replenishment oilers will be named USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208). A ceremony marking the announcement was held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston. T-AO 208 is part of the John Lewis-class of ships named in honor of U.S. civil and human rights heroes. "This class of ships would be incomplete absent the name Robert F. Kennedy," said Mabus. "He was a Navy man, a U.S. Robert F. Kennedy, a U.S. Navy veteran, served as the U.S. attorney general from 1961 to 1964 and as a U.S. senator from New York from 1965 to 1968. A graduate of Harvard University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Kennedy was appointed attorney general after his brother John F.

The Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) announced the hire of Carl Kemp as a Vice President based in the organization’s Long Beach office. Kemp brings more than 20 years of experience in government and public affairs. Most recently, he served as Senior Advisor for Legislative and Public Affairs at the Federal Maritime Commission, where he reported directly to Chairman Mario Cordero. Previously, he had his own government affairs practice and PMSA was among his clients.

Foss Maritime announced that Lam Q. Nguyen-Bull has joined the company as the Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer. Based in Seattle, Nguyen-Bull will lead Foss's Legal and Risk Management Group, where in addition to providing counsel on legal issues and business strategies and practices, she will head up the company's ethics and compliance programs and work to safeguard the values and reputation of Foss. Nguyen-Bull came to Foss from parent company Saltchuk, where she served as Associate General Counsel and Compliance Officer.

Rear Admiral Paul Thomas is the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy overseeing three Coast Guard directorates: Inspections and Compliance, Marine Transportation Systems, and Commercial Regulations and Standards. The programs include waterways management, navigation and boating safety, ports and facilities, merchant mariner credentialing, vessel documentation, marine casualty investigation, commercial vessel inspections, and port state control. A longtime specialist in Marine Safety…

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, recognized the Port of Houston Partners in Maritime Education as part of the 2015 Bright Ideas program. This year's cohort includes 124 programs from all levels of government--school districts; county, city, state, and federal agencies; as well as public-private partnerships--that are at the forefront in innovative government action. Since 2009, the Port of Houston Authority has been tackling the growing need for skilled maritime workers by organizing maritime academies at four area school districts at the high school level to introduce youth to maritime transportation systems and career pathways as mariners, and in shipbuilding and repair, and port operations.

It's a career-defining moment for 36 college and university faculty April 30, as the Department of the Navy announces the recipients of its 2015 Young Investigator Program, one of the oldest and most selective scientific research advancement programs in the country. Collectively, awardees will receive $18.8 million in grants to fund research across a range of naval-relevant science and technology areas. This is a banner year for the program, administered by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), which increased funding by 50 percent over last year. "These recipients demonstrate the type of visionary, multidisciplinary thought that helps the U.S. Navy anticipate and adapt to a dynamic battlespace," said Dr. Larry Schuette, ONR's director of research.

Capt. Howard Goldman relieved Capt. Todd Cramer as commander of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport during a change of command ceremony on Friday, Nov. 14. A naval submariner originally from Baltimore, Md., Goldman is a 1987 graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas, with a bachelor of science degreein mechanical engineering and a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval War College with a master’s degree in International Security and Strategic Studies. He also…

Stephen D. Pryor, president, ExxonMobil Chemical Company and vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation, has elected to retire on January 1, 2015, after more than 44 years of service. It is anticipated that the board of directors of Exxon Mobil Corporation will appoint Neil A. Chapman as president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company and elect him a vice president of the corporation, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Chapman is currently senior vice president, Polymers, ExxonMobil Chemical Company. Pryor, 64, joined Mobil Corporation in 1971 and has held a number of financial and managerial positions in the United States, Cyprus, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. In 1993, he was appointed vice president, Mobil Chemical Company and general manager, Plastics Division.

The rapidly changing landscape of crude oil exploration and drilling in the US and Canada, together with economic considerations, logistical issues related to pipeline transport, and the availability of new types of crude oils, including Bakken crude and various forms of bitumen, have resulted in a very sudden and dramatic increase in the transport of crude oil by railroad. “Unit trains” containing 100 or more tank cars are transporting crude oil through regions that have not previously experienced this type of rail transport, and there are significant concerns about safety.

Sea level rise in the past two decades has accelerated faster than previously thought in a sign of climate change threatening coasts from Florida to Bangladesh, a study said on Wednesday. The report, reassessing records from more than 600 tidal gauges, found that readings from 1901-90 had over-estimated the rise in sea levels. Based on revised figures for those years, the acceleration since then was greater than so far assumed. The report said the earlier readings were incomplete or skewed by local factors such as subsidence. The new analysis "suggests that the acceleration in the past two decades is 25 percent higher than previously thought," Carling Hay, a Canadian scientist at Harvard University and lead author of the study in the journal Nature, told Reuters.