Semester by the Bay

03/27/2026

Sara Wilhelm will defend her Master’s thesis
"Comparison of Two Critical Habitat Areas of Endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Southcentral Alaska"
this Friday, March 27, at 12 pm (Homer, Alaska time). via Zoom
https://alaska.zoom.us/j/9072352020

Wilhelm first came to UAA/Kenai Peninsula College - Kachemak Bay Campus in 2020 as part of Dr. Debbie Tobin’s Semester by the Bay (SBB) program. Sara returned to Homer in 2023 and worked as the lab assistant/lab tech for Exploration Ecology field trips, etc. Volunteering with Alaska SeaLife Center marine mammal strandings and Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services necropsies. Wilehlm will be the first KPC-based Biology graduate student. She is working with Dr. Tobin and Dr. Doug Causey (out of the UA Anchorage campus) on eDNA sampling and analysis of critically endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales.

10/15/2025

One my current grad students and former Semester by the Bay students🤩🐋
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17FJgGCbuv/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/24/2025

Excellent opportunity for prospective graduate students!

University of Chicago STEM PhD Recruitment Webinar will help you craft a narrative that highlights your academic rigor and potential to thrive in graduate school.

Date: Thursday, October 9th | 4:30-6:30 PM (CST)
Location: Zoom - Registration Link
Learn about your host, the Graduate Recruitment Initiative Team (GRIT)
Please reach out to PhD student host, Jocelyn Hsu ([email protected]) with any questions

09/16/2025

08/30/2025

SBB students Mallory and Claire got in an early adventure with Geology of Kachemak Bay by Kayak just before the semester started! Kachemak Bay Campus is offering a Rockhounding field trip on September 6 if you are interested. https://continuingstudies.alaska.edu/Registration.aspx?AffiliateID=ZV5677

08/30/2025

SBB Fall 2025 is in the HOUSE!!

08/18/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CkmsPGxKP/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/02/2025

They did it! 🐋

After a full semester of independent research projects, intertidal zone surveys, animal behavior observations, and internship studies, the 10 students of Semester by the Bay’s Spring 2025 cohort have graduated with their Occupational Endorsement Certificate in Conservation Ecology. 🦦

Congratulations to everyone, kudos to their hard work, and thank you to all staff, faculty, and coordinating organizations for their assistance and mentorship. Best of luck in all of your future endeavors, students! You’re going to do incredible things for the planet. 🌎

03/20/2025

It’s time for another Student Spotlight! 💫

Today we’re spotlighting Olivia, who is from High Point, North Carolina and attending Appalachian State University where she majors in Ecological, Evolutionary, and Environmental Biology with a minor in Studio Art.

Olivia first heard about SBB from an emailed flyer and she jumped on the opportunity to meet her remaining graduation requirements and pursue her interests in conservation in Alaska.

Olivia shared that her favorite memory of SBB coursework so far was going out on a boat on Kachemak Bay for the first time to do a harbor porpoise monitoring session. Outside of class, she loved going camping during spring break at Skilak Lake. She says, “The views were incredible and those of us that went just had a ton of fun sitting around the bonfire under the almost full moon.”

After graduation, Olivia wants to work in a state or federal park service or a conservation organization. She aims to work in ecology or environmental studies where she can be proud about the work she does.

When asked how SBB is helping her reach her goals, Olivia says, “I have and continue to gain exceptional scientific knowledge and skills in field and lab research that are propelling me to excel in any future career. I have always loved learning new things, so I am ecstatic that I learn something new every day!”

What is Olivia’s favorite animal? The monarch butterfly! She hopes to one day experience their migration.

She gives a shoutout to her Pop for sharing his love of the outdoors with her and pushing Olivia to do anything she sets her mind to. Also a shoutout to the amazing SBB cohort members that became her close friends very quickly!

Keep up the amazing work, Olivia! 💫

03/08/2025

It’s the first Student Spotlight of the Spring 2025 semester and today we’re spotlighting Amiah! 💫

Amiah is from Hillsboro, Oregon, but attends the University of Alaska Anchorage where she studies Environmental Science with minors in Cultural and Natural Resource Management and Professional Writing.

She had originally heard about Semester by the Bay in 6th grade from her science teacher at City View Charter School. She hopes to one day work in natural resource management so she aims to prepare and educate herself on the Pacific Northwest’s ecosysystems. Through SBB, she now interns with NOAA and learns under biological science professors who work in Pacific Northwest ecosystems. She states, “Myself and nine other students from all over America are becoming the next stewards of public lands and ecological priorities. Thank you SBB!”

When asked about her favorite aspect of SBB outside of class, she shared that the Spring 2025 cohort hosts a dinner party every weekend where they share food, do yoga, play games, watch movies, talk about home, and of course debate bird identification. She says, “It’s great to have such an amazing group of people all invested in ecological sciences like I am, and go tidepooling to games in our free time.”

After SBB, Amiah aims to get a Master’s degree in Aquatic Sciences and then work in natural resource management.

Amiah shared that her favorite animal is her pet cat, Taiga, named after the taiga forests of Alaska.

Way to go, Amiah! 💫

02/26/2025

Job Roundup! ‼️

Semester by the Bay not only offers hands-on experience in marine mammal and ecology upper-level courses, internships, and research projects, but also networking with other agencies.

We’ve rounded up some recent job postings from our networks across the country. To apply, visit the associated link with the job posting you are interested in. We are not affilated with the job posting itself, just spreading the word. For more information, contact the hiring agency directly.