I thought I had it rough when I tried explaining my student status last year when people would ask what year I was in school:
"Well, I already graduated but I'm switching fields to marine science (not just marine biology like everyone automatically assumes). I'm taking some undergrad and some grad courses with the long-term goal of applying for a masters either here in Miami or elsewhere."
That's about as short as I could possibly get it.
Now that I'm an employee, things are even harder. Whenever I give the bare bones answer of what I do at UM, it goes something like this:
"My job has two components. First I'm the general lab manager for all marine science undergraduate labs. Second, I'm the assistant diving safety officer."
I generally have to give more details about both positions. Explaining the lab manager portion of the position is not hard because the job is very straightforward. However, no one really understands the other part of my job. Part of the reason it's hard to convey is that I don't know all of the duties I will have but the other hurdle I have to overcome is that when I say it, it sounds like a petty position. Anything I say henceforth is out of excitement and to convey what my job is. I'm not trying to make myself sound better or brag about my position.
Based on facts I've pieced together and a little bit of research I've done on my own online, it's pretty clear that the University of Miami's scientific diving program is one of the most established, safe, and active programs in the country. Scientific diving differs drastically from recreational diving not only in the goals and purpose of the dives but also in the training and the style of diving that is done. All divers, regardless of experience, background, and position in the university are required to go through a rigorous semester-long course that honestly covers more diving theory and rescue skills than the PADI Divemaster course and extensively teaches different techniques for positioning, propulsion, buoyancy, and data collection.
As the assistant diving safety officer, I will be overseeing all diving operations that go through the University of Miami of which we had about 130 active science divers last year logging dives. I will be helping with the classroom sessions, pool training, and open water training dives for students going through the course. I will also be doing check-out dives for those who haven't been diving in a while, equipment maintenance and servicing, administrative paperwork, and even the chance to go out on field work both locally and internationally. The position provides full university job benefits as well as the unwritten ones like obtaining more diving experience and certifications and eventually being able to take and teach the graduate boating certification course alone. My excitement is pretty intense even though the job has not yet been signed off by human resources (remember my last post?). I have a lot to look forward to and I will be posting about it right here in this blog so please stay tuned for exciting news from the academic work force!
Included below is a video about GUE, a diving organization (PADI, NAUI, SSI, etc are examples of diving organizations) that commits itself to education, exploration, and conservation. It is the system in which our science dive training is based on and it is the most thorough system I've ever encountered. By the way, you can find my instructor and boss in the video sometime in the last third of the video. His name is Rick.
"Well, I already graduated but I'm switching fields to marine science (not just marine biology like everyone automatically assumes). I'm taking some undergrad and some grad courses with the long-term goal of applying for a masters either here in Miami or elsewhere."
That's about as short as I could possibly get it.
Now that I'm an employee, things are even harder. Whenever I give the bare bones answer of what I do at UM, it goes something like this:
"My job has two components. First I'm the general lab manager for all marine science undergraduate labs. Second, I'm the assistant diving safety officer."
I generally have to give more details about both positions. Explaining the lab manager portion of the position is not hard because the job is very straightforward. However, no one really understands the other part of my job. Part of the reason it's hard to convey is that I don't know all of the duties I will have but the other hurdle I have to overcome is that when I say it, it sounds like a petty position. Anything I say henceforth is out of excitement and to convey what my job is. I'm not trying to make myself sound better or brag about my position.
Based on facts I've pieced together and a little bit of research I've done on my own online, it's pretty clear that the University of Miami's scientific diving program is one of the most established, safe, and active programs in the country. Scientific diving differs drastically from recreational diving not only in the goals and purpose of the dives but also in the training and the style of diving that is done. All divers, regardless of experience, background, and position in the university are required to go through a rigorous semester-long course that honestly covers more diving theory and rescue skills than the PADI Divemaster course and extensively teaches different techniques for positioning, propulsion, buoyancy, and data collection.
As the assistant diving safety officer, I will be overseeing all diving operations that go through the University of Miami of which we had about 130 active science divers last year logging dives. I will be helping with the classroom sessions, pool training, and open water training dives for students going through the course. I will also be doing check-out dives for those who haven't been diving in a while, equipment maintenance and servicing, administrative paperwork, and even the chance to go out on field work both locally and internationally. The position provides full university job benefits as well as the unwritten ones like obtaining more diving experience and certifications and eventually being able to take and teach the graduate boating certification course alone. My excitement is pretty intense even though the job has not yet been signed off by human resources (remember my last post?). I have a lot to look forward to and I will be posting about it right here in this blog so please stay tuned for exciting news from the academic work force!
Included below is a video about GUE, a diving organization (PADI, NAUI, SSI, etc are examples of diving organizations) that commits itself to education, exploration, and conservation. It is the system in which our science dive training is based on and it is the most thorough system I've ever encountered. By the way, you can find my instructor and boss in the video sometime in the last third of the video. His name is Rick.
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