Hatfield Marine Science Center

Advantages of the Oregon Coast as your learning lab

Spending the summer in beautiful Newport, Ore., on the shores of the Pacific Ocean is a great way to start off summer term. At OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) students have the ability to gain knowledge from specialists in a variety of fields and have many hands-on opportunities to work with marine life in their natural habitats as well as in lab settings.

HMSC's Academic Program Coordinator and Head Instructor, Itchung Cheung, recently took some time to give an in-depth detailed look at this special, one-of-a-kind learning opportunity.

Who can take courses this summer at the coast?

You! Anyone interested in our diverse summer course offerings in Marine and Environmental Studies can participate, whether they want to take a single course or a set of courses in our program.

This summer BI/FW302 Biology and Conservation of Marine Mammals is offered in conjunction with  FW499 Ecology of Marine and Estuarine Birds. The Laboratory: Field Techniques for Marine Mammal Conservation is a great way to complement our marine mammals course.

For students, educators and professionals we have a "hybrid" course. This course combines online instruction and a (weekend) lab/field focus here at HMSC. It's the best of both worlds for individuals with restricted time schedules. BI150 Introduction to Marine Biology is a great course for educators, lower division undergraduates, community college students and individuals with an interest in marine biology.

We've had part-time and full-time students from community colleges, undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, industry professionals, marine resource managers and life-long learners from all over the world come to Newport to take HMSC courses. Plus everyone pays in-state tuition rates during OSU Summer Session. Bonus!!!

What do you see as the advantages of taking courses at HMSC this summer?

HMSC is a world-class research and teaching facility and the summer is an ideal time to take advantage of field experiences and to learn from top researchers while living on the Oregon Coast. HMSC is located in Newport, Ore., on the scenic Yaquina Bay and allows us to offer courses outside of the classroom. Students enjoy the hands-on learning experiences in small class size settings. Our instructors love their research fields and love to teach. Students can pick and choose from several course options and delivery styles to best fit their interests, educational needs and lifesytle.

What do you think is the most unique course being offered in the summer at HMSC?

All of them! Both the FW499 Ecology of Marine and Estuarine Birds and our very popular BI/FW302 Biology and Conservation Marine Mammals course provide amazing hands-on experiences in the field and in lab, especially now that students can spend an entire four weeks learning about both. We developed a 3-day weekend FW499 Laboratory: Field Techniques for Marine Mammal conservation to serve students interested in furthering their knowledge of marine mammal research. This 1-credit laboratory is a wonderful capstone to the BI/FW302 Biology and Conservation Marine Mammals course. In all three of these courses, students participate in activities like rearticulating a bird skeleton to class necropsies of cetaceans and pinnipeds. What an amazing hands-on experience!

A very different and unique summer course at HMSC is the online "hybrid" course BI150 Introduction to Marine Biology. This course will combine the theoretical classroom content in an online format and the hands-on experience in a weekend immersion field course on the coast at HMSC. This format will give students and professionals more flexibility and access to our courses and an intense lab and field experience at HMSC. Very exciting!

What is your favorite part about OSU Summer Session at HMSC?

It would definitely be the accessibility of the marine environment for learning. Our classes take full advantage of the natural learning environments. Students have the opportunity to live at the Marine Science Center and spend the bulk of their time in the field at a rocky shore, muddy estuary, tranquil bay or sandy shore studying marine life in its natural habitat. Also, students will get to utilize the newly-renovated education wing full of wet labs with running sea water and tanks with living animals. We have a pretty amazing facility located right on the bay.

What would you tell a student who was interested in OSU Summer Session at HMSC?

There is nothing, absolutely nothing like being immersed in the hustle and bustle of a marine lab during the summer. HMSC is a wonderfully interactive community of students, educators and researchers and you can’t help but be a part of it all. In addition to OSU courses, there is a nexus of marine research occurring here with multiple state and federal agencies collocated at the center. Undergraduate and Postbac students often find research opportunities as a result of taking a course here. Take a look at the HMSC website and be a part of our community. We have on-site housing and some housing scholarships may be available.

Summer Session at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Visit the HMSC summer website for a complete list of summer 2013 courses, detailed course descriptions, housing and scholarship information.