OCN Graduate Application Mentorship Program

Mission Statement:

Our goal is to provide free support to prospective graduate students interested in applying to UH Mānoa’s Oceanography graduate program in order to demystify the graduate application process. This is a voluntary service offered by current graduate students for prospective graduate students, completely independent of the admissions committee.

Our mentors can provide helpful advice on topics such as how to navigate the overall graduate application process, how to contact a faculty member, how to prepare application materials (personal statements, letters of recommendation, etc.), and more.

Anyone thinking of applying to the Department of Oceanography graduate program can apply for a mentor by clicking the SIGN UP button below. We encourage everyone interested in applying to the program to apply for a mentor! Please be aware that mentors are assigned on a first come first served basis, thus we encourage students to apply for a mentor well in advance of application deadlines. The Fall application submission deadline to the OCN graduate program is December 15th and the Spring application submission deadline is September 1st. If you’re looking for more general information about the graduate application process or how to apply to UHM’s OCN graduate program, we encourage you to view the recordings from previous workshops we have hosted and check out our FAQ page!

Click here to sign up for a mentor!

Please send a quick follow up email to ocnmentr@hawaii.edu once you have filled out the Google Form.

meet our mentors!

Charles is a 2nd year PhD student in Marine Geology and Geochemistry. He studies ocean carbon and oxygen air-sea flux variability in space and time using Argo floats and shipboard observations. Before coming to UHM, Charles was in China where he earned his MSc in Marine Chemistry and in Nigeria where he got his B.Tech in Marine Science and Tech. He enjoys swimming, cooking and playing soccer.

Victoria is a 4th year PhD candidate studying deep-sea ecology, specifically in the context of pelagic impacts of deep-sea mining. She attended California State University, Monterey Bay for undergrad where she earned her B.S. in Marine Science and a B.A. in Social and Behavioral Sciences – Archaeology. When she’s not working she loves to read and hammock near the beach!

Carla is a 2nd year Master’s student en route to her PhD. She is interested in sea-level rise and its impacts on coastal communities. She studied Natural Sciences at the University College London and traveled around Europe for 6 months prior to starting graduate school. In her free time, she loves to hike, go to the beach, and hang out with friends.

Harold is a 3rd year PhD student studying how deep-sea corals and sponges create habitat for fish and other mobile animals. In undergrad, he studied biology and earth science at the University of Southern California. Outside the ocean and school, he loves riding his bike and exploring art and music in the city.

Mica is a 2nd year PhD student studying biogeochemistry in tide pools in Hawaiʻi. She got her B.S. in Biology from Stanford University and then worked as a research technician for two years at Hopkins Marine Station, studying both the role of fishes on coral recruitment and the long-term dynamics of mussel beds in Monterey, CA. During her free time, she enjoys snorkeling, hiking, and playing board games.

Kyle is a 2nd year PhD student interested in paleoenvironmental proxies and environmental effects of climate change on calcifying organisms like corals and shellfish. He got his B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of California, San Diego and his M.S. in Chemical Oceanography from UH. In his spare time, he enjoys playing and watching soccer and volleyball, bouldering, hiking, and scuba diving.

Hi! I’m Dianne, a 6th year PhD student in Biological Oceanography. I’m originally from the Philippines, and I moved to Hawai’i in 2020 after starting my PhD at the University of South Carolina. I’ve been a research assistant in various marine science fields since 2009, having worked on remote sensing, modeling, and field oceanography projects on upwelling regions, coral reefs and other coastal habitats. When I’m not working on my research, I’m actively involved in labor and social justice organizing efforts on campus and the larger Filipino community here in Honolulu.

Kalena is a 2nd-year graduate student studying marine trace elements and biogeochemical fluxes at UH. She earned her B.S. in Geochemistry in Chicago, where she did research focused on mineralogy and carbonate geochemistry. As a first generation student, she’s excited to support incoming students as they navigate graduate school. Outside of the lab, she enjoys rock climbing, surfing, and making jewelry.

Jacob is a 5th year PhD student studying sea surface temperature variability and how it will change under greenhouse warming. He got his BS in Physics with a minor in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary, and worked for two years as a researcher studying the atmospheric dynamics of gas giant planets at Hampton University. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, swimming, playing the saxophone, and writing naval history.

Raffi is a 2nd-year PhD student in Marine Geology and Geochemistry. His current study focuses on the persistence (accretion and bioerosion) of coral reefs impacted by acidification and eutrophication. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry and M.S. in Marine Science from the University of the Philippines. Outside of work, he enjoys diving, climbing, cooking, and going to thrift shops!

I am a 4th year PhD student with a masters from the University of Hawai’i in Biological Oceanography. I study the biological carbon pump through the use of optical imaging and machine learning. I use these tools to study how phytoplankton and zooplankton contribute to the export of carbon in the form of marine snow, and the distributions of plankton diversity in the north pacific. Before graduate school I did my undergraduate degree at University of California San Diego in biochemistry, and participated in research on sea spray aerosols and their biogenic components. During my free time I enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons, dabbling in some graphic design, and birding.

Amanda is a 3rd year PhD student working with marine viruses and mixotrophic phytoplankton. Before coming to UH, she worked as a research technician in vaccine research (virology) in Pittsburgh, PA. Outside of school she enjoys rock climbing, free diving, baking, and going to the movies.

Zack is a 4th year PhD student focusing on ocean biogeochemistry, ocean observing systems, and data quality control where he is currently working on identifying, quantifying, and correcting biases in biogeochemical Argo floats. Before starting graduate school, he received a BS in Oceanography from the University of Washington with minors in applied mathematics, data science, and Arctic studies. In his spare time, he enjoys playing board games, hiking, cooking, and fiddling with electronics.

Cameron is a second-year master’s student studying carbonate chemistry and thermodynamics in nonstandard seawater. He is interested in the intersection between ocean science, engineering, and climate change solutions. Before coming to UH, he studied Ocean Sciences at Dalhousie University in Canada. When he isn’t in the lab, you can find him outside skateboarding, rock climbing, scuba diving, hiking, or reading a good book.

Vera is a first year PhD student in Physical Oceanography working on decadal climate variability in the tropical Pacific. Before moving to Hawai`i, she did her undergraduate and Master’s degree in Climate Physics at Kiel University/GEOMAR in Germany. In her free time, Vera enjoys being outdoors, surfing, playing the piano, and playing card games.