Hello! I'm Sean Thatcher, a Lecturer in the Engineering and Environmental Science Department and the Earth and Ocean Science Program Coordinator at CUNY College of Staten Island. Along with my work at the university, I am also very involved with The International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD), which works to improve access to geosciences for those with disabilities. This is an organization that means a lot to me as a person with quadriplegia due to a spinal cord injury at the age of 18 that has been advocating for the inclusion of people like me who do not fit the typical mold of professionals in our field. I am also working as a Collaborator on the NSF Funded GeoSPACE Field Program, which has created a hybridized field volcanology and planetary science field program investigating the San Francisco Volcanic Field, and a Consultant for the Mars Exploration Rovers Portal to Observations, Resources, and Tools to Advance Legacy Science (MER PORTAL).
Education
MSc Geography – Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 2020
Advisor: Dr. Rick G. Lathrop
Thesis: Horseshoe Crab Spawning Behavior in the Delaware Bay – A Potential Response to Sea Surface Temperature
Fellowship: National Science Foundation Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience
B.S. Biology – CUNY College of Staten Island, 2017
Advisor: Dr. Jane Alexander
The Verrazano School – a selective honors program
Thesis: Coastal Stability of the Eastern and Southern Coastlines on Staten Island, NY
Fellowships: CUNY Summer Undergraduate Research Program
CUNY Pipeline Program
Educational and Professional Journey
I began my academic journey in 2008 at SUNY Oneonta. Still, due to a surprising life-altering accident that resulted in me becoming a quadriplegic in 2009, I took a hiatus from my academic pursuits and focused on my recovery. With the encouragement of my friends and family, I returned to my educational journey at CUNY College of Staten Island in 2011, receiving a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Geology in 2017.
As an undergraduate, I was fortunate to join the Verrazzano School Honors Program, was named a Barry Goldwater Scholar in 2015, was a fellow in the CUNY Pipeline Program from 2015-2016, and a participant in the CUNY Summer Undergraduate Research Program in 2016. My injury, support system, and time at CUNY CSI significantly contributed to my academic accomplishments. They prepared me well for my educational journey at The State University of New Jersey at Rutgers, pursuing an MS in Geography, a certificate in Geospatial Information Science, and a fellowship in Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience. I loved my time there and Graduated in 2020 after defending my MS Thesis on Horseshoe Crab Spawning Behavior - A Potential Response to Sea Surface Temperature in Delaware Bay.
After graduating, I worked as a GIS Consultant for private industry and academic institutions to organize information for business efficiency and environmental change in New Jersey. Around this time, I also began to work more commonly as an Adjunct Instructor at Rutgers University and the City University of New York College of Staten Island, teaching courses related to weather and climate, remote sensing, physical geology, and additional lab courses. In the fall semester of 2022, I officially joined the Engineering and Environmental Science Department as a full-time lecturer and the Earth and Ocean Science Program Coordinator. In this role, I advise students on courses for future semesters, develop new courses to enhance the undergraduate curriculum, work on schedules for academic semesters, assist students in applying for internships, organize events for the educational and professional development of undergraduate students, and work closely with different departments on campus for the betterment of our students and furthering departmental initiatives.