Dave, UR - Airborne, All The Way.

Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Div. Assoc. after a toy collection

 Last post, I said I would finish my story to now, so as loathsome as it is to write about myself, I still keep the promises I make.

Among the Paratrooper Community, there is a popular phrase that gets learned in the first week of Airborne School, and makes sense after the first dynamic aircraft exit: All The Way. It describes a personality type that is unique to Paratroopers, and remains an ethos for the Airborne throughout their entire lives.  If something is worth doing, it is worth doing 110% of it.  It is this heightened state of motivation that drives Paratroopers towards their defined goals, and pushes them to complete their objectives, regardless of setbacks or obstacles.

Once I had determined that I would be going to college, I decided it would be prudent to set a direction, and make it the career that I spend the rest of my life fulfilling. I've already been many things, some of them much more intense than others, but college presented the opportunity to reach towards careers that I had only previously considered as dreams.  Now, it's an understatement to say "Not everyone gets to be an astronaut," so I'm keeping that on the back burner. NASA, you have my number, when you're ready.

Ocracoke Island, NC. Home, and an example of coastal symbiosis.

I instead chose Marine Biology, and more specifically a Ph.D. in Marine Mammology. "All The Way," right?  For me, the choice was simple. I grew up on Ocracoke Island, NC, home to a permanent population of roughly 750 people. It's got a quiet village that only occupies the southwest corner around the natural harbor. The rest of the island is unscathed ecosystem, making it a popular site for marine researchers. I'm certain the great local food, and laid-back lifestyle never hurts their feelings either.  This means however, that I grew up exploring the wetlands, and diving from boats, while other kids were playing SEGA. I grew up with heroes like Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Robert Ballard, who were setting the standards in oceanic exploration.  I even wrote to Dr. Ballard when I was 10, and he replied with a personal letter on Wood's Hole letterhead, and an autographed photo.  Now he's a Professor in the Department of Ocean Engineering at the University of Rhode Island, and helps run the Inner Space Center.  I intend to write him again in the next year or two, to let him know what happens when you take the time to inspire a 10-year-old kid.

That brings us to now.  Last semester, I joined the STEM Community Scholars Program at Daytona State, and had Dr. Woodall assigned as my STEM Mentor. I was looking for a direction in which to start research, and I had already shared my nutty ideas for a Ph.D. thesis, so she asked me, "Why not get started now?"

I WANT TO TALK TO DOLPHINS.

Not just communicate, but actually have a meaningful conversation.  Below is my presentation poster from last semester, where I covered what is actually known on the topic.  Fortunately, Dr. Denise Herzing, of the Department of Biological Sciences at Florda Atlantic University, had the same idea about 30 years ago, and has laid a great foundation of research, with a ton of footage collected from a wild population in the Bahamas.  Through her research, I recognized a technologically-induced capability ceiling that is preventing her from making any major breakthroughs in her analysis.  She currently employs an underwater video camera with two hydrophones as her primary collection device.  She has countless hours of dolphin interaction, and through partnership with Georgia Tech, has been organizing all of that footage via super-computing. The problem is, she is still having trouble isolating what sounds are coming from specific dolphins, so it is difficult to discern the subtleties of a conversation.  It is for this reason, that I will not be showing you any nifty pictures of dolphins this semester. I am instead enlisting the help of Brent Meister (CUR, IMES at Daytona State College), and my dear friend Matthew Rhoney (B.S. Aerospace Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology Graduate Student) to help me develop a new style of array-driven collection equipment, that will allow researchers to monitor specific marine organisms, without invading their social environment.

If I tell you more, I will have nothing to write about next time. I talk too much as it is.
~Dave

Research Presentation from the STEM Community Scholars Program Undergraduate Symposium, Fall, 2015.