KINGSTON, R.I. – October 1, 2013 – The URI community has the rare opportunity to tour the Sea Education Association’s SSV Corwith Cramer, a 134’ sailing vessel, at the Graduate School of Oceanography dock on Friday, Oct. 4. Tours of the Corwith Cramer and information about the SEA Semester Program will be available during an “open ship” event from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The SEA Semester program is typically a semester-long program for undergraduates, but shorter programs are available. Headquartered in Woods Hole, Mass., students start out by taking intense courses, followed by a month-long working cruise aboard ship during which students learn to sail and carry out research projects in oceanography and environmental science. More than 35 URI undergraduates have completed SEA Semester academic programs since the signing of a URI/SEA cooperative agreement in 2005.

Each SEA Semester program takes an interdisciplinary approach, but focuses on a different aspect of marine science and marine studies: ocean exploration, documenting change in the Caribbean, oceans and climate, sustainability in Polynesian Island cultures and ecosystems, and energy and the ocean environment.

“The SEA Semester program is the premier oceanographic and sailing training program in the world, and it continues to provide our students with a unique, life-changing experience,” said Jackie Webb, URI’s academic liaison for the program and a professor of biological sciences.

Several current URI undergraduates, SEA faculty, admissions staff, and alumni will be on hand to describe their experiences during the event. Examples of student research projects will also be on display, and SEA faculty members will be available to discuss SEA’s six interdisciplinary programs for students in all majors. The next opportunity to see the ship at URI will be 2015.

For more information about this event, contact Webb at urimbio@etal.uri.edu. Those unable to attend can get additional information about SEA Semester by contacting SEA at admissions@sea.edu or visit http://www.sea.edu.

This press release was written by Caitlin Musselman, a URI Marketing and Communications intern and a public relations and political science major.