1,000th Oceanography degree to be awarded
May 2, 2016
On Friday May 13th, the Department of Oceanography will hand out its 1,000th degree.
“1,000 degrees is a beautiful milestone and yet the worldwide legacy of our program is so much bigger than the sum of those degrees. One thousand TAMU Oceanographers have applied their degrees toward improving our understanding of the oceans past, present, and future (actually 1,003 now!). Far more inspiring is how TAMU Oceanography alumni have ‘paid forward’ the impact of their TAMU experience by inspiring and mentoring innumerable others in the ocean sciences and beyond”, says Oceanography Department Head Dr. Debbie Thomas.
The 1,000th degree will be awarded to Dr. Zhao Jing (Ph.D), the inaugural winner of the Chapman Award for Graduate Research.
During the 4-years of Dr. Jing’s graduate tenure (2012-2016), he has published 8 papers, including 2 in Nature’s Scientific Reports. Dr. Jing has 2 other papers currently under review, including one submitted to Nature, in addition to a number of others that are in preparation for publication.
“As degree recipient number 1,000, we are absolutely thrilled to celebrate Dr. Zhao Jing’s accomplishments and all of his exceptional potential as an emerging leader in physical oceanography. Dr. Jing truly exemplifies the global impact of a TAMU Oceanography degree. His research initiative, originality and creativity are truly impressive, and he is a genuinely wonderful member of our team”, notes Dr. Thomas.
Beginning with four professors, the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M became the first university department of oceanography in the country when it was established in 1949.
