Miksis-Olds tests her marine smarts against HS students

Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Portrait of marine researcher Jennifer Miksis-Olds with ocean in background

Marine acoustician Jennifer Miksis-Olds leads UNH’s Center for Acoustics Research and Education, heads up a multi-million dollar acoustic observatory initiative and received the nation’s highest honor for early-career scientists and engineers — directly from President Obama.

But on Monday, June 8, 2020, World Oceans Day, Miksis-Olds faces some of the fiercest competition of her storied career: five teenagers from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis who won the 2020 National Ocean Sciences Bowl. Miksis-Olds and four other leading marine researchers — the “Sages of the Sea” team — will square off against the high school champions in the Battle of the Ages, a quiz bowl-style competition.

“I’m excited to be part of an event that will virtually celebrate our oceans on World Oceans Day when global conditions prevent in-person participation,” says Miksis-Olds. “These high school champions are amazing teenagers, and I have a premonition that the friendly competition will be a humbling experience for the Sages of the Sea.”

In February, UNH and NH Sea Grant hosted 18 teams of high school students for the National Ocean Sciences Bowl regional 2020 Nor'easter Bowl. Students from 11 schools in New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island competed in the quiz bowl competition; Narragansett High School from Rhode Island won and competed in the National Ocean Science Bowl.

Anyone can register to be in the audience of this free virtual event; it will be livestreamed and archived on YouTube and Facebook.

 

Photographer: 
Jeremy Gasowski | UNH Marketing | jeremy.gasowski@unh.edu | 603-862-4465