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Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Government / Government Faculty and Staff / Dr. Tiffany Smythe

Tiffany Smythe, Ph.D.

Government Maritime Policy, Strategy and Governance, Associate Professor Department of Humanities
TSmythe Dr. Tiffany Smythe is a maritime and marine environmental policy scientist with over 20 years of experience working on marine issues. She specializes in marine governance arrangements, ocean use conflicts, and emerging ocean uses and management challenges including offshore wind energy and climate change. Dr. Smythe maintains an active research agenda and has published 17 papers to date in peer-reviewed journals including Marine Policy, Ocean and Coastal Management, and Energy Research and Social Science. Dr. Smythe is also adjunct graduate faculty in Marine Affairs and a Senior Coastal Institute Fellow with the University of Rhode Island, a Fellow with Connecticut College’s Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment, and a Senior Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program. At the Academy, Dr. Smythe has developed numerous new maritime courses and capstone cadet research projects which have involved new partnerships with Coast Guard operational units and other maritime stakeholders. She has also spearheaded interdisciplinary efforts at CGA by leading a new interdepartmental faculty Environmental Working Group, coordinating a new interdisciplinary environmental seminar for cadets, and collaborating with Engineering and Cyber faculty in support of the annual Maritime Risk Symposium. Dr. Smythe has baccalaureate and master’s degrees from Columbia University and master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. Her previous academic appointments include research and teaching positions at the University of Rhode Island and Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Smythe worked as a marine policy professional for the government, private, and non-profit sectors, and was part of the team who led the planning and siting process for the Block Island Wind Farm, the United States’ first offshore wind facility. She also worked in sail training and marine education, earning a U.S. Coast Guard merchant mariner license and sailing the western North Atlantic, the Caribbean and the coast of South America aboard sail training ships.

Education

  • Ph.D. Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island
  • M.A. Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island
  • M.A. Education, Columbia University
  • B.A. History, Columbia University

Courses Taught

  • Maritime Governance
  • Environmental Policy and Ethics
  • Advanced Research Project: Marine Governance
  • Selected Topics in Maritime Studies: Politics of the Ocean
  • Selected Topics in Maritime Studies: The Politics of Coastal Resilience
  • Contemporary Issues in Environmental Stewardship
  • Public Policymaking
  • American Government

Selected Publications and Presentations

  • Smythe, T., D. Bidwell and J.G. Tyler. 2021. “Optimistic with reservations: The impacts of the United States’ first offshore wind farm on the recreational fishing experience.” Journal of Marine Policy [published online] 27, May 2021.
  • Tyler, J. G., D. Bidwell, T. Smythe and S. Trandafir. 2021. “Preferences for community benefits for offshore wind development projects: a case study of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, U.S.” Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning [published online] June 16 2021.
  • Smythe, T., D. Bidwell, A. Moore, H. Smith and J. McCann. 2020. “Beyond the Beach: Tradeoffs in Tourism and Recreation at the First Offshore Wind Farm in the United States.” Energy Research and Social Science Journal [published online] 70, December 2020.
  • Smythe, T., R. Thompson and C. Garcia-Quijano. 2019. “The Importance of Brokers in Collaborative Ecosystem-Based Management of Social-Ecological Systems.” Coastal Management 47:5, 473-491.
  • Smythe, T. and J. McCann. 2019. “Achieving integration in the practice of MSP: lessons from the U.S. experience.” Ocean and Coastal Management 167: 197-207. Invited submission to special edition, M. Gilek, H. Calado, K. Gee, S. Kidd and F. Saunders, guest editors.
  • Saunders, F., J. Gilek, J. Day, B. Hassler, J. McCann, and T. Smythe. 2019. “Examining the role of integration in marine spatial planning: Towards an analytical framework to understand challenges in diverse settings.” Ocean and Coastal Management 169: 1-9. Invited submission to special edition, M. Gilek, H. Calado, K. Gee, S. Kidd and F. Saunders, guest editors.
  • C. Gilbert, H. Smith, D. Bidwell, T. Smythe, A. Moore, J. McCann & E. Miller. 2019. “Gatekeeping and communities in energy transition: A study of the Block Island Wind Farm. Environmental Communication. Published online 24 Jan 2019.
  • Bowman, R. and T. Smythe. 2019. “Conceptualizing Maritime Governance: Addressing the challenges of the modern maritime environment. Proceedings of the Marine Safety and Security Council, the Coast Guard Journal of Safety at Sea. Fall 2019: 6-12.
  • Smythe, T., H. Smith, A. Moore, D. Bidwell, J. McCann, S. Poli and S. Matherson. 2019. Identifying Indicators of Offshore Wind Benefits. Prepared by the University of Rhode Island for the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. BOEM OCS Study, Contract No. M16PC00016.
  • Smythe, T. and J. McCann. 2018. “Lessons learned in marine governance: Case studies of marine spatial planning practice in the U.S.” Marine Policy 94: 227-237.
  • Washburn, E., T. Smythe, P. Wiley, C. Feurt and T. Ryan. 2018. “Applying ecosystem services to the practice of coastal management: An overview.” Introduction to special theme issue, “Applying Ecosystem Services to the Practice of Coastal Management: Understanding Values, guest editors T. Smythe and E. Washburn. Coastal Management 46: 4, 235-241.
  • Smith, H., T. Smythe, A. Moore, D. Bidwell and J. McCann. 2018. “The social dynamics of turbine tourism: Introducing a mixed-methods approach to the study of the first U.S. offshore wind farm.” Energy Research & Social Science 45: 307-317.
  • Smythe, T. and D. Bidwell. 2018. Identifying Indicators of Offshore Wind Benefits: Focus Groups. Prepared by the University of Rhode Island for the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. BOEM OCS Study, Contract No. M16PC00016.
  • Smythe, T. 2017. “Marine spatial planning as a tool for regional ocean governance? An analysis of the New England ocean planning network. Ocean and Coastal Management 135: 11-24.
  • Smythe, T. “The Impacts of Hurricane Sandy on the Port of New York and New Jersey: Lessons Learned for Port Recovery and Resilience.” Book chapter in Ng, A., Becker, A., Cahoon, S., Chen, S., Yang, Z. and Earl, P. Eds. 2015. Climate Change and Adaptation Planning for Ports. New York: Routledge.
  • Smythe, T. and R. Thompson. 2014. “Conceptualizing Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management: A Mental Models Approach.” Society and Natural Resources 0:1-19 (online).
  • Smythe, T., R. Thompson and C. Garcia-Quijano. 2014. “The Inner Workings of Collaboration in Marine Ecosystem-Based Management: A Social Network Analysis Approach.” Marine Policy 50: 117-125.
  • Sturgis, L., T. Smythe and A. Tucci. 2014. Port Recovery in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy: Improving Port Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change. Voices in the Field Report, Center for a New American Security. Available online at www.cnas.org.
  • Smythe, T. May 2013. “Assessing the Impacts of Hurricane Sandy on the Port of New York and New Jersey’s Maritime Responders and Response Infrastructure.” Quick Response Report No. 238, University of Colorado Natural Hazards Center. Available online at www.colorado.edu/hazards.
  • Smythe, T. March 2014. “With A Little Help From My Friends: How Social Capital Enhances MTS Recovery and Border Security.” Proceedings of the Marine Safety and Security Council, the Coast Guard Journal of Safety at Sea. Smythe, T. October 2013. “Marine Planning: Building Social Capital Through Collaboration.” Proceedings of the Marine Safety and Security Council, the Coast Guard Journal of Safety at Sea.
  • Smythe, T. 2010. “Can Coastal Management Programs Protect and Promote Water-Dependent Uses?” Coastal Management 38 (6): 665-680.
  • Anthony, A., T. Smythe, and 19 other authors. 2009. “Coastal Lagoons and Climate Change: Ecological and Social Ramifications in Temperate Ecosystems.” Ecology and Society 14 (1): 8.
  • Thompson, R., R. Burroughs, & T. Smythe. 2006. “Exploring the Connections Between Ferries and Urban Form: Some Considerations Before Jumping on Board.” Journal of Urban Technology 13:2, 25-52.

Honors

  • U.S. Coast Guard Academy Center for Advanced Studies Summer Fellowship, 2020
  • Fellow, Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment, Connecticut College, 2019-present
  • Senior Fellow, University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute, 2016-present
  • Senior Fellow, Environmental Leadership Program, 2012-present
  • National Science Foundation Coastal Institute IGERT Project Doctoral Fellowship, 2006-2008

Professional Memberships

  • International Association for Society and Natural Resources
  • The Coastal Society

Contact Information

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Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

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