Commander Lisa Thompson earned a B.S. (with honors) in Marine and Environmental Science from the Coast Guard Academy in 2008. Her first assignment after graduation was as a Deck Watch Officer on USCGC WILLOW (WLB-202) in Newport, Rhode Island. CDR Thompson then transferred to District Five Waterways Management and later to the National Aids to Navigation School, where she served as the Operations Section Chief and Instructor. She served temporarily on USCGC SEQUOIA (WLB-215) in Apra Harbor, Guam as the Operations Officer. She then served as Executive Officer of USCGA ASPEN (WLB 208) in San Francisco, California. Her last operation tour before the Academy was as Commanding Officer for USCGC JAMES RANKIN (WLM-555) in Baltimore Maryland. CDR Thompson is a permanent cutterman and member of the Prevention Afloat community. CDR Thompson earned her M.S. in Physical Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island in 2019. CDR Thompson’s research at the University of Rhode Island ice formation in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. CDR Thompson was selected for Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff in 2021. She is currently at Oregon State University, pursing a phD in Environmental Science.

Education

• M.S. Physical Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, 2019
• M.A. Transportation and Logistics Management, American Military University, 2017
• B.S. Marine and Environmental Science, United States Coast Guard Academy, 2008

Courses Taught

• Atmospheric and Marine Science
• Oceans I: Air and Sea
• Geospatial Science 1
• Chemistry 1
• Chemistry 2
• Science Ethics Seminar
• Environmental Policy and Law
• Capstone 1, 2, and 3

Selected Publications and Presentations:

• Ackley, S.F., Stammerjohn, S., Maksym, T. Smith, M., Cassano, J., Guest, P. Tison, J-L., Delille, B. Loose, B., Sedwick, P. DePace, L., Roach, L., Parno, J. (2020). Sea-ice production and air/ice/ocean/biogeochemistry interactions in the Ross Sea during the PIPERS 2017 autumn field campaign. Annals of Glaciology, 61(82), 181-195.* Published as DePace, L.
• Thompson, L., Smith, M., Thomson, J., Stammerjohn, S., Ackley, S., & Loose, B. (2020). Frazil ice growth and production during katabatic wind events in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. The Cryosphere, 14(10), 3329-3347.
• Poster Presentation- Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2025.
• Poster Presentation- POLAR 2018 Conference. (POLAR2018 is a joint event from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research SCAR and the International Arctic Science Committee IASC)
• Poster Presentation- International Glaciological Society Sea Ice Symposium 2019