Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Marine and Environmental Sciences / MES Featured Graduate: Matt Naylor

Jody Maisano

Class of 2004 Major: Marine and Environmental Sciences Current Assignment: USCGC EAGLE

On the major’s impact to your Academy experience

My academic advisor got me involved with a research project during my junior and senior years in which a small team of us designed a detailed experiment to analyze corrosion rates on sunken vessels in support of a National Parks Service (NPS) initiative to study the rate of hull deterioration on the wreck of the USS ARIZONA in Pearl Harbor, HI. The project involved many scuba diving excursions across New England and Hawaii as well as multiple presentations of research details to DoD, NPS, NOAA, and other agency personnel. I loved this project because of the unforgettable hands-on diving and experimental design experience, and the invaluable knowledge I gained.

On special skills developed during your MES studies

The development of a scientific mind is extremely useful to the development of critical thinking and analyzation skills necessary to a graduate’s success as an officer. I have found that my abilities to organize, compartmentalize, and prioritize information have flourished in my practical experience in the fleet, especially as a young junior officer onboard a ship with over half a dozen collateral duties demanding my attention at all times. These skills were honed and improved significantly during my time at the CGA studying in the MES discipline.

On recommending the MES major

The MES major uniquely prepares graduates with in-depth knowledge of fisheries, marine mammals, and oil/HAZMAT spill response. These areas of focus make up a significant portion of the Coast Guard’s law enforcement and environmental protection missions. Going into the fleet with a familiarity on these topics makes it much easier to integrate into the operational aspects of safeguarding these resources.

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.