Home / Academics / Schools and Departments / School of Science, Mathematics & the Humanities
The School of Science, Mathematics, and the Humanities (SSMH) explores human society, its relationship to the natural environment, and variation in world views that shape science, math, policy, and governance. SSMH supports several interdisciplinary pursuits important to the U.S. Coast Guard and the nation through:
SSMH contributions extend beyond cadet education, to direct and indirect support of U.S. Coast Guard operations. Cadets and faculty work together and form partnerships with other federal agencies, universities, and non-profit organizations to advance knowledge and solve problems. As a source of intellectual capital, contributions range widely:
“Wind-turbines at sea bring opportunity and challenge. With Coast Guard Sectors New York and SE New England, my cadets and research teams work with commercial fishermen, coastal governance bodies, state officials and Coast Guard policy makers to model and assess the impact of offshore wind farms. Our work will shape the maritime future of this region.”
Professor Tiffany Smythe,
Government Department
The final report for the BSEE (Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement) $42,000 grant titled "Examination of physical and chemical characteristics of dielectric fluids" was published on the agency website: https://www.bsee.gov/examination-of-physical-and-chemical-characteristics-of-dielectric-fluids. The work was the product of Prof G. Frysinger and CAPT G. Hall and included 6 cadets.
1/c Micky Huynh and 1/c Chris Flynn were awarded “Best US Coast Guard Academy” poster at the Interacademy Chemistry Symposium at the US Air Force Academy on April 19th, 2024. Their work investigated the role of the enzyme cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase in contributing to toxicity induced by redox cycling chemicals paraquat, menadione, and thymoquinone in the C. elegans model system. The cadets work in PROF Joshua Gray’s laboratory and are presenting their three semester capstone project at the upcoming Academy Research Day on Friday, May 3rd.
Then 1/c (now ENS) Nicolas Damschen attended the annual American Geophysical Union to present his capstone research project on salty ices as they apply to icy moons. This is the largest earth and space science conference in the world attended by over 25,000 people from more than 100 countries.
USCGA celebrated GIS Day with cadets in the Geospatial Intelligence Plan of Study Certificate program with games, trivia, and cake. GIS Day is an annual event celebrating geographic information systems-based technologies. A positive impact of this field is that informed, future leaders understand spatial, contextual analysis and visualize data.
Dr. Alex Waid and Dr. Elizabeth Rivero participated in the New England Council of Latin American Studies annual conference hosted by Worcester Polytechnic Institute on November 10-11, 2023 (Worcester, MA). Dr. Waid presented on intersectionality in Latin American and Caribbean socially conscious rap and Dr. Rivero shared her research on non-heteronormative subjectivities and State repression during the Uruguayan dictatorship (1973-1985). This conference represented the culmination of Dr. Rivero’s term as President of NECLAS.
Welcome Back LT Schroeder!
LT Schroeder (Class of 2016) is returning to USCGA as a part of the Rotating Military Faculty program. LT Schroeder recently finished her Masters of Science in Toxicology from the University of Michigan and will be teaching in the Chemical and Environmental Sciences Department. While at the University of Michigan, LT Schroeder was selected to present her research at both the Society of Toxicology 2023 conference and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe conference. LT Schroeder's researched environmental exposures as drivers of aggressive breast cancer using human breast cells and presented her findings at the SETAC conference in Dublin, Ireland.
First class cadets with faculty members Professor Amy Cloud and Professor Chris Lamonica returned from summer experiences in Colombia and the Mediterranean. Funded by the Olmsted Foundation, they embarked on their adventures with the explicit purpose of immersing themselves in a new culture. In Colombia, the group conversed with locals, hiked through the rain forest and met with Colombian law enforcement and military agencies. In the Mediterranean, the group visited Malta and Italy. They toured historical sites and met with members of the local, national Coast Guard.
In April 2023, the Department of Chemical and Environmental Science hosted the annual Inter-Academy Chemistry Symposium. Students and faculty from all four national military academies attended for a day of research presentations, networking, and socializing.
