Fiona Howes ’27 has traded classroom labs for 20-foot ocean swells—and found her future on the open water.
The Hobart and William Smith Colleges student recently returned from a month aboard the R/V Roger Revelle, a 273-foot research vessel operating in the North Atlantic. Howes, a Geoscience major, joined a rotating team of scientists studying deep Arctic water currents and their role in global climate regulation.
“It was unbelievable how much data you can collect when you’re out there every day,” said Howes, who helped lower instruments nearly two miles below the surface to gather temperature and salinity readings in real time. “Everything I’d learned in class at HWS—suddenly it wasn’t theoretical anymore.”
Before setting sail, Howes spent a month at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she analyzed decades of data on the North Icelandic Jet, a deep-sea current potentially impacted by climate change. She’s now continuing that research as an independent study at HWS.
Howes also works under renowned oceanographer Dr. Robert Pickart, joining his team at sea and learning hands-on from one of the top names in physical oceanography.
NOAA scholarship supports her path
This year, Howes received the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship, one of the country’s top awards for students in oceanic and atmospheric sciences. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) selects recipients based on academic excellence and research promise.
Her growing résumé already includes vice president of the Geoscience Club, teaching assistant for Hydrogeology, First-Year Mentor, Food Recovery Club member, and a spot on the William Smith cross country team.
Interestingly, Howes didn’t start out on the ocean track. She originally planned to pursue medicine—until she took a class called “Parched” with Associate Professor Tara Curtin.
“I realized how central water is to everything—past, present and future,” she said.
Now, whether it’s climate modeling, marine technology, or current dynamics, Howes says she’s eager to keep learning and stay close to the water.
“This experience showed me that I want to be out there,” she said. “Helping figure out how our planet is changing.”
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