Expedition Team

Colleen Allard, 2nd Mate

Colleen Allard's SEA experience in the fall semester of her senior year at Cornell changed her life. The upstate New York resident was a student on the Westward 177 cruise in the fall of 2001. She was a biology major with a concentration in marine science and oceanography. She considered a career in research, but had no real plans until she returned from W-177.

"I suffered through one more semester to graduate and got on a boat," Allard said. "When I did the SEA semester I fell in love with the whole water thing."

She loved the "whole water thing" so much she's been working on the water ever since, spending five years on ships on both the East and West coasts before returning to SEA as a professional crew member in 2007. She was drawn, however, to more than merely the chance to go to sea.

"In my head it was very traditional to teach in front of a classroom, with the occasional field trip when you were a kid or whatever. I had definitely never seen education taught in such an open environment and such a unique place," Allard said. "When I got to SEA, I found that you could combine a lot of interests into one job that you love to go to every day. I think that was one of the things that drew me to the lifestyle of traveling, meeting new people and getting to do science – and learn about sailing and learn about maritime studies all in this one environment."

Allard, who has served as chief mate on the Cramer 228 cruise, holds an Ocean Master's license from the U.S. Coast Guard.