Jonathan Harris, C-112, winner of the 2019 Armin E. Elsaesser III Fellowship, has begun research on his project, “Pirates, Blockades and Commerce: an Expedition to Explore the Maritime History, Fortifications, and Lighthouses of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.”

Jonathan Harris, C-112, is the winner of the 2019 Armin E. Elsaesser III Fellowship. Jonathan, a geologist and former SEA crewmember, is an education and outreach coordinator at Mississippi State University. Harris was selected from a field of 13 applicants.

SEA Semester alumnus Michael Jacobson (W-72), the recipient of the 2018 Armin E. Elsaesser III Fellowship award, recently traveled to southern Taiwan to document the indigenous Tao people’s traditional boat building and fishing culture.

I went to Taiwan and Orchid Island to learn about a tribal fishing boat and I came back deeply appreciative about how small the world is, how generous and wonderful people are, and a sense of awe for the indigenous people of Taiwan.

SEA Semester alumnus Michael Jacobson (W-72), the recipient of the 2018 Armin E. Elsaesser III Fellowship award, recently traveled to southern Taiwan to document the indigenous Tao people’s traditional boat building and fishing culture.  This is his third update.

I am already on my way home from Taiwan.

After witnessing the Paiwan shaman, I got a chance to go to an old Paiwan village with slate houses called Lao Qijia. The tribe moved due to landslides from typhoons and I got to meet their chief who talked about the challenges faced by her people.

SEA Semester alumnus Michael Jacobson (W-72), the recipient of the 2018 Armin E. Elsaesser III Fellowship award, is currently in southern Taiwan documenting the indigenous Tao people’s traditional boat building and fishing culture.  He recently sent us his second update on his activities.

Update: I have left Lanyu and have been in the southern part of Taiwan. I learned so much about the current boat culture on Lanyu and how the tatala still retains a singular status for individuals and families. I was able to participate in four fishing summoning ceremonies, two tatala launching ceremonies, and even went out fishing for flying fish one night using lights to attract them.

SEA Semester alumnus Michael Jacobson (W-72) has been named as recipient of the 2018 Armin E. Elsaesser III Fellowship award.  Michael will use his award to travel to Orchid Island, southeast of Taiwan, to document the indigenous Tao people’s traditional boat building and fishing culture.  Photos and videos will be used to augment an exhibit at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington.

Ex.Ex.Redux: Elsaesser Fellowship winner Timothy Dwyer retraces path of 1841 US Exploring Expedition

This past summer, Timothy Dwyer (W-160), the recipient of the 2016 Elsaesser Fellowship, assembled a crew of adventurers to follow in the path of Captain Charles Wilkes and the United States Exploring Expedition of 1841 (the Ex.Ex.) through Pacific Northwest waters. The Ex.Ex was the first global oceanic voyage of exploration, and the drawings and collections from the Ex.Ex. became the foundation of the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History.  Timothy and his crew sailed his 35-foot sloop, Whistledown, through the same waters, and redocumented the natural history of the Salish Sea. His goal was to fill in the blanks of Wilkes’ historic ecological survey using modern survey equipment.

Karen Merritt, public health educator, street photographer and SEA Semester alumna (W-98), has been selected to receive this year’s Armin E. Elsaesser Fellowship award.  Karen plans to use the award to investigate and document the “invisible history” of 16th and 17th century mercury and silver mining in Spain and Mexico, which she describes as one of the “longest continuous maritime transport endeavors in history.”

About the Award
Established in 1987 in memory of Armin E. Elsaesser III, master mariner, educator and adventurer, who taught Maritime Studies at SEA Semester and sailed as crew aboard the SSV Westward, the fellowship provides an opportunity for recipients to follow a dream that has been elusive because of the demands of work or study.  Fellowship winners actively investigate a marine or maritime subject of personal interest. Projects must be unrelated to their current professional activities and reflect a creative and independent approach to the pursuit of knowledge.  SEA alumni, faculty, staff, former employees and crew are eligible. Awards range from $3,000 to $7,000.

If you could follow one dream that has been elusive because of the demands of work or study, what would it be?

That’s the question that SEA posed this spring when we invited applications from alumni, faculty, staff, and past employees for the Armin E. Elsaesser Fellowship. The Fellowship program, established in 1987, is in memory of Armin E. Elsaesser III, a sailor, educator, and adventurer who sailed on several cruises aboard our now-retired ship, the Westward, and taught Maritime Studies on shore. Armin’s strong curiosity and sense of adventure inspired SEA students and staff alike.

Now we’re excited to announce that Timothy Dwyer, a SEA Semester W-160 alumnus, is our 2015-2016 winner.