Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Shawn Sneddon and Jon Fajans as Featured Guests for August Science Speaker Series

August 8, 2024

NANTUCKET, MA — The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Shawn Sneddon and Jon Fajans of Yellow Springs Instruments (YSI), a Xylem Inc. brand which serves as a leading provider of water measurement solutions, as featured presenters for its Science Speaker Series. Their presentation “Autonomous, Precise, and Real-Time Coastal Water Quality Monitoring” will take place on Monday, August 12 at 6pm EST. It will be presented in person at the Great Harbor Yacht Club, at 56 Union Street. The presentation will also be hosted via Zoom.


Due to its unique geographic, hydrographic, ecologic, and cultural setting, Nantucket Harbor has one of the last remaining healthy eelgrass (Z. marina) beds in New England. The shape of Nantucket Harbor forces incoming sea water to pass over the eelgrass beds, which sequester the water’s carbon dioxide. Seagrasses can consume more carbon dioxide per acre than rainforests, and noticeably lower the acidity of the water around them. The MMA believes the confluence of these factors also makes Nantucket Harbor one of the best locations to investigate the impacts of healthy eelgrass on the commercially valuable Nantucket bay scallop (A. irradians). Ocean and coastal water quality monitoring applications require both precise and rugged instrumentation that will withstand harsh environmental conditions and still output accurate data. Join Shawn Sneddon and Jon Fajans of YSI as they share about the science, logistics, and analytics of the EMM700 Bay Buoy and sensors that will be deployed in a continuous data collection and publication monitoring project, the first of its kind on Nantucket. This project will collect and publish continuous data on seawater acidity (pH), dissolved oxygen, temperature, total algae, dissolved nitrates, and salinity (conductivity). This data will create the "Mitchell Curve," a longterm, permanent record of ocean acidification in Nantucket Harbor.


Shawn Sneddon has over sixteen years of experience in the Oceanographic and Water Quality field, designing, integrating, and deploying a vast array of real-time monitoring systems with a heavy focus on custom system integration. After taking over the autonomous vehicle fleet in 2015, Sneddon is now one of the lead engineers for all things autonomous: performing hydrographic surveys, trainings, customer/sales support, and demos for customer applications. Sneddon started his career as a service and calibration engineer for Aanderaa before moving into a Systems Engineering role for the integrated systems and services division of YSI. He is currently the System Sales Engineer and Vehicle Specialist for YSI.


Jon Fajans earned a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and served eleven years in the U.S Coast Guard as a Flight Surgeon’s Assistant. He earned additional Bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Wildlife Ecology, and a Master’s degree in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences studying marine invasive species at the Univesity of Florida. Since then, Fajans has been the manager of the SEAKEYS Monitoring Program in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary as a scientist for the Florida Institute of Oceanography, Dive Safety Officer for the University of Belize, and President of C‐ARMS Inc., a small marine research consulting company. He served as a scientific support coordinator in the NOAA Subsurface Monitoring Unit for the Deepwater Horizon incident response and has installed ICON buoys throughout the Caribbean on a joint Caribbean Community Climate Change Center‐NOAA AOML project. Fajans came to Xylem in 2015. He now serves as manager for Ocean & Coastal Applications covering the Americas and Caribbean.


Pre-registration is required to join the Zoom for this event. To register, please follow the link below:


https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lZA-sjx4TYKt6zCdxI4YWQ#/registration


This series is generously sponsored by our lead sponsor, Bank of America.


The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. 



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For Immediate Release

August 8, 2024

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

programs@mariamitchell.org

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PEACE

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • January 5, 2026
As Walt Whitman once wrote, “Peace is always beautiful.” Peace can mean many different things. I have used this Whitman quote above before – my Father loved Whitman. And when I quote Whitman, it makes me feel like my Father is here. Maria and her father, William, were close. In fact, even with a large family of twelve people, the Mitchells were all close. My family is close as well, though we have our moments as most, if not all, families do. As we bring to a close another difficult year in which the world and its people continue to struggle, take a moment to be thankful and to find and give peace. May you always find peace in yourself and peace with others. May our world become more peaceful and may we all learn that this small space we inhabit is shared and meant for everyone. In the echoes of one of my favorite Maria Mitchell quotes, your small step, your small gesture to another or towards helping something happen, can make a difference – more than you think. I’ll end with another quote – and a poem I have used the last few years – that is fitting and that also reminds me of another Whitman poem. JNLF In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells] Alfred, Lord Tennyson - 1809-1892  Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind For those that here we see no more; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes But ring the fuller minstrel in. Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good. Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.

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Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Strategic Property Acquisition and Appointment of Workshop/APD

December 30, 2025
NANTUCKET, MA—The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is pleased to announce two significant milestones in its ongoing Capital Campaign: the acquisition of three properties adjacent to its historic campus, and the appointment of Workshop/APD as the architectural firm leading the design of its future facilities. After more than two years of discussion and planning, the MMA has acquired the Noyes family property, which includes 27 and 25R Washington Street and 10 Coffin Street, for $2.5 million. This acquisition secures critical land and housing that will play a vital role in advancing the Association’s long-term campus plan and mission-driven growth. “This is a game-changing moment for the Maria Mitchell Association and for Nantucket,” said Joanna Roche, Executive Director, Maria Mitchell Association. “The acquisition allows us to thoughtfully expand our campus while deepening our ability to serve the community through science, history, and education.” The acquisition also carries deep historical significance. The Noyes family’s relationship with the Maria Mitchell Association dates to the 1980s, when Robert Noyes served as President of the Board and volunteered extensively on behalf of the organization. The partnership represents a meaningful legacy and a full-circle moment for both the family and the Association. In addition, the Maria Mitchell Association has selected Andrew Kotchen, Michael Luft-Weissberg and the Workshop/APD team to serve as architects for the project. Workshop/APD is a nationally recognized architecture firm with more than 25 years of experience working on Nantucket. Known for its thoughtful, context-sensitive design, the firm brings a deep understanding of the island’s architectural heritage and environmental landscape. “I am truly excited to create this lasting legacy to Maria Mitchell and to this community,” said Andrew Kotchen, founding principal of Workshop/APD. “This project offers a unique opportunity to provide a view into the nature and science of this island while honoring its history and sense of place.” With the property acquisition complete and Workshop/APD in place, the Maria Mitchell Association is prepared to advance into the next phase of the project. Engineering will be led by Nantucket Surveyors, construction oversight by Board Vice President John Wise, and architectural design by Workshop/APD. Over the coming months, the MMA will finalize campus plans incorporating the newly acquired properties, complete updated surveys, and begin the permitting process. Founded in 1902, the Maria Mitchell Association is dedicated to the legacy of astronomer Maria Mitchell Founded in 1902, the Maria Mitchell Association is dedicated to the legacy of astronomer Maria Mitchell through education, research, and preservation in astronomy, natural sciences, and history. The Association’s programs serve thousands of learners annually and inspire curiosity, scientific inquiry, and stewardship of Nantucket’s unique environment. For more information about the Capital Campaign and the future of the Maria Mitchell Association, visit www.mariamitchell.org . ###
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