Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Charles Brooks as Featured November Science Speaker

November 6, 2024

NANTUCKET, MA – The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Charles Brooks, as a featured presenter for its November Science Speaker Series. His presentation will take place on Wednesday, November 13 at 7pm via Zoom. This event is free to all.


“Island Wakes and Coastal Observations: An Early Career in Oceanographic Engineering”


Join Charles Brooks for a deep dive into his travels and experiences as an oceanographic research technician and engineer at Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO). Brooks will share his deep connection to Nantucket, share his educational pathway, and traverse the experiences of his early career. Having traveled around the world before dropping anchor at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Brooks is enthused to give insight into his role as a technician and working aboard the R/V Roger Revelle during a midlife refit. This presentation will feature some of Brooks' most significant research cruises and experiences culminating in a cruise out of Guam in April 2022 that led him to his current position with SIO's Coastal Observation Research and Development Center (CORDC). He will also discuss the work of the CORDC and his noteworthy role in sampling of island wakes and coastal monitoring in the form of a project called “Smart Mooring.”


While currently based in San Diego, Brooks’ lifelong fascination and love for the ocean began by exploring the waters surrounding Nantucket Island. After numerous positions in the marine industry in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Brooks moved his career West to SIO as a research technician in the shipboard technical support group. Over four years, he learned to support shipboard oceanographic research while providing learning opportunities for early career scientists and students on SIO's coastal class research vessel. This role quickly expanded to lead technician of the global class research vessel, Roger Revelle, during which time he oversaw extensive mid-life shipyard renovations. Post-shipyard, Brooks supported research aboard Revelle in the far reaches of the Pacific. In his current position as an engineer and field researcher at the CORDC, Brooks’ work now includes support of robotic systems, remote sampling platform development, and field research in the Western Pacific. Brooks’ talk will cover his career path from New England to the far reaches of the Western Pacific while providing an overview of current research projects. Join us on Zoom for this Science Speaker Series Talk. Registration is required for Zoom.


To register for Zoom, use the registration link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B-7RGnLFTESQCsQ5gEIpbw#/registration


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


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.

###

For Immediate Release

October 16, 2024

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

The Work Begins

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • July 14, 2025
As we are now complete with the conservation of the historic Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory (MMO), I thought it would be good to post a series of blogs concerning it history and activities, as well as some of the remarkable people who have made it what it is over the last 100 plus years. Therefore, over the next few weeks, the focus will be on the MMO. And it is now open for tours – Monday through Saturday 11-1PM. In 1906, the MMA was given Maria Mitchell’s five-inch Alvan Clark telescope which Mitchell purchased with money raised by the Women of America in 1859. With the telescope, a fireproof observatory was needed to house it and the activities surrounding its use. A campaign was developed to raise the funds for an observatory and in approximately four months, a small observatory was built at a cost of $4,800.00. Completed in 1908, the Maria Mitchell Observatory now was in need of a permanent astronomer. An Observatory Committee was developed and chaired by Annie Jump Cannon. From 1909 through 1911, the MMA was able to employ an astronomer to teach classes, observe, provide lectures, and open the observatory for public observing for approximately a month each summer. As the demand grew, the MMA realized that a more extensive program was needed and the Astronomical Fellowship Committee began to raise funds for an Astronomical Fellowship Fund. With the support of many generous donors and a matching gift from Andrew Carnegie, by 1911 the MMA had the funds it needed to support the fellowship and began its search for an astronomer who would conduct research, provide lectures and classes, and conduct open nights for the public from mid-June through mid-December. The fellow would spend the remainder four months in research and study – every fourth year a full year of study would be spent in an American or European observatory. JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • July 7, 2025
July 31, 1883. I had two or three rich days! On Friday last I went to Holderness, N.H.. to the Asquam House; I had been asked by Mrs. T to join her party. There was at this house Mr. Whittier, Mr., and Mrs. Cartland, Professor and Mrs. Johnson, of Yale . . . The house seemed full of fine, cultivate people. We stayed two days and a half. And first of the scenery. The road up to the house is a steep hill, and at the foot of the hill it winds and turns around two lakes. The panorama is complete one hundred and eighty degrees. Beyond the lakes lie the mountains.  The Asquam House sat atop Shepard Hill and was built in 1881. A hotel, it has space for fifty guests, it was located near Squam Lake and became part of a summer enclave that developed there in the later part of the nineteenth century. Today, the area is a National Historic Landmark, but sadly, the hotel was demolished in 1948. Maria would have been familiar with these people seen here – and others I did not include – but particularly John Greenleaf Whittier who was something of a family friend. He was close to one of her younger brothers, William Forester. JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: July 2025

July 1, 2025
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.” -Edith Andrews
Show More