New USF dean of marine science talks about her plans, qualifications

Posted Sep 15, 2010 by Lindsay Peterson

Updated Sep 15, 2010 at 02:21 PM

USF has a new College of Marine Science dean, Jacqueline Eaby Dixon, an internationally known specialist in underwater volcanoes. She comes from the University of Miami, where she was acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. To read more about her appointment, go here.

Dixon answered a few questions from us about her new job.

Q: Describe your research
A: I’m a geochemist, and the method I use to sample the Earth are volcanoes and most often submarine volcanoes or subglacial volcanoes. The focus of my research is the role of water and carbon dioxide in Earth processes. When the Earth began it was the volcanoes that released the water and CO2 into the atmosphere.

Q: As a volcano specialist, what qualifies you to be dean of a marine science college?
A: At Miami, I was at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science before arts and sciences. In the early ‘80s I worked for the marine branch of the U.S. Geological Survey. I have a broad interdisciplinary science background. I directed an undergraduate program on Ecosystem Science and Policy.

Q: What are your plans for the College of Marine Science?
A: The first priority is always maintaining the momentum for their excellence in research and education. I also want to strengthen the ties with the other oceanographic institutions in the area.

Q: How do you plan to change what the marine college is doing now?
A: I don’t want to say yet, it’s too early.

Q: You’ve traveled a lot for your research. Do you plan to keep doing that?
A: Most of my travelling will be done on behalf of the institution. I anticipate that 110 percent of my time will be taken up being dean. I still hope to write a few papers, but I’m not planning on coming in and developing my own large lab.

Q: The USF marine college has been deeply involved in researching the damage from the Deepwater Horizon disaster and there has been political friction. What’s the role of an academic researcher in a controversial scientific issue?
A: The whole reason behind the tenure system is to allow researchers to pursue their work without political pressure from government or corporations. On the other hand, when something like this happens, a corporation like BP is going to be providing funds to do the research. When that happens the administration has to make sure the scientists are able to publish their findings in open access literature and there are clear documents, legally binding documents, that state who’s funding the research and what they’re expecting in return.