NOAA Heritage Program

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Interviewee Sort descending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Albert "Benjie" Spencer NOAA Heritage Oral History Project

On May 19, 2020, Molly Graham interviewed Albert “Benjie” Spencer as part of the NOAA Heritage Oral History Project. Spencer retired in 2024 as the Chief Engineer and Director of Engineering Standards Division for the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) in the Office of Planning and Programming for Service Delivery. His responsibilities included implementing policy, providing end-to-end system engineering oversight, assessing risks, and ensuring consistent engineering processes and standards throughout the organization.

Molly Graham , Fort Washington, MD NOAA Heritage Program, National Weather Service
Albert "Skip" Theberge, Jr. NOAA Heritage Oral History Project

Captain Albert “Skip” Theberge, Jr. was born in 1946 in Coquille, Oregon.  When Skip was three years old, his family moved to Santa Cruz, where he learned to surf and because fascinated with the ocean.  He graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a professional degree in geological engineering. Skip also has a master’s degree in management from the Naval Postgraduate School.  In 1969, Theberge was commissioned as an ensign in the ESSA Corps, which soon became NOAA Corps. He retired with the rank of captain in 1995, after nearly 27 years of commissioned service.

Molly Graham , , Gainesville, VA NOAA Heritage Program, National Weather Service
Alison Moulding Decades of Change in the Florida Reef Tract: An Oral History Project

Alison works in the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office in the Coral Conservation Branch of the Protected Resources Division. Her area of expertise is coral ecology, particularly reproduction, recruitment, and restoration. She provides scientific support for management actions and coordinates recovery-related activities for the seven species of Caribbean coral listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Zachary Mason Saint Petersburg, FL NOAA Heritage Program, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Coral Reef Information System, University of Maryland's Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies
Ann Terbush Schaefer NOAA Heritage Oral History Project

Ann Terbush Schaefer was born in San Francisco in 1947. Her family moved to New York, where Ann attended the High School of Music and Art, before moving again to Washington, DC, where she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. Ann started her college career at Wells College in Aurora, New York. She transferred to George Washington University with a fine arts degree in 1969. She eventually also earned her master’s in public administration from American University in 1983.

Molly Graham , Salisbury, MD NOAA Heritage Program, National Weather Service
Capt. John K. Callahan, Jr. NOAA Heritage Oral History Project

Captain John Callahan was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944. His family moved to New Jersey, where he attended St. Joseph’s Grammar School and graduated from Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey, in 1961. John was the first in his family to attend college. He went to the State University of New York Maritime College and graduated with a degree in marine engineering before earning his law degree from Catholic University in 1971. Captain Callahan started his career as a naval architect/marine engineer for M.

Molly Graham , , , , , , , Coupeville, WA NOAA Heritage Program
Carl Fisher NOAA Heritage Oral History Project

On April 9, 2024, Molly Graham interviewed Captain Carl Fisher for the NOAA Heritage Oral History Project. The interview was conducted remotely, with Fisher participating from Norfolk, Virginia, and Graham from Scarborough, Maine. Carl Fisher, originally from Canandaigua, New York, reflects on his upbringing in the Finger Lakes region and his education at Canandaigua Academy. Fisher pursued a career in maritime studies, attending the State University of New York Maritime College, where he earned a degree in meteorology and oceanography.

Molly Graham Virginia Beach, VA NOAA Heritage Program, National Weather Service
Craig McLean NOAA Heritage Oral History Project

Craig McLean was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1957. His father was a first-generation immigrant from Scotland who served in the US Navy during World War II. His mother was a second-generation daughter of Sicilian immigrants. He grew up along the Passaic River, was a self-described "river rat," became a certified diver, and worked for a boatyard next to his house. At Rutgers College, Craig studied marine biology and zoology and worked on research cruises with NOAA ships. During the summers, he worked in the commercial and retail dive industry.

Molly Graham , , , , , Olney, MD NOAA Heritage Program, National Weather Service
Curt Storlazzi Structure from Motion: Oral History of Reef Mapping in Hawaii

Dr. Curt Storlazzi, Ph.D., is a prominent coastal scientist with a strong focus on coastal and marine research. He holds a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) and a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Delaware. Dr. Storlazzi has over two decades of experience and currently serves as a Research Geologist and Oceanographer in the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program. Simultaneously, he is a Research Associate at UCSC's Institute for Marine Sciences.

Madyson Miller Santa Cruz, CA NOAA Heritage Program
David Vallee NOAA Heritage Oral History Project

David Vallee is the Hydrologist-in-Charge of the National Weather Service’s Northeast River Forecast Center. The center provides detailed water resource and life-saving flood forecasting services to National Weather Service Forecast Offices and the hundreds of federal, state and local water resource entities throughout the Northeast and New York. David has worked for the National Weather Service for 30 years, serving in a variety of positions including Senior Service Hydrologist at the Taunton Weather Forecast Office from 1993-2000 and as Science and Operations Officer from 2001-2006.

Molly Graham Scarborough, ME NOAA Heritage Program, National Weather Service
Dick Rutkowski NOAA Heritage Oral History Project

Mr. Rutkowski retired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1985 with 33 years of federal service. He served as Deputy Diving Coordinator. He was founder and director of the NOAA Diving/Hyperbaric Training and Diver Treatment Facility from 1973 to 1985 where hundreds of divers have been treated. He also served as co-director for the NOAA/UHMS three week physicians diving and hyperbaric medical training program for the past 21 years.

Molly Graham Key Largo, FL NOAA Heritage Program, National Weather Service