IfAME - James W. Rote Professorship in Marine Science & Policy

The James W. Rote
Distinguished Professorship in
Marine Science and Policy

Dr. James W. Rote

In 2003 the Division of Science and Environmental Policy at CSUMB created a unique professorship to honor the legacy of Dr. James W. Rote. The late Dr. Rote wrote extensively about bridging the gap between science and policy and spent much of his career working in California State government as an environmental polcy advisor. Dr. Rote was one of the chief architects of the visionary plan that created the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and was a founding faculty member of CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, Monterey Bay (CSUMB).

James Lindholm was appointed to this position in June 2008. In his conception of the position, the uniqueness of the Rote Professorship derives from its foundation in the community. Like other faculty positions at CSUMB, the Rote Professor works with existing faculty and affiliated scientists to advance the application of science and technology to marine and coastal environmental decision-making at local, national, and global scales, including such subjects as ecosystem-based management and marine protected areas. Unlike other faculty positions however, the Rote Professor must regularly engage the communities of the Monterey Peninsula through outreach and education efforts. Dr. Rote was well-known in the community prior to his death, and there is a network of motivated citizens who recall his extensive contributions and expect comparable excellence from the Rote Professor. These citizens have worked hard to support the creation of the position and to create an endowment associated with it.

Rote Program

The Rote Program, in addition to the variety of activities undertaken by the IfAME, includes 3 primary elements:

The Rote Lecture Series:

The series brings renowned speakers to campus annually to provide lectures on a variety of subjects related to the interface of science and policy. In Fall 2008, Congressman Sam Farr (D-California) gave the first lecture of the academic year on “The Environment in an Election Year,” in which he described the fate of environmental issues in an election year that has been dominated by wars and economic instability.

Rote Scholarships:

Each year scholarships are provided to CSUMB undergraduate and graduate students for thesis research that explores the interface of science and policy.

Rote Seminar:

Each Fall semester beginning in Fall 2008, there will be a 2-unit graduate seminar offered at CSUMB on a topic related to the interface of science and policy. The first seminar was conductedas a Distributed Graduate Seminar entitled “The Role of Marine Protected Areas in Ecosystem-Based Management: Examining the Science and Politics of an Ocean Conservation Strategy.” It is funded by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and is focused directly on the National Marine Sanctuary Program. The course is being conducted at 7 other Universities nationwide, each of which is pursuing comparable material. In Fall 2009, the seminar will focus on the communication of science to diverse audiences and will culminate with a 2-day workshop hosted by the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS). Students from other campuses as well as members of the general public are encouraged to participate in these seminars.

Coming Soon! - Rote Triathlon Scholarships:

The late Dr. Rote and James Lindholm shared an enthusiasm for triathlons. In an effort to encourage the elusive mind-body connection among CSUMB students, small scholarships will be available to support student registration fees in regional triathlons.