Alumni Spotlight

Last year we asked Aya (Hozumi) Rae ('06) to interview Tina Fahy ('82) because of their similar interests in Marine Biology. 

Read on to learn what Tina has been up to…

A: It’s nice to meet you Tina! I want to start with how you ended up at NIS. 
T: My father (Dick Fahy) was a private school teacher and we moved around a lot as a family depending on where my father was teaching. We lived in Wisconsin and before we came to Japan we lived in Connecticut where my father was the director of studies and a history teacher. My father had fought in the Korean War, was wounded, and was flown to Tokyo for rehabilitation. He fell in love with the country so when he had the opportunity to become the assistant headmaster for NIS, he jumped at the chance. He thought his four children were young enough (we ranged in age from 3rd grade to 7th grade) that it would be a wonderful opportunity for us to move to Japan for a few years and experience the culture but also take advantage of going to an international school. That’s how we ended up there in 1975.

A: 1975!
T: A long time ago, I know! Nagoya was very different then. The city did not have a lot of foreigners living there, so we received a bit of attention (all good!) and we were often approached by students who wanted to converse with us.  We modeled, helped sell American products in stores, and taught English to Japanese students. It was a wonderful experience.

A: That’s such an interesting story. Did your father enjoy his time when he returned? 
T: Yes, he loved it. I think this was probably his favorite job ever because he was second in command to the headmaster, he was able to teach, including teaching English at night. We traveled all over the country when we could during vacation to learn and immerse ourselves in the Japanese culture. As a family, we also traveled to India and the Philippines during the holidays. We all definitely gained an appreciation for Asia. 

A: How long did you stay in NIS as a student? 
T: I was there from 1975-1978. I spent one year, my 9th grade, at Canadian Academy. I lived with the headmaster (Dr. Guy Lott) and his wife (May) there, who was the former headmaster of NIS. My brothers continued on at NIS. 

A: So you and your 3 other siblings went to NIS? 
T: Yes, I have three brothers, Richard, Carter, and Nat. My mother had never taught before and when my father got hired, the headmaster asked if my mother was willing to teach 3rd and 4th grade and she said yes! So she taught my brother Nat for a couple of years and really loved it. The whole family was very much immersed in school. We lived in teachers’ housing right below the gym. We had access to the field, tennis courts, playground and the gym. It was great. 

A: Do you still keep in touch with some of the people you met in NIS?
T: I was much better at keeping in touch when I left Japan and was in high school. Now Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with classmates and former teachers.  My mother has been very good about visiting and staying in touch with some of her very good friends (like the Sapps).  Christmas cards are always exchanged. We, especially my parents, had really good friends in Japan. I wish I could stay in touch more with some of them but we had such small classes. 

A: How many people were in your class?
T: Oh my gosh, I think about maybe 8? 

A: And I thought my graduating class was small with 18 people!
T: Yes, it was very small compared to most US schools.

A: What was your favorite memory or event from NIS?
T: I think my brothers will agree with me that Field Day was the most memorable event of the year. The whole school got together to compete in athletic events - it was almost like a mini Olympics! We prepared for that day every year, we were excited about it and received ribbons when we placed. It was really fun, very exciting, and each class had an important role that day, either in providing food, beverages, etc.  My father was sometimes in charge of the starting gun, which he took very seriously!

A: Do you remember any teachers that were your favorite?
T: Yes, very much. Mrs Steenberg, my 8th grade science teacher, was very influential to me and probably too many 8th graders who took her class, because the class was so challenging. We had to keep a plant notebook throughout the year, where we had to find ~100 plants and put them in our notebook, research and write them. If we couldn’t find all of the plants, we had to look them up. Internet wasn't available then so we would have to look them up in books, write about them and their life history and draw them. We also had an animal notebook where I think everyone had a pet and we had to observe that animal and describe different behaviors, preferences, etc. We dissected frogs, cow eyeballs, and earthworms, which I never did following that in high school (just fish in college!). She was great, she helped me learn to love science and the importance of observation, curiosity, good scientific writing and the fundamental principles of biology. I didn’t know if I was going to study science, math, English or history later in college, but it turns out I focused on marine science so, I think she had a lot of do with that.

A: After NIS, I saw you went to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 
T: I attended for a few years and majored in marine science. 

A: You already knew you wanted to study marine science?
T: I wasn't really sure but the Academy only had around 8 majors we could choose from and a lot of them were heavy on math and engineering and 2 of them were government/management but the one that really struck me was marine science. I learned to scuba dive while in high school and I thought it was a good mix of science and math, but it was very challenging and comprehensive with classes in physics, fluid dynamics, and oceanography in addition to the biological sciences. I completed my B.S. degree at the University of Rhode Island in Fisheries Technology and Aquaculture.

A: Could you describe what your job is now?
T: Since 1998, I’ve worked for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, which is a federal government agency that conserves and protects marine species such as marine mammals and sea turtles but also includes fish and invertebrates. I work specifically as a marine mammal and sea turtle biologist and my main job is to assess the current status of endangered species and their habitat and analyze human impacts such as fishing on marine mammals and sea turtles throughout the US West coast.

A: So you do population assessments?
T: Yes absolutely! We conduct population assessments for endangered species; for example, I have been involved on status review teams for Guadalupe fur seals, and several species of sea turtles.  Marine mammals that are not protected under the Endangered Species Act are protected under another federal law, even healthy populations like California sea lions (which was the subject of my Master’s thesis). Thus, we still need to protect them from human activities such as fishing and navy/military activities, coastal constructions, etc. 

A: Does your job involve a lot of fieldwork?
T: Unfortunately not as much as I would like!  But I have been lucky to go to the Channel Islands off California a number of times to help researchers tag and brand sea lions and fur seals.  I’ve participated in aerial and ship board surveys, and I’ve also been lucky to travel down to Baja for multiple years to help conduct research on the effect of light sticks on gill nets and how they might reduce bycatch of sea turtles.

A: Wow so cool, so if you attach a light stick to the gillnets, turtles tend to avoid them? 
T: Exactly, we’ve seen significant results, with a 50-60 percent reduction in sea turtle entanglements. We did that for multiple years using different colored lights and worked with high school students from San Diego, which was very rewarding. We also worked closely with Mexican fishermen, who knew how to find and catch turtles, so it was very rewarding. 

A: So in your job you also get to work with students and become mentors for them?
T: Yes, one particular example I gave you was high school students from the inner city of San Diego who have applied successfully for the program to come down to Baja for 5 weeks and work besides researchers. It was very rewarding for us and for them. Over my career I’ve spent a lot of time mentoring both high school but mainly university students or early career NOAA scientists to help them with their career choices or opportunities they may not know about.

A: What kinds of opportunities do you personally think are important for students in NIS to explore a career path in marine/environmental conservation?
T: For high school students, I think it’s important to be exposed to as many opportunities, volunteer or otherwise, that you can in the field you may be interested in. Nagoya has an aquarium right? So even just volunteering at the aquarium, or beach cleanup or anything that will expose you to the environment, be it forest/ land management or the marine environment, is key because then you’ll understand whether or not it's a field you’ll be interested in or might be passionate about. Our earth is being challenged by all of the stressors that we as humans are putting on it and I want to leave this next generation with the sense of conservation and preserving what we have and regaining what we might have lost through phenomena such as climate change; rising sea levels, warming waters, loss of biodiversity, etc. I’m doing the best I can with the time I have. So I recommend internships, networking with former alumni like me, and even if you don't like what you are volunteering for or working on, at least it gives you a sense of what you don't want to do. If it doesn't challenge you intellectually or keep you curious it’s may not be the field for you. 

A: So before your NOAA job, you had many other jobs?
T: Yes. After my undergraduate school, I thought I wanted to study admiralty law in part from my experience and classes I took at the Academy but also at university, where I was really interested in marine policy. I worked in a law firm in NYC for 3.5 years and decided I did not want to be a lawyer. I transferred to University of Washington to get a Master’s in marine affairs, which is really focused on U.S.  marine policy and how we should use science to inform decisions in the US and internationally as well. Then I worked up in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest for 2 years as a fisheries observer on fishing boats as a biologist collecting data on what they’re catching and what their bycatch, which is essentially unwanted marine species. I did that because I wanted to understand the fishermen’s culture, for if I was ever to be a fisheries manager, at least it will give me some background and experience out on fishing boats.

A: That’s such a great attribute to have to be able to connect with the people at the forefront of fisheries and then use that experience and knowledge to connect that back to the policy making.
T: I felt like sitting in a classroom and learning about fishing was helpful but that it was much more important to understand the mechanics and purpose of fishing a particular species because, only then can you consider modifications to the gear reduce whale entanglements for example. With crab/lobster fishermen, we are exploring the use of a gear retrieval system that reduces the use vertical lines, so fishermen can modify their gear without compromising the target species that they are after while protecting the species like whales or sea turtles. 

A: Were these technologies that reduce bycatch produced from NOAA or collaboration with the fishermen?
T: Good question. Both, absolutely. You can’t offer solutions without the fishermen’s input and collaboration. They’re the ones who are out there and know exactly how their gear works and how any modifications might affect what they’re targeting. So absolutely collaboration with fishermen is essential, but we also work with environmental groups because their primary interest is reducing any interactions with endangered species like whales, so we want them to be part of the solution as well.

A: What was your most exciting project you’ve been involved with in your career?
T: I don’t know if it was exciting but the most rewarding project that I worked on was very early on in my career where I was analyzing the effect of a drift gill net fishery that was targeting swordfish. The fishery was entangling an unsustainable number of highly endangered leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. Through my analysis, I was able to highlight the effect of the fishery on these turtles and provide a solution to reduce interactions by 70-80%. Interestingly, loggerheads migrate all the way from nesting beaches in Japan and leatherbacks are migrating from Indonesian nesting beaches and feeding off of California for a few months every year.  I’m just proud to say that in 20 years there have been just a few turtles caught by that fishery and they've been released alive. That's my proudest achievement.

A: For that project, did you collaborate with Japan and Indonesia where the turtles come from?
T: We have since then because leatherbacks are born in Indonesia and then a portion of them travel to California so we have been working with their government and the World Wildlife Fund, to protect them on the nesting beaches. Loggerheads in Japan are only born on the mainland and offshore islands of Japan so we have been working with them to develop a recovery plan to help focus our countries reduce threats. We also share information on the status of the loggerhead nesting beaches and learn what Japan is doing to help preserve the habitat given the rising seas and coastal armament and construction because that is the only place North Pacific loggerheads are born..

A: A lot of international collaboration! When I visited Yakushima, it was turtle hatching season and they had an active community patrolling at night to protect the hatching beaches! 
T: Yes, Yakushima is a very important nesting beach for loggerheads! Japan uses large pound nets that are as big as couple of football fields to catch fish. Turtles have been caught in the pound nets so we have been working on ways to get the sea turtles to the surface of the water so they can breathe. 

A: What has been the most challenging part of your career in your personal experience?
T: We have very strong conservation-oriented organizations on the West coast so with that comes challenges when we may be sued to provide more protection to marine species than we already are providing. We have interest in protecting our US fishermen, allowing them to bring sustainably caught seafood to our US tables but sometimes environmentalists believe we should be doing more.  The challenge NOAA Fisheries faces is to balance conflicting interests between different stakeholders.

A: That’s interesting. It’s hard to balance the demand for seafood to sustain our population and controlling its sustainability.
T: Many other regions in the U.S. have very strong fishing advocates that are supported by politicians, whereas on the West coast, our fishing industry is not so much promoted in that way. Thus, it is a challenge get the message across that we don't want to import seafood from other countries that are not using the same management and regulatory measures that we are in the US.

A: When you work with different countries, whom do you talk to? And does that entity disseminate this information? 
T: When we work internationally, we’ll typically work with fisheries agencies at the federal level to eventually work with states or provinces,  or fishing cooperatives, depending on the country. Generally the strategy is to work first at a higher level of government, but we also work at the grassroots level, working with non-profits that could travel into coastal communities and convince them to try gear modifications such as using light-sticks or modified  hooks. I think some of our non-profit groups have been way more effective than we have because we don't have the influence in another country but a non-profit will be able to go locally and talk to the coastal communities and understand their cultures. You may think it’s not so important but in some cases the wives of fishermen are more influential in the community than the fishermen so reaching the wives and convincing them, they'll convince their husbands and change will happen. At the government-to-government level, we have been successful in putting resolutions forward to reduce sea turtle, shark, and seabird bycatch , within regional fishery management commissions which are organizations formed to manage tuna stocks. Back in the 70’s, purse seine fishing were harvesting tuna and killing hundreds of thousands of dolphins so the cou came together to look at that problem and help solve it mechanically with the purse seines to allow the dolphins to escape. In light of that, they are also managing the tuna resource. Thus, these regional fishery management commissions represent international mechanisms that can collectively manage tuna stocks outside of a country’s waters, while still considering collateral effects of fisheries on whales, dolphins, sea turtles, etc.

A: I learned so much through all your projects! Are you enjoying what you’re doing now?
T: Yes, very much. Everyday is different and challenging intellectually. I am lucky to work with different groups of people every day including the fishing industry, environmental groups, state, partners, and other agencies that are interested in conducting activities off the West coast such as oil and gas exploration, wind farms, aquaculture, fisheries.

A: It sounds very rewarding to be in a position where you can make a difference in something you are passionate about. Lastly, what would you like to say to NIS alum and current students?
T: I would tell them to take advantage of all the opportunities and education that you’re given in school and don’t focus solely on your grades but really focus on what you’re learning because your education at NIS is going to give you the foundation for your future. It’s so different from when I was there, I don't know if there are volunteer opportunities but when I look at the NIS magazine, it looks like a lot of students are making differences in their communities. Take advantage of learning about the culture of Japan because depending on where you go in your career, it may serve you well when you’re communicating and working with colleagues from other nations. From what I recall, there were many foreign students from all over the world that went to NIS and you never know how those relationships with your classmates, experiences, and understanding their cultures will serve you in your future endeavors. 

You don't have to decide what you want to focus on after you graduate. You have a whole world open to you and many opportunities so just take advantage of them as best you can. Network with other alumni if you see something that might be of interest to you. 

A: I especially love the message that you don’t have to know what you want to do when you leave NIS. 
T: Relax, enjoy your time, and don't feel pressured from your elders that are pushing you in one direction because if you’re not happy in a job, then you’ll burn out or be dissatisfied with your career and you don't want that. If you enjoy art, make that a career, if you enjoy music, anything, take advantage of your skill set and love for a particular subject and hopefully you’ll find a career in that.

A: What a heartfelt message. Thank you Tina!

Thank you too Aya!!