My CV is available here as a PDF, or you can read it on the page below (in greater detail).

 

CV

Matt Sprague

Kingston, RI 02881
Email: mattsprague@uri.edu

 

Education 

University of Rhode Island (07/2021 - present)

Physical Oceanography (M.S.)

UC San Diego (9/2017 - 6/2021)

Major: Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (B.S.)

Minor: Earth Science

GPA: 3.78
The Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences major at Scripps provides coursework (some shown below) in a broad variety of oceanography and atmospheric study topics, as well as upper-division math, physics, and chemistry. I satisfied requirements for the honors program in Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences - see my thesis here. In my last year I also completed a minor in Earth Science.

Courses (not including lower division prerequisites and general education):

  • SIO 171: Introduction to Physical Oceanography
  • SIO 172: Physics of the Atmosphere
  • SIO 174: Chemistry of the Ocean and Atmosphere
  • SIO 115: Ice and the Climate System
  • SIO 135: Satellite Remote Sensing
  • SIO 111: Introduction to Ocean Waves
  • SIO 117: The Physical Basis of Global Warming
  • SIO 175: Analysis of Oceanic and Atmospheric Data
  • SIO 177: Fluid Dynamics
  • SIO 178: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
  • CHEM 173: Atmospheric Chemistry
  • CHEM 199: Independent study
  • SIO 110: Introduction to GIS and GPS for Scientists
  • SIO 199: Independent study
  • SIO 103: Introduction to Geophysics
  • SIO 102: Introduction to Geochemistry
  • SIO 180: Communicating Science to Informal Audiences
  • SIO 198: Mentoring Underrepresented Youth in STEM
  • SIO 173: Dynamics of Atmosphere and Climate
  • SIO 113: Intro to Computational Earth Science
  • SIO 196: Honors Thesis Research (Winter-Spring 2021)

Work Experience

Sermilik Fjord, Greenland

Oceanographic Assistant (Summer 2020 - Summer 2021)

I worked as an oceanographic assistant for Scripps professor Fiamma Straneo. I plotted, organized, and presented data collected from field work in Sermilik Fjord, Greenland, from 2008 to 2019. I constructed mooring and CTD maps for each year's cruise, and prepared data for submission to a publicly accessible data repository.

See more information in my portfolio.

Sermilik Fjord, Greenland

Scripps Polar Center Website Manager (February 2020 - Present)

I managed the development and maintenance of polar.ucsd.edu. A few tasks I completed include:

  • Designing profile pages for Polar Center members
  • Managing the Polar Center YouTube channel, uploading and organizing seminars
  • Designing class information pages for SIO 115 and SIO 121
  • Updating the website with news articles relating to Polar Center members/research
  • General fixes and site structure changes

More information can be found in my portfolio.

Sermilik Fjord, Greenland

CAICE Lab Assistant (Fall 2019 - Winter 2020)

I volunteered at the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment, working on a project studying DMS oxidation in the marine atmosphere using the PAM-OFR aerosol measurement system. I volunteered in fall 2019 and continued the project in winter quarter, receiving academic credits for research supervised by Dr. Kimberly Prather.

Sermilik Fjord, Greenland

UCSD Challenge Course Facilitator (May 2018 to Winter 2020)

I worked as a facilitator guiding client groups through experiential learning programs at the UCSD Challenge Course. As facilitators, we help our clients to build effective teams with experiences focused on communication strategies, organizational cohesion, and any particular needs of the group.  (I had been working programs periodically until activities ceased due to Covid-19.)

Other employment:

  • Ralph's (Summer 2018)

  • Big 5 Sporting Goods (Summer 2018, 2019)

  • Personal math tutor (2015-2016)

Skills and Qualifications

  • Experienced in coding with MATLAB and Python

  • Experienced in ArcGIS Pro

  • Experienced in WordPress website design

  • Semi-fluent in Spanish

  • Familiar with graphic design

  • Familiar with chemistry lab work, safety standards, and equipment

  • Certified SCUBA diver

Personal Projects

I am currently beginning an original research project studying sea ice and iceberg movement off the southeast coast of Greenland, advised by Scripps professor Fiamma Straneo. My goal is to use data from O-SNAP bottom-mounted ADCP instruments to identify where and when ice is present, and create a method to track the movement of ice past the O-SNAP array. More details are available in my portfolio.

Organizations

Since January 2020, I have been the only undergraduate member of the Scripps Polar Center, helping out with the website and attending group meetings.

Interests and Hobbies

When I'm outside, I like to run, climb, bike, and skateboard. I love to backpack when I get the chance. When I'm inside, I like to read, play games, listen to music, and learn some new recipes. For some more about my hobbies, check my fun stuff page!