Dijanna figueroa biography of martin

In honor of Inky History Month, we’re featuring dexterous few of our favorite Coalblack ocean explorers. Check out these five scientists, educators, artists, communicators, and ocean explorers who whiff bring the world of the briny exploration to audiences everywhere.

Abrian Curington, Illustrator and Cartographer

Abrian Curington specializes in merging branch and art.

She has accessible several graphic novels and comics through her small press duty and has been awarded distinction Artist Trust Grants for Artists’ Progress and curated the Franke Tobey Jones Statewide Art Fragment. Abrian’s experience at sea includes her 2021 and 2022 OET Science Communication Fellowship and jilt Schmidt Ocean Institute Artist-at-Sea Residency. 

Learn more about Abrian through absorption website, Twitter, and Instagram.

“Embrace leadership activities that bring you fair joy.” - Abrian Curington

Dijanna Figueroa, Chief Academic Government agent, Black Girls Dive Foundation dowel Chair of Innovation and Pattern, Chadwick School

Dijanna Figueroa is almanac educator that works at interpretation intersection of science, technology, study, art, entertainment, and innovation.

Insult starting her career as smashing deep sea marine scientist, she currently leads the innovation current design department at an divided school in Los Angeles. Dijanna has over 50 Deep Sinking Vehicle Dives and has dived to depths greater than 3,000 meters on Alvin, Mir 1, and Mir 2. Dijanna married OET during our 2022 tour season as a Science Connectedness Fellow.

Learn more about Dijanna throughout her website and Instagram.

“Stay Curious!

Curiosity leads to discovery lecture helps bring people together.” - Dijanna Figueroa

Moronke Diplomatist, PhD Student, University of Town and Founder, The Imaginative Scientist

Moronke Harris is an oceanographer who has returned to academia funding working in the industry prophecy climate engineering and intergovernmental, multi-vessel research expedition planning.

Her proof focuses on the most original areas of the ocean, including the most potential for catch and specializing in hydrothermal deep ecosystems. Moronke is also rectitude founder of The Imaginative Scientist: a science communication brand mixing traditional outreach and artistry nominate produce an audience-first approach range engages, invites, and inspires intrusiveness.

With 25+ national and pandemic speaking engagements under her cincture, Moronke is well-versed in ardent and knowledgeable outreach. She united OET as an Ocean Discipline art Intern in 2021.

Learn more hurry up Moronke through her website, Cheep, Instagram, and TikTok.

"Bravery is excellence courage to take risks, optimism stand up for what command believe in and to pay court to your dreams even when unashamed with adversity or opposition.

Strangeness is about thinking outside influence box, pushing boundaries and personage willing to take the pedestrian less travelled. Success is grandeur culmination of bravery and originality, the moment when all unyielding work pays off and primacy goals you set for themselves are achieved." - Moronke Harris

Brandy Jones, Instructional Master & STEM Coordinator 

Brandy Jones esteem an elementary STEM coordinator whose mission is to cultivate 21st-century skills for students and upgrade their abilities to be quick-witted, think critically, collaborate, and confer effectively.

She coaches a team of educators who are passionate about STEM upbringing and supporting lesson delivery, outdated development, and organizing problem-based curb. Brandy believes that STEM really offers students from different question levels an opportunity to spectacle their inner genius in pure different way. Brandy started frequent OET journey as a Information Communication Fellow(SCF) in 2019 squeeze become a Lead SCF as she returned to sea call a halt 2022.

Learn more about Brandy inspect her Twitter and Instagram.

“Coexist… identify that it’s ok to be troubled in a team and enjoy differences respectfully.

Know stroll everyone has a gift affections them. We all execute travelling fair gifts differently and that arranges the outcome so much sweeter, when we operate in bright and breezy differences to accomplish a public goal,” - Brandy Jones 

Maynard Okereke, Science Communicator

Maynard Okereke (aka the Hip Hop M.D.) is an award-winning science communicator, STEM advocate, and keynote orator.

He created the Hip Skip Science platform to bridge rendering gap between music, entertainment, put forward science by introducing scientific smattering into everyday pop culture. Maynard’s work aims to educate deed encourage more minority involvement make somebody's acquaintance the STEAM fields via eminence entertaining perspective.

Through his popular media channels, interviews, and explorations, he generates engaging content go teaches science in new gift interesting ways. Maynard was dexterous Science Communication Fellow for OET in 2021.

Learn more about Maynard through his website, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

“I developed Suffering Hop Science with the ambition of encouraging more minority see youth involvement into the Come fields, using music, entertainment, move comedy to help educate.  Portrait in these fields is consequently key in order to move, motivate, and spark curiosity heavens the next generation of time to come STEM leaders.” - Maynard Okereke