RE Log Fall 2016

22 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2016 ROLAND SAMIMY will tell you, quite directly, that his life’s work revolves around addressing one vexing environmental problem: How much water is flowing, and how much … ahem … organic material is it car- rying? So simple, yet so complicated. As population growth has soared, nu- trient-related waste production has climbed with it, and much of that waste is seeping into our water supply – whether through groundwa- ter flows, rivers and drainage canals or stormwater drains – wreaking environmental, economic and aesthetic havoc. These sorts of issues captivate Samimy, who regularly travels between South Florida and Massachusetts as the senior research manager of the Coastal Systems Program at the University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology – which is at the cutting edge of its field: nutrient management and coastal habitat restoration. “People’s lives depend on the health of these coastal systems,” Sa- mimy said. “People don’t realize how closely we are connected to the natural environment… The trends are all downward in terms of water quality, and they’re downward in terms of water quality because of what’s coming from the land.” When fresh or salt water is contaminated by an excess of nutrients, scientists working with engineers can dilute the concentration by bringing in more water; remove it by adding natural filter feeders such as shellfish; or reduce the flow of it at the source. The solutions are simple in theory, but cost-effective, real-life fixes require a chal- lenging intersection of science, economics and politics. “I love to deal with complex, multi-dimensional problems and find out how to solve them,” Samimy said. Samimy’s most interesting problem as an undergraduate at Tufts University was a big one: figuring out what to do with his life. Though he had enjoyed science and math at Ransom Everglades, he majored in English and architectural history, with an occasional and hesitant venture into the STEM subjects. He took the LSATs and applied to law schools, but ultimately couldn’t imagine spending his days in law libraries and courtrooms. ROLAND SAMIMY ’86 Senior Research Manager, Coastal Systems Program at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, PhD coastal systems science Tufts University, MS water resources engineering, MA environmental policy, BA English and architectural history Memorable teacher, class: George Kasyan, eighth-grade science, Dr. Robert “Doc” Crabtree, Anatomy and Physiology science As he mulled his future, he tried to pinpoint his pas- sions. Samimy had moved to Miami from Brooklyn with his family at age four, spending his boyhood years sailing, surfing and, eventually, swimming and play- ing water polo at RE. Water and the natural world had always motivated him. Could he combine his interest in environmental protection with the problems of marine- habitat destruction and water quality? He could, he realized, but at a cost. He re-applied to Tufts for graduate school, then loaded up on the civil engineering and science courses he had mostly avoided as an undergrad. “It was harder than hard,” he said. “I lived in constant fear of failure for 3 1/2 years. It was my walk through the valley of death.” He emerged four years later with dual master’s degrees in water resources engineering and environmental policy. He worked as a hydrologist, learning the ropes over 10 years in environmental consulting and a couple four-month stints with researchers in Antarctica. He eventually earned his PhD in coastal systems science at UMass as he worked on the largest estuarine restoration program in New England. “The road to where I am has been very twisted,” he said. “Nothing I’ve done in life has been very straight or clear. At times it was really tedious, hard and frustrating, but it was short-term pain for a lifetime of really interesting work and a chance to contribute positively to society in my own meaningful way.” I love to deal th complex, multi-dimensional problems and find out how to solve them.