Claire Eilers and Isaac Griffin-Wiesner, both graduate students in faculty member Nicholas Foukal’s lab at the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO), have been accepted to the highly selective Summer School in Sea Level Science program, led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The program, which runs from May 17-30, 2026, in the seaside village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, will bring together graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and early-career scientists with leading experts in sea level theories, models and observations.
Participants will be trained on the physical mechanisms, drivers and impacts of global and regional sea level changes, and they will gain hands-on experience using satellite and in situ observing systems and major modeling frameworks to analyze past changes and project future trends.
“Having not yet been exposed to the space and mentorship to explore the field of sea level science, I expect this summer school will offer an unparalleled immersion into the concepts and tools used to track sea level changes, guided by leading minds and in collaboration with fellow attendees,” said Eilers. “Because sea level science truly concerns all of us, I am motivated by a desire to bridge this discipline with my own research and discover its connection to other sciences, as well as to those stakeholders who are experiencing a reshaping of their relationship to the coast.”
“Sea-level rise is one of the most pressing effects of climate change, especially locally in Savannah, and is a key potential consequence of changes to the circulation systems our group studies,” said Griffin-Wiesner. “I haven’t had the opportunity yet to dive very far into the mechanics of sea level science, so I’m excited about the opportunity to do so in such a unique context and with so many experts in the field.”
With instruction from an impressive group of more than 20 faculty members from universities and laboratories across the United States, the format of the program will include traditional lectures, as well as experiential learning activities, and culminate in team capstone projects.
“It was a very selective admissions process, so it is impressive that both Claire and Isaac were admitted,” said Foukal, an assistant professor in the Department of Marine Sciences in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “It is being taught by leading experts on sea level dynamics, so it is a great opportunity for both of them to expand their research expertise.”
About SkIO
The UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) is a multidisciplinary research and education institution located on Skidaway Island near Savannah, Georgia. The Institute was founded in 1967 with a mission to conduct research in all fields of oceanography. In 2013, SkIO was merged with the University of Georgia. The campus serves as a gateway to coastal and marine environments for programs throughout the University System. The Institute’s primary goals are to further the understanding of marine and environmental processes, conduct leading-edge research on coastal and marine systems, and train tomorrow’s scientists. For more information, visit www.skio.uga.edu.