“It’s the mystery of it,” says Kennedy Ingram about the ocean. “Knowing that over 80% of the ocean is still unexplored makes me feel like there’s so much left to discover.”
In May, Ingram will graduate from the UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences with a B.S. in ocean science and a minor in ecology. She is one of the first two Black women, along with Macie Phillips, to graduate from the program, and her academic path reflects Franklin’s emphasis on experiential and multidisciplinary learning.
Much of Ingram’s education took place outside the traditional classroom. Through UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography’s Semester at Skidaway program, she joined a small cohort of students conducting field-based research along the Georgia coast. There, she worked across physical, chemical, biological, and geological oceanography — collecting samples, analyzing data, and learning to approach problems through multiple scientific lenses.
“We weren’t just studying oceanography, we were doing it,” she says. “The experience helped me understand how interconnected everything in the ocean really is.” Her ecology minor strengthened that perspective, helping her connect sediment movement, coastal change, and Earth history to broader ocean systems.
This type of powerful experiential learning was at play when Ingram participated in a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program through Penn State, where she studied the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. Using Python and large environmental datasets, she examined how dust transport and ocean conditions influence large-scale algal blooms across the Caribbean. She also contributed to a collaborative project at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, working with geologists and federal researchers to support public-facing educational materials based on landscape surveys.
Outside of academics, Ingram dedicated her time to mentorship and outreach. She served with the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation through the U.S. National Science Foundation, mentoring first-year STEM students, and participated in programs such as Georgia Daze and SeaDawgs to support recruitment and engagement in the sciences. Through the Georgia Commitment Scholar Ambassador Program, she also helped communicate the importance of need-based scholarships to donors.
“I wanted to help create spaces where students feel like they belong in STEM,” she said.
Nationally, Black students earn fewer than 3% of bachelor’s degrees in Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences. Ingram hopes to help change that.
“We need more diversity in ocean science,” she said. “Different perspectives lead to better science and better solutions, especially as we face climate challenges tied to the ocean.”
Her advice to future students is simple: “Keep pushing forward. Even when it gets hard, stay focused on your vision. Your work matters.”
As she prepares to graduate, Ingram carries forward both her scientific training and her commitment to expanding access in the field she loves most – the ocean.
This article first appeared on the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences website. It was written by Joy Pope. It has been lightly edited for republication on the UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography website.
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.