Expedition 15 Interviews

James Brennan is Atlantis’ Communications and Electronics Technician, or “ComET.” He makes sure all the communications on the ship, from radios to satellite phones, are up and running every day. He’s been a ham radio operator since he was in eighth grade, and is a self-described radio nut—so in other words, he’s tailor-made for this job. Read the interview »

Allison Heater is an SSSG, or Shipboard Scientific Services Group technician, on the Atlantis for this expedition. During a single shift at work, she might fix a satellite connection, solve a software problem, help deploy and recover instruments, attend meetings of the science team, and repair a broken sampler—while remaining calm and diplomatic in the midst of frantic activity. It’s not a job for everyone, but she loves it. Read the interview »

Tito Collasius started working on research ships as a messman—a kitchen assistant. Now he leads the team handling the remotely operated vehicle Jason, seeing things few people will ever see and collecting samples that seemed impossible to get. Read the interview »

Lance Wills, able-bodied seaman on the Atlantis, has spent 30 years working on ships of all sorts, from fishing boats to research vessels. Over the years, he’s picked up plenty of good stories. He also picked up photography skills and a master’s degree in journalism. When he’s not standing watch on the bridge, Wills is often writing in his cabin and has penned several books here on the ship. Read the interview »

As a cook on the Atlantis, Brendon Todd is responsible for preparing many of our amazing daily meals. Brendon first started working on the ship in 2006 after graduating from culinary school, and one day plans to open his own restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island. Read the interview »

Graduate student Ashley Grosche took an unusual path into science. While studying hairdressing at a vocational high school, she realized she had a deep interest in biology, and later took the plunge into studying microbes. Today, she’s a Ph.D. student in Costa Vetriani’s lab at Rutgers University. This is her first research cruise, and so far, she’s loved every minute. Read the interview »

Ileana Pérez-Rodríguez is a post-doctoral researcher at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Although she didn’t set out to study microbes at first, she’s hooked on them today. Read the interview »

While other scientists on this cruise are bringing samples of vent fluid up from the seafloor for study, marine chemist Nadine Le Bris is taking a different approach. She’s leaving sensors on the bottom that can measure changes in vent chemistry over time. Ultimately, she says, these measurments might help explain how animals at the vents affect the environment around them. Read the interview »