Classroom to Career
Follow the journeys of Master of alumni as they turn their passions into meaningful work. Through their stories, you’ll see how courses, internships, research projects, and mentorship in the Marine Affairs Program helped them build confidence, grow their networks, and step into impactful roles across the marine sector.
Alumni Stoires
Hear from Marine Affairs Program graduates about their paths from the classroom to their impactful careers.
“The Master of Marine Management opened my eyes to risk management in the marine environment and gave me the tools to work directly with communities and decision-makers in the Arctic.”
During the Master of Marine Management program, Jessica discovered a passion for risk management that now guides her work in Arctic search and rescue. At Dalhousie, she interned with WWF on reducing shipping impacts in marine protected areas and completed a graduate impact assessment on shipping in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, experiences that led to research roles in marine oil spill response and Arctic risk governance. Today, as part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s Arctic Region Search and Rescue team, she collaborates with communities, partners, and responders across the North to understand risks, strengthen response capacity, and integrate local knowledge into safer, more effective operations.
“The MMM’s breadth really matches my work—every day I’m drawing on policy, science, co-management, and communication to solve complex problems in the Arctic.”
From policy research in coastal communities to navigating icebreakers in the Arctic, Cailey Dyer’s path shows how the Master of Marine Management can take you far beyond the classroom. With a social science background and a passion for public policy, she used the MMM to dive into fisheries governance, co-management, and marine spatial planning—skills she now draws on daily as Assistant Manager of Ice Services at Fednav, helping ships safely transit the Canadian Arctic while balancing business, environmental, and community priorities.
Visit Cailey's page to read her full story.
“The Marine Affairs Program was a foundational stepping stone—I wouldn’t have had many of the opportunities in my career without it.”
From a fisheries observer in Alaska to leading water programs in Nova Scotia, Cameron’s career shows how the Master of Marine Management can anchor long-term impact in environmental management. After MAP, he moved from contract roles with federal agencies, NGOs, and the Halifax Regional Municipality—where he led watershed studies, blue‑green algae response protocols, and LiDAR mapping projects—into a senior provincial role managing surface water quality, environmental assessments, and major compliance files.
Visit Cameron's page to read more about his journey.