Hello!
My name is Anastasia Elmendorf and I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2020 with my BS in Marine Biology. I grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and have spent my whole life around the ocean and on the water. I became interested in the Marine Technology field when I worked as a lab-assistant for Dr. Joan Bernhard in the Geology and Geophysics department of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Despite starting out in the biology field, I believe I will shift well into engineering, as I come from a family of engineers and have always been assisting my family members with projects. I do have extensive experience onboard boats and ships, as throughout my life my parents took me on trips up and down the east coast onboard our 40 ft. sailboat, Onair. My interest in the ocean was only further cemented when I took an immersive sailing and diving summer course, where I earned my SCUBA license.
Some of my hobbies include sailing, antique cars, sewing, education and reading.
In just 6 days I will be packed and boarding a plane to Iceland, where a connecting flight will take me to Greenland. There I will board the R/V Neil Armstrong docked in Nuuk to join the transit back to Woods Hole. As a MATE intern I will learn from the marine techs onboard and assist with the operations and repair of the research equipment during the upcoming OOI cruise in November. This cruise promises to be a very exciting operation as the Coastal Pioneer Array (currently located about 75 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard) is slated to be moved to a new location further south, so all the equipment and moorings will be removed.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to intern aboard the Armstrong, and I must thank all those who helped me get here including Dr. Joan Bernhard, Phil Forte, Maria Osiadazc, Jen Police, Karen Manning, Heidi Sanburg and of course my parents!