Sheryl Christy Gilmore
Position at AIO: Executive Director
I’ve worked at AIO: 40 years… time flies when you’re having fun!
I’m from… Michigan
Right now I live in… Michigan and Maine and Florida
My favorite area of study is… Everything!
Sheryl Christy Gilmore, the Executive Director and Owner of AIO, is beginning her 40th season. For 15 years, Sherry taught and directed environmental education programs in southern Maine. She received her B.A. & teaching certification from Kalamazoo College in Michigan and continues working towards her Masters in Science Education. Other experiences include classroom teaching, teacher training and teaching marine biology from a 101 ft ship on Puget Sound. Sherry has taught marine science in the local schools and has written curriculum for classroom teachers and started offering workshops to bring the outdoors into the classroom before it was fashionable back in the 1980’s. She is PADI certified, and developed and runs AIO’s Tropical programs and the Florida Exploration program. For many years, she has been working with other Healthy Ocean Coalition members nationwide and the Ocean Conservancy, meeting with Congress members in Washington, DC to share our work and encourage them to keep a focus on important ocean issues. Her other interests include marine mammals, coastal ecology, traveling, music and her family.
Jim Gilmore
Position at AIO: Associate Directer
I’ve worked at AIO: 31 years
I’m from… Illinois
Right now I live in… Michigan and Florida
My favorite area of study is… Documentary film
Jim Gilmore, Associate Director/Co-Owner of AIO, is a visiting filmmaker at Flagler College in Saint Augustine where he is helping to establish a new Cinematic Arts major. Previously he was Clinical Professor of Journalism & Screen Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn where he taught courses in media production, documentary studies and photojournalism. For 31 seasons, Jim has worked behind the scenes on advertising, promotion & administration. He holds a B.A. from Kalamazoo College and M.A. in Broadcasting and Film from the University of Iowa. Jim is an award- winning documentary filmmaker and President of his own production company, Acadia Pictures. He is currently in post-production on a new feature-length documentary about major league baseball scouts.
Kathy Dubbs
Position at AIO: Co-Director of Programs
I’ve worked at AIO: 34 years
I’m from… Michigan
Right now I live in… Texas
My favorite area of study is… Geology and Biology
Kathy Dubbs returns as the AIO Co-Director for her 34th summer. With a B.A. in Biology from Kalamazoo College in Michigan and a M.S. in Geology from Stephen F. Austin University in Texas, Kathy is currently teaching Geology and Oceanography at Blinn College in Bryan, Texas. She has spent several years teaching marine studies and env. education in a variety of ecosystems. Previously a teacher/ program director for an environmental center in New England as well as an instructor of tropical marine ecology in Florida, Kathy also teaches in the Jamaica, Belize, Bermuda and Florida programs. She is also PADI & Life Guard certified. Her interests include hiking, running, birding and wildlife conservation. Each spring, she and her husband, Tim, volunteer for the National Park Service patrolling for nesting sea turtles along the Texas Gulf Coast. And she always wins at backgammon!
Timothy Dubbs
Position at AIO: Co-Director of Programs
I’ve worked at AIO: 29 years
I’m from… Texas
Right now I live in… Texas, of course!
My favorite area of study is… Geology and Physical Oceanography
Timothy Dubbs is joining us for his 29th summer as the Co-Director of Programs. He has a B.S. in Environmental Geology from the U. of Mississippi, a M.S. in Environmental Science and a B.A. in Anthropology from the U. of Texas, Dallas. Tim has taught and directed in science field programs in New York and Texas. Most recently, Tim was a core teacher at Houston’s ISD’s Outdoor Education Center where he spent more than 25 years. Additionally, he has been a classroom science teacher within the Texas public school system. Tim devotes much time and effort to environmental issues including sea turtle conservation and wilderness preservation. He has research experience in alpine ecology at UTD field camp in Colorado, habitat survey and restoration in Wyoming and has studied at the Black Hills geology field camp. He is a PADI certified scuba diver and a YMCA trained lifeguard. Tim is a blues music aficionado, has skydiving experience, and also has interest in historic aircraft and auto racing.
Matt Lubicky
Position at AIO: Teacher of Oceanography
I’ve worked at AIO: 20 years
I’m from… Illinois
Right now I live in… New Jersey
My favorite area of study is… Marine Ecology
Matt Lubicky will return for his 20th summer. For the past 5 years, he’s been teaching earth science, honors biology, and robotics at Moorestown Friends School in Moorestown, New Jersey. Prior to this he spent seven years working for Houston ISD Outdoor Education Center where he was an Outdoor Education Leader. Matt has a B.A. and B.S. from UNH with degrees in English and Marine/ Freshwater Biology, respectively. He spent a year teaching honors Biology at Dover High School where he enjoyed teaching about the intersection of science and history, whaling and evolution. He has conducted research on the Atlantic Cod stock in the Gulf of Maine and studied at SEA Semester, sailing from Honolulu to San Francisco while completing research on phytoplankton in the Pacific. Matt has worked for the AIO Tropical and Florida programs, as a substitute teacher and a volunteer/tutor at 826 NYC’s Superhero Supply Co. In his free time, Matt enjoys just about everything outdoors, from Ultimate Frisbee to photography to woodworking and visiting thrift stores.
Chris Cayo
Position at AIO: Recreation Staff
I’ve worked at AIO: 14 years
I’m from… Miami, Florida
Right now I live in… Miami, Florida
My favorite area of study is… Fishing
Chris Cayo returns to us for his 14th summer as an AIO Staff member. Chris (or CJ as many of us call him) has attended more of the AIO programs as a student than anyone and now he’s pleased to be working with the students as a staff member. He lives in Miami, Florida in the summer and sometimes winters in Colorado so he can partake in two of his favorite past times: diving and skiing. CJ has extensive SCUBA experience and helps oversee our salt water tanks during the summer and shows us all up with his diving skills on the Belize programs. He has worked with injured youth and veterans for several years and loves giving back!
Alicia Navarrete
Position at AIO: Teacher of Oceanography
I’ve worked at AIO: 10 years
I’m from… Rochester, New York
Right now I live in… Moorestown, New Jersey
My favorite area of study is… cultural anthropology
Alicia Navarrete returns to AIO for her 10th summer with extensive teaching experience, including 8 years with the Houston ISD Outdoor Education Center, the Rochester Rotary Sunshine Campus for students with disabilities, Little Tree Education (a Montessori school), and Kinderker (a bilingual pre-school in Nicaragua). Alicia has a BS in Elementary Education from SUNY Oswego. Currently, Alicia is a Senior Faciliatator at the Princeton-Blairstown center, which provides adventure-based, experiental education to youth from historically marginalized communities. Alicia is a certified ACCT Level II practitioner, a wilderness first aid responder and a certified lifeguard. She loves to travel and relishes outdoor activities of any and all sorts, performing basic carpentry and going to movies.
Caroline Moore
Position at AIO: Teacher of Oceanography
I’ve worked at AIO: 9 years
I’m from… Massachusetts
Right now I live in… Winter Harbor, Maine
My favorite area of study is… Ecology and Citizen Science
Caroline Moore returns to AIO for her 9th summer! She graduated from Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Biology and her teaching certification in life science. For several years, Caroline worked with students from Maine’s islands as they navigated the college process, often meeting with the students on ferry boats. She has worked with students in a variety of settings, incuding the middle and high school classroom, in school gardens, and at Schoodic Peninsula with Acadia National Park. Caroline has enjoyed highlighting the intersection of math and science at the middle school level, and getting students involved in designing and carrying out their own investigations. She loves exploring outside in any and all ways: traili running, hammocking, and most recently (year round!) cold water swimming. Way to go, Caroline!
Bruce Stephen
Position at AIO: Teacher of Oceanography
I’ve worked at AIO: 14 years
I’m from… Lincoln, Nebraska
Right now I live in… Lincoln, Nebraska… after many years spent in other parts of the country
My favorite area of study is… Language and culture
Bruce Stephen is returning to AIO for his 14th summer. He had spent many summers with us starting in 1994 and then went on to conduct field survey work throughout the country, returning to Acadia National Park for research a couple of times. Besides the summers, Bruce is an instructor in all of our winter programs (Jamaica, Bermuda, Belize and Florida). He publishes about his work regularly and has also written a few self-published books on marine science topics that can be found at Amazon. For the past 16 years, he has taught Biology, Genetics and Marine Biology at a college in Lincoln, Nebraska but is now teaching marine science and statistics to graduate students at Unity College in Maine. Teaching both undergrad and graduate classes, he recently developed a new graduate class about the impact of marine predators on coastal ecosystems. He also works with exemplary high school students to design and implement research projects. He has been working with disabled adults this past year as a job coach. When he’s not working in academics, Bruce teaches drumming and plays drums in his band, Tolerating Bob. They’ve recently released two songs found on Spotify and iTunes. Bruce has his BS in Biology from SUNY College at Cortland, his Master’s of Science in Biology/Marine Biology from the University of Massachusetts and his Ph.D in Applied Ecology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. His family has spent many summers in Owls Head, Maine so he’s looking forward to returning to the east coast again!
Rosalind Bailey
Position at AIO: Teacher of Oceanography
I’ve worked at AIO: 1st summer
I’m from… Vermont
Right now I live in… Rhode Island
My favorite area of study is… studying coral conservation and how climate change affects our coastal communities
Rosalind Bailey joins us for her first summer as a member of the teaching staff. Rosie is another member of the staff who has also been a student in the program. She has won several scholarships and internships for her work in science, most notably the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship which took her to Hawaii where she was an educational outreach intern at the Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center. Rosie has spent the past two years as a research assistant in the Putnam Lab at URI and was at the Bermuda Biological Institute of Science in the fall of 2021. Other work experiences include Ogontiz Camp as a crew manager and as a pharmacy tech. We’re excited to have Rosie back as a staff member!
Emily Shopland
Position at AIO: Teacher of Oceanography
I’ve worked at AIO: 5 years
I’m from… East Hardwick, Vermont
Right now I live in… Saco, Maine
My favorite area of study is… cetacean behavior
Emily Shopland is joining us for her 5th summer as a teaching staff member but she is no stranger to AIO. She (and her brother) have been students in the program, too. Emily received her B.A. in Elementary Education and Biology from the University of Rhode Island and then started her teaching career at the Compass School before moving into her own classroom of 5th and 6th grade students to teach Math and Science at the Danville School in Vermont. After a lifetime in Vermont, Emily moved to Maine where she teaches 5th grade at Alfred Elementary School in Sanford. She spent four summers at W. Alton Jones Environmental Education Center in Rhode Island as an outdoor science educator. Emily is looking forward to returning to AIO and sharing her love of the ocean and our program to a new generation of students. Welcome back, Emily!
Akiva Garfield
Position at AIO: Teacher of Oceanography
I’ve worked at AIO: 3rd summer
I’m from… Oneonta, NY
Right now I live in… New Paltz, NY
My favorite area of study is… Geology and Astronomy
Akiva Garfield is back for his 3rd year as a staff member after graduating from SUNY New Paltz in New York with a BS in Geology, a minor in Astronomy and his Master’s in secondary education. He has spent time identifying areas of erosion and other threats to streams in Delaware County. Last summer he was a Watershed Steward with the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership where he worked at educating boat owners on preventative actions to avoid spreading invasive species of plants. Akiva has also spent many years lifeguarding and is a competitive swimmer. This year, Akiva has started rock climbing and working at the SUNY planetarium as well. He’s currently working and traveling in Austrailia. Welcome back to the staff, Akiva!
Grace Gilmore
Position at AIO: Head Cook
I’ve worked at AIO: many years
I’m from… Michigan
Right now I live in… New Jersey
My favorite area of study is… Alicia Navarette
Grace Gilmore is returning for her 11th summer and her 4th as the Head Cook. In previous summer’s she has held several positions as a part time chef’s assistant, teaching staff member and Intern Coordinator. Grace graduated from Kalamazoo College in Michigan with her B.A. and from Sarah Lawrence College in NY with her M.F.A. In the off season, Grace is an actor, stage manager, lighting designer and has performed at the Kennedy Center, studied theatre in London, and taught children’s theatre and improvisation at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre. She spent two seasons as a member of the Mercury Store in Brooklyn, working with directors to create and develop their works. During the year, she has been stage managing and lighting off broadway and plans to return to her acting roots after Labor Day but is excited to be working and living in Maine again this summer!
Griffin Gilmore
Position at AIO: Chef
I’ve worked at AIO: 8
I’m from… Maine
Right now I live in… Michigan
My favorite area of study is… Japanese Language
Griffin Gilmore is returning for his 7th summer at AIO. He graduated from McNally Smith College of Music with his Associates Degree in music performance and is currently working towards his B.A. in Japanese Languagur and Culture at Eastern Michigan University. He spend most a year in Tokyo studying Japanese and is returning in August for a study abroad program. Griffin will be the head chef for the beginning of the summer and then work our other chef for the remainder of the summer. When he’s not studying Japanese, Griffin is an avid skateboarder. Welcome back, Griffin!
Steven Gourley
Position at AIO: Staff
I’ve worked at AIO: 2nd year
I’m from… McDonough, Georgia
Right now I live in… Hattiesburg Mississippi
My favorite area of study is… Marine mammals
Steven Gourley returns to the staff this year after working as an intern last summer. While he continues to pursue his studies as a rising junior at the University of Southern Mississippi where he is pursuing a degree in Marine Biology, he’ll be back to help in the kitchen and on the teaching staff. The past few years, Steven has volunteered at the Hattiesburg Zoo where he worked closely with zoo keepers to take care of the animals. Now he’s looking forward to working with the AIO students this summer. Welcome back, Steven!
Pam Shelton, RN
Position at AIO: Nurse
I’ve worked at AIO: 12 years
I’m from… Maine
Right now I live in… Portland, Maine
My favorite area of study is… Sailing
Pamela Shelton RN is returning for her 12th summer as our nurse. Pam has worked in many different areas of nursing and she is certified in case management… being sure the patient is receiving proper care. She has been involved in home health care, alternative nursing, occupational health, and hospice work and spent five years at Mercy Hospital in Portland. Pam has also been a RN Clinical Instructor and, most recently, she has been working in Maine schools as a substitute school nurse. This experience has been invaluable in how to navigate the pandemic with children so they’ll be in good hands this summer! She’s also a sailor from way back. Pam is grateful to be returning to beautiful Mt. Desert Island (and we’re incredibly grateful for her)!
William Lurz
Position at AIO: Intern Staff
I’ve worked at AIO: 1 year
I’m from… Brooklyn, New York
Right now I live in… Miami, Florida
My favorite area of study is… Marine Biology and Policy
William Lurz is joining our Intern staff this year after he was a student in our program for two summers. He is currently a sophomore at the University of Miami with a major in Marine Biology and Ecology at the Rosenstiel School of Marine Atmospheric Science. William has a strong interest in the policy side of marine issues and spent time working on local campaigns. He has been a math tutor and loves to rock climb in his freetime. We’re excited to have him back this summer!
Lucy Cumming
Position at AIO: Intern Staff
I’ve worked at AIO: First summer
I’m from… North Greenish, NY
Right now I live in... Mystic, Connecticut
My favorite area of study is… Stories!
Lucy Cumming returns to AIO as an intern after spending three summers as a student in the program. She is currently a junior at Williams College where she is majoring in History and English, with a concentration in Maritime Studies. Lucy is completing a semester this spring with the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies program. It has given her the opportunity to travel and learn about maritime history. She has worked in the theatre for the past two years, worked with horses, and has tutored children in piano, cello, songwriting and violin. Lucy is also certified in wilderness first aid. We’re looking forward to having you back this summer, Lucy!
Natalia Sawicka
Position at AIO: Intern Staff
I’ve worked at AIO: 1 year
I’m from… Newton, Massachusetts
Right now I live in… Boston, Massachusetts
My favorite area of study is… cetacean biology, ecology and behavior, particularly humpbacks!
Natalia Sawicka is joining our intern staff for her first summer working at AIO. She was a student in our Advanced session and is now a sophomore at Boston University majoring in Marine Science and minoring in Visual arts. Natalia has participated in several programs including the SEA Quest through Sea Education Association, SEA Expedition, teaching sailing and as a youth leader at her church. She aspires to be a marine biologist and conservationist who channels art as an avenue for environmental activism and awareness. In her freetime, she loves to read, bake, sing, and play the ukulele for fun but is looking forward to sharing her love of the oceans with this summer’s students. Welcome to the staff, Natalia!