After 31 years of service at the University of Maine, Dr. Susan Brawley, Professor of Plant Biology & Marine Biology, retired on September 1, 2022. Susan has contributed remarkably over the course of her professional life to understanding and explaining the biological, ecological, and genetic contributions of algae and has been a stalwart champion of the seaweeds in the Gulf of Maine. A deep dive into Susan’s curriculum vitae is a journey across continents and cultures, adventures and memories, as well as scientific breakthroughs and collaborations.
Susan received her Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, in Biological Sciences in 1973 from Wellesley College, MA, and her doctorate in Botany from the University of California, Berkeley, CA, in 1978. From 1976-1977, Susan was awarded a Luce Scholarship and was a visiting investigator at the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo. Her postdoctoral work included a Smithsonian Fellowship in Washington, D.C. where she was appointed a Research Associate position in 1980. From 1981-1983, Susan was a Science Scholar of the Bunting Institute at Radcliffe College. In 1983, she was a National Program Grantee from the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the Peoples’ Republic of China (National Academy of Sciences) and she spent five months at the Institute of Oceanology in Qingdao. Susan joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University in 1983 and was awarded tenure in 1990. She moved to the University of Maine in 1991, becoming a Full Professor in 1994. Susan was elected as a Fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2012. In 2020, Susan received the Phycological Society of America’s Award of Excellence.
Her funded research projects are numerous, including multiple awards from the National Science Foundation, Maine Sea Grant, and the National Geographic Society. Notable in Susan’s career is her leadership in the University of Maine’s NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows program; that program, from 1999-2006, transformed the science education for K-12 students, educators, and graduate students. In 2005, the New England Board of Higher Education recognized that program, and Susan’s leadership with an Award for Excellence in Project Achievement.
Along with bench and field-immersive authentic research, Susan taught numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, was a mentor to scores of theses and doctoral committees, directed over thirty undergraduate theses, was a major professor to eight masters’ theses, six Ph.D. dissertations, and was a postdoctoral advisor to five researchers, many of whom have continued researching the algae and are scattered across the world. Susan is a scholar of scholars; she taught her students the importance of reading deeply in the literature as well as modeled the power of the pen to inform oneself and others to the importance of the science that is being discovered. Susan also fostered many communities of scientists and creatives while at the University of Maine, hosting many dinner parties for visiting seminar speakers, graduate students, and sabbatical faculty. Some of her signature celebrations include her annual holiday tree party and St. Patrick’s Day Ceilidh.
Susan has been a long-standing champion of sea vegetables. Professionally, she has dedicated decades of her energy and effort towards achieving sustainable, vibrant sea vegetable industries in the state of Maine. In particular, she has advanced Porphyra mariculture techniques and infrastructure and was a key member of Maine’s Department of Marine Resources’ Rockweed Fishery Management Project Development Team in 2013. Susan has always cooked with and advocated for the consumption of sea vegetables. An example of her passion was in 2005 was when she arranged a “Sea Vegetable Celebration Day” at the University of Maine’s Marketplace in collaboration with UM Dining Services. This event won the 2006 Gold Medal for Special Themed Dinner for medium-sized universities in the United States and, more importantly, introduced many hungry college students to how delicious sea vegetables are.
Sláinte, Susan, for reaching this milestone! We hope that in retirement you continue to seek new adventures and make wonderful memories. Hopefully, as a Professor Emerita, there will be more time for travel and exploration, hiking, and reading for pleasure. On behalf of the Maine seaweed community, thank you for sharing your science and advocating for sustainable, healthy, Maine ecosystems.
Reflections on Susan Brawley’s impact on the Maine seaweed community by a MSC member
Although a long time Maine Seaweed Council (MSC) member, Susan rarely had the time to attend meetings. But whenever she did, her voice was valued and always advocated for science-based choices and sustainable practices. Likewise, her multi-year participation in the DMR convened Rockweed Management Working Group played a crucial role in producing a science-based, common sense rockweed management plan for the coast of Maine. Another important contribution she made to the MSC and the greater seaweed community was lending her reputation, credentials, time and lab access to many state, federal, and international grant proposals. Thanks to her backing, many of these proposals were funded, allowing her to contribute her expertise and wisdom to many pioneering seaweed projects, particularly in the emerging aquaculture sector.
Susan had a vision for Maine seaweeds and generously shared her extensive experiences in Japan, China, and Europe with numerous Maine seaweed endeavors. She even imported an ingenious Japanese net handling system to further her support of someday producing a Maine nori sheet. One of her many contributions to boosting seaweed aquaculture development was her work with the University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture in putting together two “clean” seeding rooms where propagation processes could be effectively carried out.
Susan’s detailed knowledge of the complicated and sensitive propagation process for each species also allowed her to play in important part in helping the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardiners (MOFGA) develop the first Certified Organic Standards for aquaculture seaweeds (link to MOFGA standards). Thanks to her contributions there are now many Maine seaweed operations who owe their good fortune to Susan’s efforts.
Susan’s continual efforts over decades to promote the use of Maine seaweeds, and educate seaweed producers, processors, marketers, as well as educators, legislators and regulators, has our deep admiration and gratitude. Thank you, Susan.