Cindy Lee Van Dover is the first female director of Duke University’s Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C., where Wittenberg University students regularly study.
Van Dover, as one of the world’s leading oceanographers with extensive expertise on hydrothermal vents and chemosynthetic ecosystems, has studied the sea floor for more than 25 years.
“She is a remarkable scientist, teacher and administrator whose leadership in challenging times has been critical to the Marine Lab’s ability to attract some of the brightest young minds in the field today,” said William L. Chameides, dean of Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment.
Dr. Van Dover’s book, “The Ecology of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents,” was the first textbook of its kind, and she is the first female Ph.D. to complete the rigorous training necessary to pilot the ALVIN submersible research vehicle, allowing her to explore the ocean floor to depths of more than 3,600 meters.
She has led almost 50 expeditions on the ALVIN, discovering new life forms and animals on the ocean floor on nearly every exploration.
Described by Van Dover as being like the geysers of Yellowstone Park, the hydrothermal vents and chemosynthetic ecosystems she studies are oases of life on the barren ocean floor.
During her tenure, the Marine Lab has opened a Marine Conservation Molecular Facility and has significantly expanded its research and teaching programs in the rapidly emerging field of marine molecular biology.
A Fulbright Scholar, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and the chief scientist for select field programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Van Dover has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles.
Van Dover’s lecture is part of The Wittenberg Series, a wonderful selection of admission-free, cultural activities presented annually by Wittenberg University. All are welcome. Visit www.wittenberg.edu for details.
Katherine Denney is executive director of Arts Interface Creative Group, a local nonprofit organization working with Wittenberg University on marketing initiatives that engage the broader community with the arts
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