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Amy Bower | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Tufts University (B.Sc.) University of Rhode Island (Ph.D.) |
| Occupation | Physical oceanographer |
| Employer | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |
| Known for | Research on ocean circulation and for being one of the few blind oceanographers. |
| Website | https://www2.whoi.edu/site/bower-lab |
Amy Bower is an American physical oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is known for her research on ocean circulation and for being one of the few blind oceanographers.
Career
[edit]Bower received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics at Tufts University and her PhD in Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island.[1] Bower is a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.[2][3] She was the chair of the Physical Oceanography Department from 2018 to 2022.[4] She attended Tufts University as an undergraduate and the University of Rhode Island for her PhD.[3][5] Presently, she serves as Chair of the Department of Physical Oceanography.
Research
[edit]Bower investigates ocean circulation, including thermohaline circulation (the so-called ocean conveyor belt), using research floats.[2][6][7] Bower goes on research cruises to retrieve the floats and deploy equipment.[5][8] Her group has deployed hundreds of RAFOS floats in the Arctic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, among other locations.[9]
Bower is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the Oceanography Society, the American Meteorological Society, the European Geophysical Union, Sigma Xi, and the Society for Women in Marine Science.[10]
Disability and advocacy
[edit]Bower is legally blind, having lost much of her sight in the past twenty years to juvenile macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, and still has some light perception.[3][5][11] Bower uses adaptive technology, such as a screen magnifier, talking screen readers, and sighted assistance, and uses a service dog for navigation.[12][1] She advocates for improved accessibility tools and equal access to information for blind scientists.[11] She started a partnership with Perkins School for the Blind to allow young blind students to fully participate in science classes and meet blind scientists, such as herself.[13][14] "If they don't ever meet a blind scientist, they're never going to think that they can be one," she told Tufts Now.[3] In 2007, Bower founded OceanInsight, an education outreach program for the blind and visually impaired.[1]
Awards
[edit]- Thomas J. Carroll Award for Employment, 2003
- Blind Employee of the Year in Massachusetts by the Carroll Center for the Blind and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, 2003
- Fellow of the American Meteorological Society, 2010
- Massachusetts Unsung Heroine Award, 2010[13]
- Chrysalis Award, Center for Vision Loss, 2011[12]
- University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography Dean's Achievement Award, 2014[15]
- Henry Bryant Bigelow Chair for Excellence in Oceanography, WHOI, 2014
- Henry Stommel Research Award,[16] the highest honor the American Meteorological Society (AMS) presents to oceanographers, 2025
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Dr. Amy Bower | Polus Center for Social & Economic Development". www.poluscenter.org. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Kornei, Katherine (February 17, 2018). "Ocean array alters view of Atlantic 'conveyor belt'". Science | AAAS. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "A Blind Scientist's Vision". Tufts Now. April 21, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "$8.3M award to WHOI extends observational record of critical climate research". www.newswise.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Blind-Sided: Losing Sight Out of Nowhere, Why?". ABC News. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ Mooney, Chris. "Everything you need to know about the surprisingly cold 'blob' in the North Atlantic ocean". Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "Deep Floats Reveal Complex Ocean Circulation Patterns". Eos. November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ Hohn, Donovan (February 14, 2011). "Unseen Currents: A Blind Oceanographer Chases Undersea Storms". Popular Science. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Projects : Dr. Amy Bower". www.whoi.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "Group Members". Bower Lab. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Kanowitz, Stephanie (March 29, 2017). "Making graphics accessible to the visually impaired". GCN. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ a b "News & Events : Dr. Amy Bower". www.whoi.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ a b "WHOI's Amy Bower Wins Unsung Heroine Award". WHOI. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "Sight unseen: This teacher brings science to life for blind students". Christian Science Monitor. December 2, 2019. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ "Distinguished Achievement Awards to Pell, Bower". Graduate School of Oceanography. November 3, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "AMS honors Dr. Amy Bower with 2025 Henry Stommel Research Medal". WHOI.edu. November 3, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
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