Story by Kymberly Snew ’10 / Image Courtesy Dan Stetson
The ocean is a hobby, a vacation attraction and a job for Dan Stetson ’03 (M.B.A.), president and CEO of the Ocean Institute in Dana Point. Stetson’s passion for the ocean since age 12 – he also is a sailor and scuba diver – allows him to enjoy his work at the institute.
The Ocean Institute offers various programs for students in grades K-12 that allow them to explore the ocean, study in labs and spend the night on its three ships. More than 8,000 teachers have taken advantage of the institute’s programs to help enhance students’ experience throughout these programs.
In his position, Stetson views himself as conductor of an orchestra. “My goal
is to highlight a vision and set the course to make sure we get the programs going.”
When Stetson joined the institute 15 years ago, he was in charge of the Pilgrim, a replica of the brig Richard Henry Dana sailed in the 1830s. The ship is used for the institute’s living history program.
In addition to the Pilgrim and its hands-on mission, “the institute provides great resources,” said Stetson. “Visiting here is a great way to get the kids excited and inspired to learn about the ocean.”
The National Science Foundation has recognized the institute for excellence in education, and when it was named Business of the Year in Dana Point in 2008,
it was the first nonprofit organization to receive the award.
Besides overseeing and running the institute, Stetson stays connected with his own staff and visiting students by managing the education programs on the Pilgrim. With his captain’s license he takes out the other ships, The Spirit of Dana Point and the RVC Explorer, where volunteers and teachers receive their training. The RVC Explorer is also a lab for students to use and act as research scientists.
Stetson’s knowledge and experience with the institute’s ships gave him the
opportunity to work with Steven Spielberg, when in 1997, one of the ships was
used in Spielberg’s movie “Amistad.” The film told the tale of a ship that was used
to ply the slave trade.
“Most of the activities I enjoy have to do with the ocean,” said Stetson. “This past summer I took my wife Roxanne to Alaska and taught her how to scuba dive.”
