Spring 2024 Student Mentor - Frances Lang
Frances Lang
Our NMEA student mentor for spring 2024 is Frances Lang, Program Officer at The Ocean Foundation. Frances has worked in the field for 16 years. In her job, she directly manages and leads the Teach For the Ocean Initiative to optimize ocean education to drive conservation action. Her primary duties and responsibilities include program management and implementation, new business development, partner/stakeholder engagement, general program operations, strategy, and oversight, as well as collaborating with other staff to promote community engagement and education across The Ocean Foundation programs. Frances also teaches an Ocean Conservation Behavior course at UC San Diego and serves as the Chair of the Conservation Committee for NMEA.
When asked what she loves most about her job Frances says,
“I love that marine education emphasizes hope and action. It is a very uplifting, optimistic line of work.
“The broader field of ocean science and conservation can sometimes feel very discouraging, but education is just the opposite -- it focuses on our ability to learn, change, and make better decisions in the future. I also love the people, who are some of the most passionate, inspiring, and dedicated individuals I have ever met. Educators in general are so much fun to interact with. Being an educator is a huge responsibility, and I think we balance that with humor, patience, and a great deal of compassion.”
Frances holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a Minor in Spanish from UC Santa Barbara and a Master's Degree in Marine Biodiversity & Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She is also a Certified Interpretive Guide, California Substitute Teacher, Open Water SCUBA Diver, and holds a Professional Certificate in Grant Writing. Again, moving beyond degrees, she also completed the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy Fundraising Academy, Climate Reality Leadership Corps Global Training, HBS Club of San Diego Not-For-Profit Management Development Program, Reflecting on Practice professional learning program, and the Leadership Development Program at the Center for Creative Leadership. Frances pursued Environmental Studies for her undergraduate degree because it was broad enough to cover a wide range of conservation-related topics, which she felt was important at this early stage, and she pursued a Minor in Spanish because she has always lived in Southern CA and traveled regularly to Mexico. For her graduate degree, she wanted to narrow her focus to the ocean and amplify her knowledge of science and research at one of the best oceanography institutions in the world. Frances tailored her graduate studies to focus on behavioral science and communications. Working in the nonprofit field, receiving training in Grant Writing was important to Frances. As an educator, she also felt it was important to spend time in the formal education setting learning about the needs and opportunities of K-12 teachers, so receiving her substitute teaching certificate was a valuable experience. She has completed several trainings that emphasize organizational leadership, which has helped her be a more effective manager and communicator.
Advice Frances would give her younger self includes, “In early college, I wish I had made more of an effort to form relationships with my professors and others in my Major. I focused on getting good grades, but in hindsight, I should have tried harder to build connections that would endure beyond graduation.” She adds,
“Believe in your mission—whatever that is, never doubt that it matters and that you are a valuable part of the marine education community. We need everyone, all voices and perspectives, to continue making progress.”
Interested in connecting with Frances for more information or advice? NMEA Student members are given the opportunity to connect with our student mentors! Email us to find out how to become a student member: students@marine-ed.org.
Also, be on the lookout for information about Student Opportunities at NMEA 2024. Details will be coming soon!