Productive Partnership: Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA), CSUMB, and the SHM program
Alana Dale-Moore is pictured above in the center with Paige Viren and Scott Stratton on her left and Angel González on her right.
June 13, 2023
California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) has developed a close-knit partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, creating a dynamic synergy that capitalizes on the unique strengths of both institutions. Collaborating on research projects and offering transformative internship opportunities, the partnership is dedicated to merging the program’s expertise and fostering a vibrant community of young individuals who are primed to drive positive change in the world.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium's mission to inspire ocean conservation aligns perfectly with the goals of the Sustainable Hospitality Management (SHM) program at CSUMB, which aims to educate and inspire future leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry. In fall of 2022, Dr. Paige Viren, the Executive Director of SHM, collaborated with David Rosenberg, the Vice President of Guest Experiences at the Aquarium, to create a new paid internship specifically for the SHM program.
---SHM_MBA-Internship-IMG_9759.png)
The internship began in January 2023, with Alana Dale-Moore, an SHM major, serving as the inaugural intern. Alana's participation in the Sustainable Hospitality Management/Monterey Bay Aquarium Internship offers an extraordinary behind-the-scenes experience at the Aquarium. She worked under the guidance of Scott Stratton, the Manager of Guest Experience Training, and the mentorship of the Director of Aquarium Operations, Marika Barranco, a CSUMB graduate.
The connection between the Sustainable Hospitality Management program and the Aquarium dates back to the program’s inception.
David Rosenberg, a founding board member of the SHM Advisory Council, has been actively involved, while graduates of the program who completed service-learning projects at the Aquarium now hold positions as Event Sales Specialists. For example, Sami Seider and Sabrina Siqueiros, both SHM graduates, are now Event Sales Specialists at the Aquarium.
Sami said that majoring in Sustainable Hospitality Management allowed her to connect her interests in business and environmental protection. “For me, it had the perfect combination of the business side of things that I have always been interested in, but also that importance of protecting our planet — something I knew I needed in a future job,” she says. “I’m so grateful to have ended up at the Aquarium doing exactly what I went to school for — creating beautiful sustainable events and inspiring people to protect our ocean.”
Sabrina Siqueiros was an inaugural graduate of the Sustainable Hospitality Management program. “During the three eye-opening years I spent in the program, I learned to look at the business world through the lens of conservation and sustainable practices," she recalls. "I fell in love with the idea of working at the Aquarium and truly being part of inspiring conservation of our beloved ocean.”
The partnership between CSUMB and the Monterey Bay Aquarium continues to deepen. In spring 2023, Ms. Natalia Hurley joined the SHM program as an adjunct instructor, imparting knowledge about sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry. The commitment to conservation and sustainability shared by both institutions enriches the education and inspiration provided to the next generation of hospitality and tourism leaders.
The ongoing collaboration between CSUMB and the Monterey Bay Aquarium reinforces their shared dedication to conservation, sustainability, and the cultivation of future industry leaders.