Ocean Engineer

Ethan Roth is the Director of Marine Operations at Oregon State University. Ethan’s position was created to centralize OSU’s many marine operation-related programs, including: 

• Vessel operations of R/V Elakha, R/V Pacific Storm and soon R/V Taani 

• Operation Crews, including the Marine Technicians group, Shoreside Support, and West Coast Van Pool 

His work as Director is to centralize and streamline these programs, making them more accessible to researchers, students, and other collaborators.  He oversees the staff involved in leading these programs and manages the funding for their operations and maintenance, including support from government agencies and university resources. 

Ethan’s days are fast-paced and dynamic, packed with coordinating teams and collaborating with partners both inside and outside his organization to drive improvements in the operations he supports. He bounces around from his office in Newport, meeting with folks on the Corvallis campus, interacting with personnel at various workshops, labs, research facilities, and shipyards across the country, as well as spending time with the vessels managed by Marine Ops, trying to stay connected to the hands-on aspects of the work. And while he now spends more time onshore, he still has opportunities to get into the field, adding an adventurous edge to his role.  

 Ethan’s career has taken him through an exciting range of research support roles, meaning no two “typical” days have ever looked the same. As a development engineer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, he worked on cutting-edge instrumentation designed to collect underwater acoustic data in the harsh Arctic environment. In Hawaii, he stepped into the role of Marine Research Engineer, integrating advanced sensors for ocean gliders and managing operations and maintenance for the  ALOHA Cabled Observatory. More recently, at the University of Alaska, he played a key role in outfitting the National Science Foundation’s state-of-the-art research vessel, the R/V Sikuliaq—helping deliver and install equipment that enables groundbreaking ocean science.  

Ethan enjoys solving complex problems, a common theme throughout his career. He finds that his “engineering mindset” and ability to think critically translate well from his technical training in field operations to the logistical side of his management role. Even as someone who is now more involved in the logistics side rather than the technical side of Maritime Operations, he sees problems as puzzles to be solved and the “fulfilling part of field work”. As Ethan often says, “Boring science is good science,” which means everything is working as it should.

As a teenager, Ethan went to an immersive summer camp at Catalina Island Marine Institute. Through the SCUBA diving and sailing experiences he had there, he discovered his “spark” for the ocean. After high school, Ethan was uncertain about the career he wanted, so he considered his strength in applied physics to solve real-world problems and chose the University of California – San Diego’s (UCSD) program of Mechanical Engineering. 

During his time as an undergraduate student at UCSD, Ethan worked as a student employee for UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, from the Instrument Development Group to the Machining & Fabrication Center. He stayed at UCSD for a Master’s Degree in Applied Ocean Science after his supervisor asked him to continue working with the Whale Acoustics Lab. His time at Scripps – both in undergraduate and graduate school – helped him develop skills in building oceanographic tools and combined his interest in Ocean Sciences with his technical background. From there, Ethan discovered that he enjoyed using technology on various platforms and vehicles in innovative ways to support other researchers and continue building upon those synergistic relationships, and “one thing led to another.”   

Throughout his career, Ethan's design skills have been helpful in ways he never imagined. The lifecycle of designing, manufacturing, and implementing systems has allowed Ethan to become comfortable with the iterative process that constitutes a large part of ocean engineering. Accepting that part of this process is failing and trying again is an aspect Ethan finds challenging and likes to overcome through phased and collaborative approaches. He will often work with teams of people to implement different solutions, little by little, and learn how to become more successful along the way.  In addition, Ethan mentioned that finding solutions is only as effective as our ability to communicate them to others.

Ethan recommends people immerse themselves in field environments, whether in the science industry or not. He remarked that “in field work, the earth is your laboratory. Get out there and experience it.” Whether through summer camps as a kid, sailing or diving experiences, or a college internship, Ethan says these types of experiences will help you figure out what challenges you and drive your curiosity.  

He also mentioned that seagoing scientists rely on other professionals, such as engineers, technicians, mariners, and administrators, and there is much to be done in terms of expanding this type of specialized maritime workforce to support growth in the blue economy sector. He recommended finding a part-time job to gain experience outside of an academic degree.

Building off of his previous answers, Ethan emphasized that your undergraduate degree is a stepping stone for your career. Many more skills will be learned through graduate school and real-world experience to form a more unique multidisciplinary perspective. Staying open to exploration and constantly learning new things is vital.

• Office of Marine Operations 
• UNOLS MATE internships
• ROV competitions