- Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation from United States Merchant Marine Academy, 1985
- J.D. from Temple University, 1993
- USCG Unlimited Master License
- 15 years sailing experience on various merchant marine vessels, 12 years experience working shoreside in a shipping company office.
- Member of the Nautical Institute
Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 1994 Master of Science in Emergency Management, Massachusetts Maritime Academy 2016, USCG Unlimited Chief Mate , 1600 Ton Master's
2018 Graduate of Emergency Management MMA Program. In 2015, retired Deep Sea Master, Served as Master aboard M/V Maersk Arkansas in the Eastern Mediterranean container feeder service. Responsibilities included overall command, safe and efficient operation of vessel, navigation, crew management and ensuring vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag state policies. Managed ship's accounting, payrolls, and inventories. Also, safe docking and undocking of vessel when pilots unable or incompetent to do so in Port Said, Egypt.Served as Master aboard M/V Maersk Arkansas in the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe. Vessel was tasked to transport US and NATO military equipment and supplies bound for Afghanistan via Port of Riga Latvia and Klaipeda Lithuania. As Master, responsible for safe navigation when transiting the Kiel Canal twice a week on routine service without incident. The Kiel Canal, at 62 miles long, is the most congested canal in the world with the highest amount of vessel accidents. Also, had to maneuver around ice flow during harsh Baltic winters. Currently, Associate Professor teaching Bridge Resource Management to First Class Deck Cadets in FMSS 360 in prepping them for maritime industry
LT. Zachary Dias is a Master Mariner, educator, and U.S. Navy Strategic Sealift Officer with nearly two decades of experience in the maritime industry. A graduate of Massachusetts Maritime Academy, LT. Dias spent nearly a decade sailing with the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, earning his Master of Unlimited Tonnage Upon Oceans and Master of Towing, Oceans Licenses. His professional experience includes extensive service aboard U.S. Navy ocean-going tugs, salvage and rescue vessels, and, Combat Logistics Force ships.
Throughout his maritime career, LT. Dias has developed extensive hands-on expertise in ship handling, docking and undocking, towing, making and breaking tow, multi-point anchorings and moorings, ocean towing, dry dock operations, salvage and recovery, Bridge Resource Management, and navigation. His experience includes numerous ocean-going tows, complex tug operations, real-world salvage missions, and specialized ship-handling evolutions. Notably, he was part of the crew involved in the successful recovery of the EL FARO’s Voyage Data Recorder in 2016.
LT. Dias is a former Military Sealift Command Maritime Instructor, where he taught USCG STCW courses, developed towing curriculum, and instructed Anti-Terrorism Officer courses. He currently serves as a USCG Designated Examiner and Qualified Instructor at MMA, allowing him to combine extensive operational experience with the professional assessment and development of mariners. He also maintains a strong background in Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) and modern electronic navigation. His professional interests and collaborative work include efforts to enhance ECDIS symbology and improve the interpretation of charted information, helping explore how navigators interact with, understand, and apply complex electronic navigational information in real-world operating environments.
Beyond his operational experience, LT. Dias has developed a strong academic and maritime business background. He holds a Master’s degree in Maritime Business Management, giving him a broader perspective on the commercial, operational, and strategic forces that shape the maritime industry. His particular area of professional curiosity is United States sealift strategy and the relationship between the commercial maritime industry, national security, and the nation’s ability to project maritime power.
That interest continues through his service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve Strategic Sealift Officer Force, where he operates at the intersection of commercial maritime capability and national defense.
As an educator, LT. Dias believes effective maritime education should go beyond teaching students what to do—it should teach them why. He brings practical maritime experience into the classroom and uses realistic, challenging simulator exercises to place students in situations requiring sound judgment, communication, adaptability, and technical skill. He enjoys experimenting with different scenarios and approaches to learning, encouraging students to be curious, ask questions, and understand the consequences of their decisions.
His teaching philosophy is simple: experience creates understanding, curiosity creates growth, and understanding the “why” creates better mariners.
- Retired ExxonMobil Marine Vetting Manager
- USCG Unlimited Master License
- Graduate Certificates in Engineering Management, Project Management and General Management
- Marine industry consultant
- Author: International Safety Management Code A Practical Guide for Mariners and Managers
- Bachelor of Science in Maritime Transportation from United States Merchant Marine Academy, 1977
- Master of Business Administration from Corporate Finance Adelphia University, 1989
- Master of Arts in Adult and Continuing Education from Columbia University, 1992
- Doctor of Education in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia University, 1996
- USCG Unlimited Master license
- Chief Examiner Commercial Radio Services
- General Radio Telephone Operators License with Radar Endorsement
- Amateur Radio Operator, Advanced Class
- Master Point Counterpoint II
- Seaman’s Church, Center for Maritime Education, Director of Operations. 1987-1997
- Senior Navigation, Seamanship and Shiphandling Instructor, United States Navy, 2005-present