Jim McKenna is the newly appointed Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Since earning his Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, Jim has served in a variety of academic and federal agency positions. Academic appointments include Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Williams College where he taught and served as Associate Director for the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program; Professor of Marine Biology and Chair of the Ocean Studies department at Maine Maritime Academy; and Associate Dean for the Bartlett College of Science and Mathematics at Bridgewater State University. Jim’s agency work includes serving as a National Park Service Research Learning Center coordinator in Acadia National Park and as Associate Director of Research for the Maine Sea Grant Program. Jim’s interest in the marine world extends into his personal life; he is a passionate sailor and enjoys vacationing with his wife and two children along the coast of Maine and Cape Cod.
Lauren Murphy was a four year member of the Buccaneer women's soccer program from 2010 to 2013. In her time in a Buccaneer uniform, coach Murphy scored 18 career goals, leading the Bucs in goals scored in her freshman (4) and senior (9) seasons. Of those 18 career goals, five were game winners, including three in her senior season. In her final year at Maritime she was named Captain of the team.
Murphy graduated in the Spring of 2014 with her Bachelor's Degree in Marine Transportation. Following graduation, she shipped out with the Master Mates and Pilots Union, of which she is a member.
Prior to coaching, Lauren was a player on the Olympic Development Program for both the state of Massachusetts and the North East Region. She played club level soccer where her team was finalist for the state cup 3 times. During her senior year of high school, she led her team to a Bay State Games Championship.
After four years on the ocean, Lauren has decided to come back and find a job shoreside and work with the program she dedicated so much time to as a Cadet at the Academy.
LCDR Ed Pinero joined MMA in January 2011 as Assistant Director for Student Services and assigned as 6th Company Officer. His assignments include Director for Orientation, Coordinator for MMA’s Intramural Program and Sea Term’s
Terminal Operations. Ed also dedicated 3 years as Assistant Coach for MMA’s football program.
Prior to MMA, Ed was the Director of Transportation for Transpro LLC, Malden, MA. Transpro LLC is a statewide transportation company with 14 Regional Operation Centers throughout Massachusetts.
Ed is a 2011 graduate of CONNECT, Southeastern Massachusetts Public Higher Education Collaborative Leadership Development Program, holds a B.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Puerto Rico, a commission as a US Army Officer from the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Program) and is a graduate of the Army’s Combined Armed Services Staff School- Command and General Staff College. He retired as an Army Transportation Officer with 20 years of service in October 2003.
Ed has over 30 years of transportation experience both in the US Army, as a Transportation Officer, and in the private sector where he held various management positions in transportation and distribution with Target Inc., Pier 1 Imports Inc., Office Depot Inc., and CVS pharmacy in California and Rhode Island.
During his 20 years as an Army Officer, he served in the Transportation Corp, “The Spearhead of Logistics”. Ed’s responsibilities included the planning, directing and executing of US Department of Defense (DoD) and Foreign military operations worldwide involving the use of all modes of transportation to include rail, water, air, and surface. As a young Captain, was selected for command of the 368thTransportation Terminal Service Company in Ft. Story, Virginia Beach where he received numerous accolades for his units’ participation and performance during DoD exercises in Honduras, Turkey, Hawaii, Philippines, Korea, and Japan. During Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm in the early 90’s, Ed served as Transportation Advisor to the state of Arizona’s Army National Guard and US Army Reserve transportation units deploying to and from Southwest Asia.
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico and resident of Centerville, MA, where he lives with his wife Julie Ann. Ed has 3 children; Eddie (30), Ali (26), and Michael (24).
