Dr. Heather (Schrum) Burton is currently Chair of the the Marine Science, Safety & Environmental Protection Department at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. She teaches Earth Science, Oceanography, Coastal Ecology, Communicating Ocean and Climate Science, and several marine biology courses. She has coordinated and taught Experiential Learning field courses in St. John, Maine, and Bermuda. Dr. Burton received her B.A. in Geology (Mathematics minor) from Hamilton College and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island. Her research interests include marine biogeochemistry, particularly the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Dr. Burton has participated on oceanographic research expeditions to the Southern Ocean, Equatorial Pacific, Atlantic Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Dr. Cukor earned a BS from Tufts University and his MD from UMass Medical School where he subsequently trained as an Emergency Medicine Resident and Chief Resident. He served as the Emergency Medicine Education Director at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, before returning to UMass as a Flight Physician with UMASS LifeFlight, an Adult and Pediatric Emergency Department Attending, and ultimately the Emergency Medicine Residency Director for 11 years. Dr. Cukor is a Medical Officer on a Federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team and has participated in humanitarian missions aboard both USNS Hospital Ships, COMFORT and MERCY. He is a volunteer physician with Project HOPE and an Adjunct Professor of Health Communication at Rhode Island College. Dr. Cukor has authored over 25 peer reviewed papers, book chapters or abstracts, serves as a peer reviewer for UpToDate, and has been invited to teach Emergency Medicine both nationally and internationally. Since 2011, he has proudly served as the Academy Physician supporting the cadets and campus and has participated in more than 10 sea terms.
- Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College
- Master of Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute