Karen Kohanowich | |
|---|---|
 Karen Kohanowich wearing a Mark V diving rig during her service in the U.S. Navy. | |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.S.,Geology,Vanderbilt University; M.S., Air Ocean Science,Naval Postgraduate School; M.S., Environmental Science and Policy,Johns Hopkins University; PhD, Environmental Science and Policy,George Mason University; |
| Employer | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Known for | U.S. Navy Salvage Diver,Aquanaut |
Karen Kohanowich is a retired U.S. Naval officer and ocean research and technology program manager for theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER). She was NOAA's Acting Director of theNational Undersea Research Program (NURP) from 2006 to 2009, and served in various roles at OER, including Acting Deputy and Undersea Technology director, until retiring in 2018. In July 2006, she became anaquanaut on theNASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations 10 (NEEMO 10) crew.[1][2]
Before NOAA, Kohanowich served as a salvage diving officer and oceanographer in theUnited States Navy for 23 years, retiring at the rank ofCommander.[2][3][4] Kohanowich later commented, "What really got me into diving was that the standards for women were the same [as for men]. Women had to do the same number of sit-ups and push-ups. They had to climb up and down the dive ladders wearing the same 200-pound Mark V dive system."[5]
As amidshipman, Kohanowich supported 1000 ftsaturation dives at the Navy'sExperimental Diving Unit. From 1982 to 1993 she served as a U.S. Navy Salvage Diver, completing Navy Salvage and Mixed Gas Diving School in 1983. From 1986 to 1988 she served as Diving and Operations Officer aboard the salvage shipUSSSafeguard. In 1989 Kohanowich became aNational Association of Underwater Instructors instructor. In 1993 she qualified as a pilot of thesubmersiblePisces IV. From 1995 to 1997 she was stationed inYokosuka, Japan as a Meteorology and Oceanographic (METOC) Officer. From 1997 to 2005, Kohanowich was a Marine Policy Advisor, working with the Oceanographer of the Navy and theDeputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Environment) and serving as Navy liaison to NOAA. From 2002 to 2005, she served as Ocean Resources Advisor to theAssistant Secretary of the Navy.[3][4][6]
In 2005 Kohanowich retired from the Navy and joined NOAA as the deputy director of NURP.[3][4][7] She also served as VP for Government and Public Affairs for theMarine Technology Society from 2005 to 2009.[4]
In July 2006, Kohanowich became anaquanaut through her participation in the jointNASA-NOAA,NEEMO 10 (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) project, an exploration research mission held inAquarius, the world's onlyundersea research laboratory. Kohanowich and her crewmates lived and worked underwater for seven days.[2][8] Kohanowich was nicknamed "K2" during the mission.[8]
Kohanowich received aBachelor of Science degree inGeology fromVanderbilt University in 1982, aMaster of Science in Air Ocean Science from theNaval Postgraduate School in 1995, and a Master of Science inEnvironmental Science and Policy fromJohns Hopkins University in 2005. She completed herPh.D. in Environmental Science and Policy atGeorge Mason University[4] in 2016. Her dissertation is titled "Cousteau to Cameron: A Quadrant Model for Assessment of Undersea Marine Research Infrastructure."http://digilib.gmu.edu/jspui/handle/1920/10601
In March 2011, when Kohanowich gave aWomen's History Month lecture at theOffice of Naval Research,Rear AdmiralNevin Carr commented of Kohanowich: "She is a trailblazer in her field and her achievements are a positive reflection of how important contributions from women have advanced the sciences, and benefitted the Navy."[9]
Kohanowich served as vice president for Government and Public Affairs for the Marine Technology Society from 2005 to 2010, and as Chair of the Washington, DC Chapter of the Society of Woman Geographers from 2014 to 2017[3] She has been a member of theWomen Divers Hall of Fame since 2001.[7]
