Dr. John Morrissey 
Senior Research Associate

John Morrissey earned his Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Fisheries in 1991 from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.  After 16 years as a member of the Biology Department at Hofstra University he moved to Sweet Briar College for the fall of 2007.  His research interests concern the natural history of sharks, skates, rays, and other elasmobranch fishes.  He is co-author (along with Jim Sumich) of Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life and he is on the Board of Directors of the American Elasmobranch Society, the world's largest scientific society of professional ichthyologists who specialize in the biology of chondrichthyans.

Dr. Deacon Ritterbush.
Senior Research Associate.

Dr. S. Deacon Ritterbush is an international development strategist specializing in sustainable development issues in island environments worldwide. Formerly a Research Associate with the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, she spent 25 years in the Pacific island region conducting research and consulting with both government and non-government organizations on eco-tourism and rural development issues.  Dr. Ritterbush attended Kenyon College, received her BS degree from American University and, as an East-West center scholar, received her MA and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dr. Ritterbush's current focus is on environmental policy and family outdoor education programs in the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay regions.  

Dr.  Ritterbush lectures and holds workshops on topics related to the beachcombing experience.  She also published her first book in 2008, A Beachcomber’s Odyssey, Volume I: Treasures from a Collected Past. For more information visit www.drbeachcomb.com