Castellini was the founding Science Director for the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, the Director
of the Institute of Marine Science, Associate Dean and then Dean for the School of
Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Dr. Castellini is now the Interim Dean for the University
of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School and a member of the UAF Center for Arctic Policy
Studies team. His research focuses on how marine mammals have adapted to life in
the sea and he has participated in many public outreach programs discussing climate
change, the Arctic and Antarctic, including how animals at those locations are critically
dependent on sea ice. Dr. Castellini has chaired or co-chaired 16 PhD or MS students,
been a committee member on dozens more and taught core classes in marine physiology
to graduate students for 20 years. His teaching philosophy was always to train students
how to move into science as a career and help them develop degrees that focus on their
future. Many of his students are now successful faculty, agency scientists, veterinarians,
and underwater photographers. He has published more than 100 scientific journals
articles or book chapters and has participated in over 20 scientific field expeditions
on land, sea and ice. Dr. Castellini is involved in local, state and national panels
and committees dealing with policy issues related to the Arctic, marine mammals, ecosystem
management and agency oversights.
