Oceanography Program Makes a Big Splash at RPS

The Rutgers Prep campus was, unsurprisingly, quiet over Thanksgiving Break. That is, unless you happened to be in the vicinity of the physics and chemistry labs early last week. There, you couldn't help but notice the excited sounds of our students collaborating and, interestingly enough, the occasional splash.

What was taking place in those labs was a unique and exciting two-day oceanography program spearheaded by Upper School physics teacher Drew Schoudel and offered completely free of charge to RPS students. Mr. Schoudel has an extensive background in the field, having earned a master's degree in oceanography and earth science from the University of New Hampshire. At UNH he ran the school's Estuarine and Coastal Chemistry Laboratory and worked on projects ranging from an Exxon Valdez water quality analysis to researching nutrient runoff affecting the Great Barrier Reef. Drew also brings with him years of experience having previously taught oceanography at King School in Stamford, CT.

His own passion for the ocean, though, comes from time spent on the Jersey Shore growing up. It was a natural progression to end up studying the oceans and creating opportunities for others to do the same. As Drew moved from the lab to the classroom, it became clear to him that oceanography was a great point of entry into the sciences. "Oceanography is rooted in systematic thinking and is a wonderful gateway into science that is accessible for all levels of learners."

Student enthusiasm for Mr. Schoudel's offering was overwhelming, so much so that a second section had to be created and staffed to make space for all those interested. Upper School biology teacher Carly Winn graciously agreed to run a second lab and Upper Schoolers Jianning Liu '25 and Webber Wang '25 volunteered their time to teach before taking their own classes in the afternoon.

So what was it that motivated 28 middle and high school students to trade two days of a week-long break for an opportunity to get back into the classroom?

The program consisted of a hands-on look at the scientific processes taking place on that same New Jersey coastline that had so captivated a younger Mr. Shoudel. Clearly Rutgers Prep students are an intellectually-curious bunch, seemingly especially so when it comes to marine science.

"The Jersey Shore: A Land the Sea Built" was the title of the first day of the program, and that day students explored the nature of water waves and identified coastal processes that have built and continue to shape our state's coast. They modeled shallow water waves and observed that wave speed is dependent on depth, a relationship key to the processes that move sediment along the Jersey Shore and create and continually modify its beaches.

On the second day, entitled "Why Water is Blue and Other Ocean-photon Tales," students delved into the nature of light and its behavior in water and looked at the effects of turbidity on water quality. This second series of experiments allowed students to answer the question of why water is blue. Using their smartphones, the group took measurements to see what colors persisted the longest in water. They then examined the role of temperature and salinity and their effects on the density of seawater, which plays an important role in vertical mixing at the shore. With these newly-discovered concepts in hand, each team was tasked with adjusting the density of a microfuge vial so it would float between two different density layers in our model ocean tank.

Discovery was the program's theme, and, in an environment that allowed them to both have fun and do real, hands-on science, our students were able to do just that—even if it meant sacrificing some well-earned time off. Seeing—and hearing—our kids bringing life to an otherwise quiet campus suggests that they didn’t mind the trade-off.