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NEWPORT - Vicki Osis, a marine education specialist for the Oregon Sea Grant program at Oregon State University, has received the President's Award from the National Marine Educators Association.

The award is given for outstanding contributions to the association and to marine education. Osis will retire next year after 32 years as a marine educator.

In presenting the award, the association cited Osis for establishing the only program in the nation that offers a summer program of graduate marine science courses that apply to a master's degree in science education. She also was cited for her many teacher workshops and training programs, including the Global Issues training program (supported by the National Science Foundation) and Coastwatch, a water quality monitoring program that involves 50 middle schools and high schools across Oregon.

Osis originally came to OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center as a teacher, spending a summer as a research intern under the National Science Foundation. She returned to work with Don Giles, the center's original marine educator in 1971. She now oversees the graduate teacher summer classes, year-round teacher workshops, K-12 school group activities, scouting merit badge training and a series of marine science day camps during the summer. -30-