As soon as Alex speaks, there are two things you will notice: he loves his job and he is not from Texas. Alex grew up in Scotland and still lives there when he is not on a ship. He is the Captain of the JOIDES Resolution. Alex especially enjoys the working environment onboard the ship. Many of the people who work on the JOIDES Resolution have been working on the ship for 10 to 20 or more years, are from a diverse array of countries, and are very skilled at what they do.

When Alex was in junior high school he thought he was going to be a coal miner. But his friend’s father was Chief Mate at sea and Alex liked the sound of the exciting life. Alex went to Maritime College and has had to continue studying to qualify for his position. He has worked on many different types of ships and has sailed around the world several times. He has been Captain of the JOIDES Resolution since 2001.

The Bridge, where the Captain of any ship will work, is full of technology, ranging from GPS (global positioning system), magnetic compasses, RADAR, charts, and a sextant. The sextant now lives in a box, but if the GPS system fails Alex can dust off the box and find his way safely around the world.

When Alex finishes two months of sailing on the ship, he returns home for a two-month holiday while Pete Mowat, a Canadian captain takes over. When not on the ship, Alex enjoys playing golf, spending time with his family, and traveling to warmer places like Spain, Greece, and the Canary Islands.

Staff Name: Alex Simpson

Majors: Marine Engineering, Maritime Operations

Education: Maritime College

Courses: Calculus, Physics, Terrestrial/Celestial Navigation, Seamanship, Naval Architecture, Navigation Law

Experiences: Sea year, other crew positions

IODP Experience: Captain of the JOIDES Resolution

Interests: Navigation, travel, management, naval architecture, and propulsion

Life Experience: Crew member of many ships

Interests: Family, golf, travel to warm places

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