The Sentry Team

Sean kellEy

Sean Kelley is the program manager for AUV Sentry. Sean brings over 14 years of experience with deep submergence vehicles and has participated in over 60 research cruises. Sean’s first six years at WHOI were spent working with the Human Occupied Vehicle Alvin. Sean has completed over 100 Alvin dives as the pilot in command of the submersible as well as participating in two Alvin overhauls. Following his time in the Alvin group, Sean moved to the Sentry group within the same National Deep Submergence Facility at WHOI. The Sentry group has allowed him to take on even more responsibility and additional shore side roles. In his spare time Sean can be found of skiing, wrenching on his jeep, or spending time with friends and family.

Zak Berkowitz

Zac Berkowitz is an Electrical and Software engineer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. One of only two current Expedition Leaders for the Sentry AUV, over the last five years he has worked with the vehicle in a wide variety of unique locations including leading a memorable trip to do some of the most detailed mapping and sampling of gabbroic crust ever carried out, at Pito Deep in the Pacific Ocean. However, this cruise is his first to the Indian Ocean. He is also a spectacular ramen noodle and sourdough bread chef (including his homemade noodle).

JUSTiN Fujii

Justin Fujii is a mechanical engineer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of California, San Diego. He is aiding in the development of Mesobot and has worked on vehicles such as Alvin, but predominantly spends most of his time working with the AUV Sentry. Justin has participated in a variety of cruises and is in charge of the deployment and recovery of Sentry as well as being the lead mechanic at sea. One of the most well known things about Justin is his electrical tape artwork on the face of Sentry (Eds note- Justin’s artwork is amazing!).

Mike SkoWROnski

I am currently a Research Engineer and active Alvin pilot for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). At WHOI, my time is generally divided between a variety of engineering projects and providing operational support to the AUV Sentry, HOV Alvin and the Alucia Submersible operations groups, spending on average 3 to 4 months a year at sea.

Stefano Suman

Stefano Suman is a Research Engineer at the Deep Submergence Laboratory and an expert in vehicle software development. Stefano’s first cruise was with Dr. Maurice Tivey (Geophysicist onboard of this cruise!) on R/V Thompson back in 2011 in the middle of nowhere in the Pacific. Stefano enjoys wind surfing, motercycle, and skiing (he used to race in his home country, Italy).