Thursday, February 21, 2013

Library Lecture Series Presents Kevin McCarey, '67, and "Islands Under Fire"

The Stephen B. Luce Library invites you to a guest lecture on…

The Improbable Quest to Save the Corals of Puerto Rico
Islands Under Fire
With Author & Filmmaker Kevin McCarey, Class of ‘67

On Thursday, March 21, 2013 @ 1500, Stephen B. Luce Library
Library Lecture Series: Navigate Your Course @Your Library


A portrait of an often overlooked part of America—Puerto Rico and the Spanish Virgin Islands—this is the little-known story of how the U.S. government, in particular the Navy, almost destroyed a pristine coral reef to provide a target for gunners. The author’s true, and humorous, account of his role in the sometimes bizarre tale reveals how locals, politicos, and mariners came together to save a coral reef from certain destruction, and how the need to protect the fragile marine environment can bring meaning and direction to anyone’s life, young or old.

“In every phase of this fast moving, inspiring story, McCarey gleans his life's most essential moments, both hurtful and hilarious, nourishing himself for his next improbable adventure. Islands Under Fire is a new kind of narrative: part “Liar’s Club” and part “Lonely Planet”, bundled into one terrific book.”
David Hamlin, executive producer, National Geographic Television

"This memoir, part travelogue and part natural history, is rich with humor, misadventure, and triumph. McCarey's writing is a pleasure, his penchant for simile and skill with dialogue particular delights. . . . [This] is an engrossing and joyful trip." —Publishers Weekly,

For more information:



About the Author
Kevin McCarey is an Emmy Award winning filmmaker whose films have been shown on the National Geographic Channel, PBS, NBC and the Turner Networks.  He is also a published author and aspiring playwright.  Raised in New York's Hudson Valley, Kevin McCarey attended SUNY Maritime College, graduating with a BS in Marine Science and a merchant marine deck officer's license. During the Vietnam War, he served as Third Officer aboard merchant ships carrying "booze and bombs" to the war zone. Later, McCarey took a job as boat captain of a research vessel in Puerto Rico. There he took part in the efforts to stop the bombing of Culebra, an adventure documented in his book, Islands Under Fire: the Improbable Quest to Save the Corals of Puerto Rico.  This led to work as an oceanographer on a variety of expeditions from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific.

On returning to SUNY Maritime….
“I really look forward to it.  I haven’t been back to the Fort since our class reunion in the ‘90s.  But this time, I’ll have the opportunity to meet the new generation of Domers.  They have so many wonderful career options today – and yet so many difficult challenges ahead.  I wish I could live long enough to read their books.” (Kevin McCarey’s interview in the Fort Schuyler Mariner, Fall 2012 issue)

For more information :



Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Stephen B. Luce Library Celebrates Black History Month

In celebration of Black History Month, the Stephen B. Luce Library honors notable African Americans in maritime history, culture, and industry with an exhibit from the Institutional Archives, Circulating Collection, and a digital display.

The virtual exhibit on the library’s web portal includes:
  • slideshow presentation on African Americans in maritime history, which features information on the first African Americans to graduate from Maritime College
  • Recommended readings from our collection
  • Online resources for research on African Americans and maritime perspectives, including links from the Library of Congress and the American Merchant Marine at War
An exhibit of archival collections will be on display throughout February in the Library’s foyer area:
  • A display case featuring archival photographs, yearbooks, and biographical information on notable African American Maritime College alums, Carl Frederick Burnett and Walter Womack Branford. 
  • Photograph display highlighting an exchange program with Liberia in 1961, during which four Liberian students were sponsored by the African American Institute to attend Maritime College and study Marine Transportation.
  • A selection of books from our Circulating Collection featuring prominent African Americans in maritime and military history.
The photos on display give a glimpse into the global perspectives of Black History Month.