Frank "Skip" Cynar Representing Alums in communication or non-traditional science field Member, SIO Alumni Network Leadership Team Member, Communication Network Executive Committee

Frank 'Skip' Cynar received SIO's PhD in 1992. His research focused on the biogeochemical cycling of methane in the sea off California. Presently, he holds the position of Senior Science Writer in UCSD's Center for Research in Biological Systems (CRBS). The CRBS, established in 1996, advances scientific discovery by catalyzing innovative partnerships among UCSD researchers and beyond. Cynar champions CRBS's efforts to disseminate collaborative achievements with candor, clarity and relevance.

Skip's love of the oceans began more than 35 years ago, growing up along the marshes of New England. At the University of Rhode Island, his research interests focused on the ecology of Rhode Island's coastal ponds (BS) and the microbial ecology of the oceans (MS). Pursuing research opportunities in La Jolla, Cynar joined SIO's Marine Biology program in 1986, under the mentorship of Art Yayanos and others, and graduated in 1992. He remained at UCSD as a Postdoc Researcher and Visiting Scholar for the next 4 years, while also lecturing to undergraduates at the University of San Diego. Teaching non-science majors guided his interest towards helping scientists to communicate more effectively to non-scientists. In 1996 he joined Academic Press Publishers as an Editor and successfully built an award-winning portfolio of textbooks, reference works, and journals across the Earth sciences.

For the past decade, Skip has been entrusted with helping scientists and professional societies catalyze and channel their scholarly efforts for communicating scientific advances to diverse audiences of professionals, students, and the public. With an enthusiasm for communicating science and cultivating relationships, Skip is eager to help establish an enduring dialogue between SIO and its many alumni.