St. Petersburg College STEM Director Erica Moulton was born into the kind of family who, instead of gathering for a huge meal on Thanksgiving and watching football afterward, they hit the road for a new adventure every year. She grew up camping, hiking, exploring national parks and more.
By the time she was 13, she was a certified scuba diver, with her mind set on a career in marine science. Moulton has been in submersible vehicles in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, studied sea turtles while living with the Aarwak Amerindians in Guyana, and was part of a team who put an aquaculture experiment onboard a Space Shuttle mission.
Her work has not gone unnoticed, and recently, Moulton was invited into the elite international society, The Explorers Club, where she joins the impressive ranks of members like mountaineer Sir Edmond Hillary, aviator Charles Lindbergh, primatologist Jane Goodall, oceanographer Sylvia Earle and astronaut Buzz Aldrin. She will be inducted in November.
“I’m a little flabbergasted,” Moulton said. You’re just doing the things you’re doing, and you don’t realize that people are watching, and then this happens. And when else will my name be on the same list of inductees as Sir Richard Branson?”
Joining the Ranks of History
The Explorers Club serves as a meeting place for anyone with an accomplished interest in scientific exploration. Located in Upper Manhattan, it is home to priceless artifacts of famous expeditions, member archives and – Moulton’s favorite – the Sir Edmund Hillary map room.
“The map room is the most impressive thing to me,” Moulton said. “It made me teary knowing that I can go see the maps of all these famous explorers. There’s lots I could find on the internet, but it’s not the same as the real thing.”
Founded in 1904, it wasn’t until 1981 that the club began to admit women. This being the 40th anniversary of female membership, Moulton will be joining 16 women who will be inducted this quarter and will now be among more than 800 women who have been inducted over the years, including SPC graduate, astronaut Nicole Stott.
Another perk of membership is free field rescue, a thing Moulton says she just might need someday.
“My friends joke about traveling with me and fearing that they may lose a limb or cry,” Moulton said, laughing. “I do enjoy roughing it and doing things that others freak out about, so that rescue might come in handy someday.”
Promoting Science Locally
As SPC’s STEM director, Moulton mentors students, helping them find internships and jobs. She also coordinates outreach to local high schools and develops grants and community partnerships in an effort to promote STEM fields. She also makes kits that students can use to make their own Remotely Operated Vehicles to teach about exploring the ocean world. Natavia Middleton, SPC’s Dean of Natural Science, was excited to hear of Moulton’s upcoming induction.
“This is phenomenal,” Middleton said. “It’s exciting for her, and it’s amazing for us to have someone of her caliber at SPC. She’s a great resource for our students.”
Whether she is exploring national parks, hiking and camping in Alaska or traversing Iceland in a camper van, Moulton says when it comes to a chance to explore, she will never say no – just don’t ask her to stay at a resort. She said is further energized by the opportunity to be a part of this elite society.
“I think it inspires me to do more,” Moulton said. “There is no end to my curiosity and no finish line to exploring. Sure, we know some things, but often, regarding many of the questions we have about our planet, when we find one answer, we just have more questions.”
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