[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 27, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DENNIS NIXON

 Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the 
career of one of Rhode Island's most respected ocean and coastal 
experts, my friend Dennis Nixon. Throughout his career, he has 
demonstrated a deep commitment to Rhode Island and ocean and coastal 
issues more broadly.
  Mr. Nixon first arrived at the University of Rhode Island in 1975 to 
pursue his master's in marine affairs. Thankfully for us, he received 
his degree and then decided to stay in the Ocean State as a professor 
at the university. Since then he has been a mainstay on the University 
of Rhode Island's campus, teaching courses in maritime and coastal law 
and publishing over 50 articles and a casebook on the topic.
  He served as associate dean of academic Affairs for the College of 
Environment and Life Sciences and then for 4 years as associate dean 
for research and administration at the University of Rhode Island's 
Graduate School of Oceanography. In that position, Mr. Nixon managed 
the school's beautiful Narragansett Bay campus and the 185-foot 
National Science Foundation research vessel Endeavor. Mr. Nixon also 
serves as the risk manager and legal advisor to the University National 
Oceanographic Laboratory System, based at URI's Graduate School of 
Oceanography, which coordinates among oceanographic universities for 
research time on vessels like Endeavor.
  His influence does not stop at URI; he has lectured on 6 continents 
and in more than 25 States. Mr. Nixon was instrumental in the creation 
of the unique dual degree program in marine affairs and law between the 
University of Rhode Island's Department of Marine Affairs and Roger 
Williams University Law School. Outside academics, he cofounded Point 
Club, an insurance cooperative for fishing vessels.
  I first encountered Mr. Nixon when the tanker World Prodigy crashed 
into Brenton Reef, causing an oilspill. I was a young staffer in the 
Rhode Island attorney general's office, and Mr. Nixon joined the team 
as our maritime law expert. Later, I was U.S. attorney when the tug-
and-barge Scandia/North Cape caused another massive oilspill, and I 
turned again to Mr. Nixon's professional advice. We worked well 
together and became friends.
  In 2013, Mr. Nixon was appointed director of Rhode Island Sea Grant. 
His deep connections to Rhode Island and expertise in ocean and coastal 
issues have helped Rhode Island Sea Grant further its reach into the 
State's coastal communities and raise its profile nationwide. Among its 
priorities, the State's Sea Grant Program is currently supporting 
research into the causes and consequences of harmful algal blooms and 
the effects of the Block Island Wind Farm on fishing interests and home 
values. Mr. Nixon's regard in the State was on display when he was 
tapped to moderate the marine debris symposia put on in conjunction 
with the Volvo Ocean Race's stopovers in Newport in 2015 and 2018.
  His drive to ensure Rhode Island maintains its leadership in marine 
scholarship, development, and conservation is evident throughout his 
career. Mr. Nixon obviously cares deeply about ocean and coastal 
resources and the fishermen, businesses, and communities that rely on 
these resources. He is even a fairly presentable sailor himself. For 
over 40 years, the Ocean State has benefited from Mr. Nixon's passion 
and leadership, and for this sincere dedication to Rhode Island and 
coastal communities around the world, I stand today to recognize and 
salute him.
  Fair winds and following seas, my friend.

                          ____________________