Department of Marine Transportation - Division of Nautical Sciences

Master Mariner

Full Professor

Year Started

1995

Education

• B.S., Marine Biology, Texas A&M University
• B.S., Marine Transportation, Texas A&M University
• M.A., English / Literature, University of Houston

Teaching Interests

• Celestial, Terrestrial, and Electronic Navigation
• Shiphandling and Bridge Resource Management
• Maritime Law and Regulatory Law
• Seamanship and SOLAS

Research Interests

• Celestial, Terrestrial, and Electronic Navigation
• Piracy, Maritime Security, Human Trafficking
• Maritime Law and Regulatory Law
• Shiphandling and Bridge Resource Management
• Experiential Learning and Simulation
• Pedagogy

Professional Summary

Captain Robson is a Master Mariner, licensed to sail vessels of any tonnage on any ocean.  In addition to steam and motor vessels, she holds an endorsement as master of sail ships.  She has years of service as a merchant mariner, during which time she worked aboard a variety of vessel types, including research vessels, bulk and break bulk ships, ro-ros, container ships, training and tall ships.  She served in the Gulf War as Executive Officer aboard a U. S. Naval Ship, and afterward sailed as Master of merchant vessels. CAPT Robson sailed as Chief Mate and relief Master aboard the Tall Ship Elissa, an 1877 Barque.  She was selected by the Maritime Administration to sail as an American Officer aboard the Soviet Sail Training Ship Druzhba during the 1990 trans-Atlantic Soviet - American Sail.

Captain Robson is an industry advisor and consultant and as worked as an expert witness on numerous admiralty cases, most notably the case of the Exxon Valdez, where she recreated the navigation that lead to the vessel grounding. She edited American Admiralty Bureau Commentators for the Supreme Court of the United States. She published and presented papers on experiential learning and the use of simulation in facilitating shiphandling skills.

As a survivor of shipboard pirate attacks, Captain Robson conducted extensive research on the topics of Piracy and Maritime Terrorism, published papers, wrote part of a book, and spoke at several conferences on the subject.  She briefed government entities in Kenya on the topic of Maritime Terrorism as a part of the Anti-Terrorism Program for the Department of State under the Bush Administration following the terrorist attack on the American Embassy in Kenya.

CAPT Robson has served for over 20 years as Secretary and Officer on the Board of the Marine Society of the City of New York, chartered in 1770.  Each Spring she works as a Standing Committee member to select the recipient of a full scholarship to SUNY Maritime College, and helps plan other events for promotion of scholarship and education in the maritime industry.