OCCC Brings On New Leadership To Aquarium Science Program

Oregon Coast Community College is strengthening its Aquarium Science program with the hire of not one, but two new leaders at the helm.

Steve Vogel brings decades of hands-on aquarium facilities experience from top aquariums around the country. Dr. Carla Schubiger brings depth as a veterinarian and academic instructor, ready to ensure the continued growth and advancement of the college’s robust program. 

The OCCC Aquarium Science program is a highly competitive, unmatched program in the aquarium industry. Students from around the country apply to be part of the selective cohort that prepares students for careers in aquatic animal husbandry, life support system design, exhibit design, and research husbandry — the skilled professionals who keep aquatic animals healthy, thriving, and visible to the public.

Graduates of the program have an impressive 94% job placement rate within the first year after graduation, finding careers at public aquariums, marine research facilities, fish hatcheries, aquaculture operations, zoos, museums, and conservation organizations worldwide.

With such a high-achieving program, the college strategically hired two leaders with different specialties to strengthen and expand the depth of classes offered at OCCC.

Dr. Schubiger, hired as Dean of the Aquarium Science program, was born in Switzerland, where she earned two doctorate degrees – one in Veterinary Medicine and another in Veterinary Parasitology. She holds an additional doctorate in infectious diseases and immunology from Washington State University, where she also completed a residency in Veterinary Pathology.

Most recently, she led a research lab at Oregon State University researching infectious diseases in aquatic organisms, working with oysters and finfish, and completed a master's degree in public administration from Portland State University. She joined the Oregon Community College Faculty in July of 2023.

Schubiger was drawn to the community college setting because of the practical way it helps students reach their ambitions.

“Helping people achieve their goals is something that always shows up in my life,” she said. “Community college students know what they want - they have a specific focus and this is a practical way to help them get into careers directly at a much lower cost.”

Steve Vogel, hired as the Director of the Teaching Aquarium at OCCC, may sound familiar to locals because of his most recent position as Curator of Fish and Inverts at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. He brings decades of aquarium facilities knowledge and a long list of work experience at top aquariums around the country, including Sea Life Minnesota, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, and Monterey Bay Aquarium, and several others.

Vogel was drawn to OCCC due to his involvement in the National Visiting Committee, a group of experts from aquariums and zoos who visit periodically to evaluate the program’s curriculum. He remembers always being impressed by the caliber of students produced from the college.

“This program has impressed me so much, and I wanted to pass along what I have learned during my career,” he said. “These students will have impact for the next thirty years and beyond. I will get to have a part in setting that standard.”

Both Schubiger and Vogel are excited about bringing the Aquarium Science Program into a new era, starting with a building remodeling project with state-of-the-art aquariums and teaching equipment this summer.