(Vallejo, California – February 9, 2018) – Veteran faculty member, researcher, and
administrator Captain Sam Pecota will be the new master of California State University
Maritime Academy's Training Ship Golden Bear beginning in August. Pecota will take over as interim director of Marine Programs
when Captain Harry Bolton retires this summer.
"Captain Pecota has safely captained the Golden Bear on six cruises and over 50,000 miles," said Cal Maritime President Tom Cropper. "His
experience as a master mariner, faculty member, and academic dean make him uniquely
qualified and a natural choice to be the next leader of Marine Programs."
Pecota has served as Cal Maritime's academic dean since 2015, leading a transition
to reorganize the Academy's academic programs under three distinct schools, creating
a more efficient and effective academic administration and supporting the growth of
the University.
"I am honored to take on this new role which is so critical to the operation of the
Academy and the education of our cadets," said Pecota adding, "I am glad to have this
opportunity to build on the superb work that Captain Bolton and the crew have invested
in making the Golden Bear the finest training ship in the world."
Pecota joined the faculty at Cal Maritime in 2001 in the department of Marine Transportation.
He has held every faculty position from lecturer to full professor. His specialties
are marine electronics and the development of new maritime educational and training
pedagogies with special emphasis on practice-based learning through simulation.
He is the author of the textbook Radar Observer Manual (6th Ed., 2006) and numerous technical papers on e-Navigation which have been delivered
at international conferences.
Pecota served as chair of the Marine Transportation Department from 2009-2011. In
2013, he was awarded the title of distinguished professor in recognition of his research
and scholarly work at Cal Maritime. In 2014, he served as the chair of e-Navigation Under Way North America, an international conference dealing with the latest developments in marine navigation
equipment and vessel control systems, held on the Cal Maritime campus.
At the Academy, he has also served as director of simulation since 2013, and relief
master of the Training Ship Golden Bear since 2011. Since 2014, he has served as a council member of the Nautical Institute,
the governing body of the international organization for maritime professionals, based
in London, England.
Pecota graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New
York in 1980. He spent 20 years as a merchant officer, working his way up from 3rd
mate to master. He served as captain aboard the MV Stuyvesant from 1989 until 2000. Pecota earned a master's degree in Transportation Management
from American Military University in 2005.
Twenty years of service aboard large hopper dredges have given Pecota significant
experience in ship handling, vessel management, and shipboard maintenance, repair,
and modifications.
Each summer, Cal Maritime cadets who are working to earn a U.S. Coast Guard license
in addition to a bachelor's degree depart the Academy's Vallejo campus for a two-month,
international training cruise. For the duration of the cruise, Cal Maritime cadets
are responsible for running the ship, including navigating and driving, repairing
and overseeing the engines, and maintaining the vessel. The cruises are supervised
by the ship's captain, along with the chief engineer, faculty members, and a team
of experienced mariners.
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ABOUT CAL MARITIME
Established in 1929, California State University Maritime Academy is the only degree-granting
maritime academy on the West Coast. Located in Vallejo, California, the campus offers
undergraduate degrees that prepare students for careers in engineering, transportation,
international relations, business, and global logistics. Cal Maritime also offers
a master’s degree in Transportation and Engineering Management, as well as a number
of extended learning programs and courses.