A native of Bath, Maine, Matt Gusto has always had his eye on the sea. According to this former boat captain, lobsterman, government fisheries observer—and 2014 “Blue MBA” grad, the ocean is where it’s at.

That’s why he chose a graduate program that combined his interests in ocean science and business, earning two URI degrees—an MBA and a Master of Oceanography—and gaining a competitive edge in the growing marine technology field.

And that’s why today Matt is a research scientist and market specialist with the Maritime Systems Division at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio. One of the current projects he is excited about is the lab-to-field transition of ocean sensors so essential to climate change studies, the oil and gas industry, and industrial fisheries.

Matt’s start at Battelle—the world’s largest non-profit research firm—was through a summer-long internship that was part of his two-year Blue MBA program at URI. The company was looking for an intern with oceanography experience who could also write business models for their maritime systems division. It was a perfect fit for Matt, and after his internship, he continued his working relationship with Battelle while he finished the final year of his studies.

Matt is a true believer in the Blue MBA’s uniqueness and importance at this particular time. “It’s creating a new type of employee with a different skill set that meets the needs we’re going to encounter in the future,” Matt said.

“A lot of things are going to be happening in the maritime world, especially with the Arctic opening up,” said Matt. “­­There are so many industries that need people with both a technical and business background, and there aren’t a lot of graduate programs that offer that.”