STEMsail.org
Science and Sailing    --     Built for Fun!

Wayne Koide, a native of El Cerrito, is proud to be considered a product of the Richmond Unified School District (now known as the WCCUSD). He attended UC Berkeley and graduated in 1977 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and was also commissioned as an Air Force officer in that same year. Wayne attended pilot training at Reese AFB in Lubbock Texas and received his wings in 1979. He flew the KC-135, T-38, E-3 (AWACS) and KC-10 aircraft. In 1991, he was called to active duty as a US Air Force reservist and flew numerous combat missions in support of Operation Desert Storm. In 1986, Wayne was hired as a pilot for FedEx and retired as an MD-11 Captain after a thirty-year career there.

 

Wayne has been a sailor for over forty years. He has an extensive racing background having competed both inshore and offshore on events like the Transpac, Pacific Cup, Newport Bermuda, Rolex Big Boat series and numerous other local racing venues.

 

In 2016, he founded STEMsail, a program designed to engage young people by introducing them to basic STEM concepts using sailing as a platform for learning. He is currently cruising his boat, “Flyer,” across the Pacific Ocean and is now in New Zealand preparing for the next leg of his trip. Wayne feels that it is vital for young people to develop critical thinking skills and an appreciation for our environment, particularly our oceans. “Passing on my love of sailing and adventure to young people is it’s own reward.”

Dave attended Lexington High School and spent the last two years of high school at the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific (a United World College), where he (barely) passed the Interntional Baccalaureate exam. He majored in biology at Tufts University, received an MS in Marine Science from San Jose State University, and a PhD from Brown University.  He embarked on an academic scientist career but joined NOAA after receiving his PhD in 1991 to work with an emerging group focused on understanding global warming and climate change. His work at NOAA and scientific contributions emphasize the role of data synthesis (including data collection, mining, stewardship, and analysis) in solving environmental problems such as pollution and climate change. He has contributed to five national reports on climate change and published papers on ocean climate. Since leaving NOAA Dave worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and at a carbon dioxide removal startup company (Ebb Carbon).

 

Dave likes doing anything on the water from oceanographic cruises to sailing offshore and along the coast and San Francisco Bay to messing about in small boats such as kayaks, row boats, and stand up paddleboards, to surfing and diving and open-water swimming. His passion is windsurfing and wing foiling, and he hopes to start a wing foiling program for Richmond youth, capitalizing on Richmond's outstanding location for wing foiling. Richmond is possibly one of the ten best locations on the planet for beginner and advanced wing foiling in the summer, and an ideal location for rowing and kayaking in the winter when the winds are calm.

 

Dave helps Wayne with the STEMsail program, volunteers with the City of Richmond, and is a former Richmond Aquatics Life Guard, former WCCUSD substitute teacher, and former soccer coach.  Dave holds a US Coast Guard Operators License and a US Sailing Level 1 Instructor Certificate, and is certified in First Aid and CPR, Water Safety, and has youth safety training from the City, from the WCCUSD, and US Sailing.