Michael Topolovac

Region:
North America
Scholar Date:
1987 to 1988

Michael is a serial entrepreneur who hacks away at underwater imaging whenever he gets the chance. He was first exposed to the diving world in high-school when he got certified to drive the submarine he was building for his science fair project. While his career as a submariner was short lived, it paved the way for him being awarded the Rolex Our World – Underwater Scholarship which introduced him to UW photography and gave him a chance to learn from some of the greats such as David Doublet and Stan Waterman. From that experience the idea for Light & Motion emerged which was subsequently started from his dorm room at Stanford. Ten years after its founding, Michael left Light & Motion (where he still serves as Chairman of the Board), and founded venture backed Arena Solutions, a Software as a Service company who’s solution helps global brands bring their products to market. After recently transitioning out of his role at Arena, Michael is now focused on his third company which is building a global brand around accessible luxury products for women.

Current and Past Scholars :
OW-USS Past Scholars

Carol Lee

Region: North America Scholar Date: 1991 to 1992 Carol Lee is a full professor at the Center of Rapid Evolution (CORE) and the Department of Zoology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her research examines the

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OW-USS Past Scholars

Michele A. Felberg

Region: North America Scholar Date: 2015 Michele Felberg, from Houston, Texas, always had an affinity for water but didn’t quite grasp her love for the underwater world until her years earning a Bachelor of Science in

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OW-USS Past Scholars

Neha Acharya-Patel

Region: North America Scholar Date: 2019 to 2020 Growing up in Waterloo, Ontario, Neha, 24, spent much of her summers exploring the lakes and rivers that make up the Great Canadian Shield. Comfortable in the water

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OW-USS Past Scholars

Giovanni Catalano

Region: North America Scholar Date: 1994 to 1995 I am now an Undersea Medical Officer for the US Navy stationed in Bangor, Washington working with the local Navy divers and the crews of the trident submarines.

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