Associate in Arts, 1971

A son of Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Red Lion Senior High School, Dr. Grove was SCUBA certified in a freshwater quarry at age 16. During the summer months, he served ice cream on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, to save enough money to travel. He fell in love with surfing, and this is where his interest in marine biology began. In 1970, Dr. Grove made his way to the Florida Keys, and his passion to learn more about the ocean became a driving force in his life.

In 1971, Dr. Grove enrolled at CFK, which was known as Florida Keys Community College. Soon after graduation, he worked as a deckhand on sailing yachts in the Caribbean and doing manual labor on a turtle farm in the Cayman Islands. He began an undergraduate program at the University of West Florida. Before graduation, he received an invitation to sail from the Port of Miami to the Galapagos Islands, an opportunity that would chart the rest of his life.

In 1975, at age 24, Dr. Grove hoisted sail for the first time in the Pacific Ocean, when his lifelong study of marine science began. Since then, Dr. Grove has traveled to more than 100 countries, actively involved with marine conservation and research for 50 years. As a naturalist, dive master, and expedition leader, Dr. Grove has explored many of the most remote regions of the world’s oceans. For seven years, he lived aboard the ship Bucanero in Galápagos, working as a naturalist guide and doing research for the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and the Instituto Nacional de Pesca in Guayaquil.

He authored the seminal book, “Fishes of the Galápagos Islands,” published in 1997 by Stanford University Press. It is the only comprehensive book of its kind. The new edition, “Galapagos Fishes, From the Shore to the Abyss, and From Darwin to DNA,” will be released for open access in 2026.

Dr. Grove has lived in the Upper Keys for the past 20 years, where he has a home in Tavernier. His dedication to conservation, education, and scientific research continues in his role as Executive Director of the East Pacific Corridor Alliance Foundation (EPCA).

Associate in Arts, 1979

Andy Griffiths is a current member of the Monroe County School Board. He was first elected in 1992 making him the longest serving elected official in Monroe County.
Griffiths graduated from The College of the Florida Keys in 1979 and soon after obtained his Captain’s License to run a fishing charter business. While growing his enterprise, he commuted from Key West to Miami on a weekly basis to complete a Bachelor of Arts at Florida International University. He eventually grew the operations to include six 43-foot charter boats that ran overnight trips to the Dry Tortugas. In 2006, he sold the space that housed his fleet along with the boats, which he sold to his captains, but continued to work in rental property.

Griffiths has served on the boards of the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter, Keys Federal Credit Union, United Way of the Florida Keys, United Way of Florida, Rotary Club of Key West, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the Florida School Board Association. He has also served as President of the Key West Jaycees, The United Way of the Florida Keys, The United Way of Florida, The Monroe County School Board, and the Florida School Board Association.

The avid fisherman and education advocate values generating public interest and accessibility for his pursuits. He is a major donor to the Take Stock in Children Program and the Key West Community Sailing Center.

The proud father of two daughters resides in Key West.

Associate in Science, Nursing, 1987

After years as a professional firefighter, Dr. Mallinson began his healthcare career here in Key West, obtaining an Associate in Science in Nursing degree from CFK in 1987. While working as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit, he completed a baccalaureate degree at the University of Miami. Over the next few years, he became a nationally known expert in HIV/AIDS nursing, serving on national committees and advisory boards. He earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Mallinson has more than 36 years of experience in caring for persons with HIV disease in the U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa. He received $3.5 million in national funding to lead a multi-year project to strengthen nursing capacity in South Africa, Lesotho, and the Kingdom of Swaziland. As a Fulbright Scholar, he lived for a year in Swaziland, teaching and conducting HIV research. Dr. Mallinson has served on the National Board of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care and as the President of the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board. In 2008, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for his unique contributions to the profession.

Dr. Mallinson has authored dozens of research articles, policy briefs, and book chapters and has presented his scholarly work on five continents. He has served as a consultant to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher and several Ministers of Health in Africa. Last year, he published a memoir of his years as a professional firefighter in the Key West Fire Department in the early 1980s. Dr. Mallinson recently retired as an Associate Professor and Director of the Ph.D. in Nursing program at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He and his husband have one son and reside on the Eastern Shore of Delaware.

Class of 2019
Associate in Science, Marine Environmental Technology

Caitlin McCall is a passionate “eco-preneur” who has combined her education in marine conservation, marketing, and scuba diving to create a social media platform for herself, as well as multiple businesses that focus on education and amplifying conservation brands.

She is the owner of Eco-Conscious Diver, a marine conservation education platform, which provides three online courses, including PADI certifications and certificates, free learning resources, in-person diving events, a podcast, and merchandise. She also owns McCall Digital Marketing, an online marketing agency which specializes in eco-products, scuba diving industry, and marine conservation businesses and non-profits.

Caitlin proudly tells anyone who will listen that attending CFK for Marine Environmental Technology changed her life and career, as it gave her hands-on experience and allowed her to niche down in an industry for which she’s passionate and create a life of which she is proud and loves. Follow her journey and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at @SeaCaitlinMcCall.