Committee Members:

Debra Hernandez, SECOORA, Chair
Eric Anderson, Colorado School of Mines
Sara Bender, Sall Family Foundation
Daniel Costa, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz
Catherine Edwards, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia
Glen Gawarkiewicz, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Monty Graham, Florida Institute of Oceanography
Eoin Howlett, Trinnex
Barbara Kirkpatrick, GCOOS
Laura Lilly, Exponent
Julio Morell, Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CARICOOS)
Nick Rome, Center of Ocean Leadership
Steve Woll, Little Creek Applied Science

Ex-Officio Members:

Jennifer Hailes, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
Laura Lorenzoni, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Carrie Schmaus, U.S. Department of Energy
Kristen Yarincik, IOOS Association
Susan Yee, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Committee Member Bios:

Debra Hernandez, SECOORA, Chair: Ms. Hernandez currently serves as Executive Director of the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA), one of eleven regional partners in the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System. SECOORA is a nonprofit operating in the states of NC, SC, GA and FL to coalesce the efforts of multiple observing interests and deliver user defined products that save lives, conserve the coastal and marine environment, and support the economic vitality of our coastal regions. Since joining SECOORA she has been lead PI on several multi-year regional observing projects, and has served on related marine policy and science programs. Her experience includes coastal and ocean engineering, management, and policy. Prior to joining SECOORA, Ms. Hernandez led her own consulting firm and worked in state coastal management as an environmental engineer and coastal policy expert. Her professional interests include improving the linkages between scientists and decision-makers and facilitating discussions of public policy issues related to the coast and environment. She was also a licensed professional engineer for many years, and is a life-long resident of Charleston, SC. 

Eric Anderson, Colorado School of Mines: Dr. Eric J. Anderson is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geophysics, and he serves as the Associate Director of the Hydrologic Science and Engineering Program at the Colorado School of Mines. His research focuses on Great Lakes hydrodynamics, air-lake interaction, and physical-ecological forecasting to help stakeholders reduce the impacts from extreme events (meteotsunamis), coastal flooding, lake-effect precipitation, and harmful algal blooms. Before coming to Mines, Dr. Anderson led the development of hydrodynamic forecast models for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). He received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2019 and has received four Bronze Medals from the Department of Commerce for the development of operational forecasts that support drinking water protection and community resilience. He earned a Ph.D. and B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. 

Sara Bender, Sall Family Foundation: Dr. Bender received her Master’s and Ph.D. in biological oceanography at University of Washington (UW). After a NOAA Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region (CINAR) Postdoctoral Fellowship at WHOI in marine chemistry & geochemistry, she transitioned into philanthropy with a desire to apply her analytical skills to having an impact greater than any of her individual research projects. Through her work as a Program Officer at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, she led strategies within the flagship Marine Microbiology Initiative and then helped spearhead the Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative. she also used her time at Moore to broaden her expertise, including co-managing the Moore Inventor Fellows program, a competitive innovation program for early career faculty with projects spanning science, patient care, and environmental conservation. She became the Director, Portfolio Impact at the collaborative funding initiative The Audacious Project (housed at TED), where she managed the science, climate, and oceans portfolios – over 20 projects in total. Dr. Bender is currently the Managing Director at the Sall Family Foundation, supporting organizations worldwide that contribute to transformative change at the nexus of the environment, public health, and livelihoods. 

Daniel Costa, Ph.D., Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz: Daniel Costa is Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences and Distinguished Professor at UCSC. He received a B.A. in Zoology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and is a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. His research integrates physiology, behavior, and ecology, providing insight into the factors that shape the life histories of marine mammals and seabirds. He is studying the relationship between animal movements and oceanography, focusing on how climate-driven oceanographic processes affect their foraging behavior and success. He has been a pioneer in the use of animals to collect oceanographic data and has collaborated across multiple disciplines, including physical and biological oceanographers, ocean modelers, and ice dynamics. He co- founded the Tagging of Pacific Predators, a field program of the Census of Marine Life, to study the movement patterns of 23 species of marine vertebrate predators ranging from bluefin tuna, blue whales, white sharks, albatross, and elephant seals and sea turtles. He has published 428 scientific papers and has served on the editorial boards of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Marine Mammal Science, and Functional Ecology. He has been a guest editor of Deep-Sea Research and Endangered Species Research and is currently an Associate Editor for Animal Biotelemetry, Frontiers of Marine Science, and is an Editor of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. He served as the Chief Scientist for the winter 2001 and 2002 Southern Ocean GLOBEC cruises on the ARSV LM Gould. While a program manager at ONR, he developed ONR’s Marine Mammal Research program. He was responsible for the marine mammal research program for the Acoustic Thermography of the Ocean Climate (ATOC) experiment. He served on the CENCOOS governing council, and the SSC of the U.S. GLOBEC, Southern Ocean GLOBEC, CoML-Census of Marine Life, CLIOTOP, IMBeR, and ICED programs and on the USA Ocean Research Advisory Panel. He was a founding member of the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) as well as the GOOS BioEco Panel. He currently serves on the NASEM Ocean Studies Board and is a USA representative to Scientific Committee on Ocean Research (SCOR).

Catherine Edwards, Ph.D., Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia: Catherine Edwards is a physical oceanographer and Associate Professor at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and in the Department of Marine Sciences at University of Georgia, based in Savannah, Georgia. A native of New Orleans, Dr. Edwards earned a BS in Physics with highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and worked as an ocean modeler at the US Naval Research Laboratory before earning her PhD in Physical Oceanography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Edwards has been working with underwater gliders since 2003, and specializes in their use in energetic environments where traditional sampling may not be possible. Dr. Edwards developed an innovative collaborative model for a regional glider observatory, and established operations for the South East Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) regional glider observatory in 2016. Her expertise in addressing challenging interdisciplinary problems with novel methods has been recognized by invitations to serve as a program reviewer and panelist for multiple programs within the National Science Foundation, and invited participation in national and international workshops designed to advance the field. Dr. Edwards works closely with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, where she established glider acoustic telemetry and soundscapes programs, and serves in their Science Advisory Group. Dr. Edwards is dedicated to increased visibility of ocean science through community involvement, public relations, and outreach, and has partnered with local schoolteachers in the Savannah Chatham County Public School System, the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension service, the Society of Women Engineers, the PULSE Art+Technology Festival at the Jepson Museum of Art in Savannah, and other local groups to share ocean science with diverse audiences. Dr. Edwards’s work has been featured in local, regional, and national press, including Science Magazine, WIRED, Forbes, and The Weather Channel.

Glen Gawarkiewicz, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute: Glen is a physical oceanographer whose research focus is shelfbreak processes. He has also worked on ocean warming and Marine Heatwaves, design of ocean observing systems, scientific applications of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, ocean response to storms and high wind events, ocean variability and acoustic propagation, and Cooperative Research with the commercial fishing industry. Glen received his Ph.D. from the University of Delaware in 1989. He has been at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution since 1989. He has published numerous studies on variability of the Shelfbreak Front in the Middle Atlantic Bight. He has also worked extensively in the China Seas with colleagues in Taiwan. He led an inter-disciplinary study northeast of Taiwan in 2008-2009 which involved a four ship operation. He has worked closely with scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bhubaneshwar particularly on Tropical Cyclones. He has worked with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation in Rhode Island since 2015 on the Shelf Research Fleet, collecting CTD profiles. He frequently gives talks to the commercial fishing community in southern New England. He has extensive experience with the media, including the Washington Post, Boston Globe, NBC News, the Economist, Toronto Globe and Mail, and NBC10 in Boston. 

Monty Graham, Florida Institute of Oceanography: Dr. William (Monty) Graham became the Director for the Florida Institute of Oceanography in January, 2021 where he oversees the strategic planning and implementation of ocean research, education and business engagement serving Florida’s 12 state universities and 20 other consortium members. His programs and operations include three large ocean-going research vessels, the Keys Marine Laboratory on Long Key, FL, Florida’s RESTRORE Act Center of Excellence Program and several large collaborative research, education and mentoring programs that serve the state. Graham earned his B.Sc. in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, his M.Sc. in Marine Sciences, and his Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California Santa Cruz, after which he completed a year of postdoctoral oceanography research at the University of California Santa Barbara. Graham joined the faculty of Dauphin Island Sea Lab, AL, and the University of South Alabama Department of Marine Science until 2011 when he became Department Chair and Professor of Marine Science at the University of Southern Mississippi. He was the founding Director of USM’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering and later served as Associate Vice President for Research overseeing USM’s research portfolio on the coast campuses. With 30 years of experience in ocean science research, education, leadership and advocacy, Dr. Graham has served on numerous national and international panels and advisory boards including National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics’ Gulf Research Program, NOAA’s Northern Gulf Institute and Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, Florida Ocean Alliance, and the Florida A&M University-led Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, a NOAA Cooperative Science Center. Graham has led development of key federal policy around ocean technologies and commercialization, led state and regional task forces, and served on boards of directors contributing to advancement of ocean observing and scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico and southeast United States. Over his career, Graham has mobilized over $300 million in private, philanthropic, state and federal funds for the development of ocean science and technology infrastructure and research. He has authored or co-authored over 100 scientific articles, mostly in biological oceanography, focusing on jellyfish behavior and the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the Gulf Coast region. 

Eoin Howlett, Trinnix: Mr. Howlett has over 30 years of experience in software development, GIS, ocean observing, modeling, analytics, and data integration. He was a member of the U.S IOOC DMAC Steering Team, the ORRAP (Ocean Research & Resources Advisory Panel) Ocean Observing Sub-Panel, and NOAA’s Science Advisory Board's (SAB) Data Archiving and Access Requirements Working Group (DAARWG). He was the Cyberinfrastructure lead for the US IOOS Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed, and the Project Manager for the US Coast Guard SAROPS (Search & Rescue Optimal Planning System) and EDS (Environmental Data Server). He was also the DMAC Principal Investigator for MARACOOS (Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System), and lead of a development team working on the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Cyberinfrastructure project. He has also managed projects for the U.S. Navy and USACE, as well as international oil & gas clients. Mr. Howlett was CEO of Applied Science Associates (ASA) and managed the successful acquisition of ASA to the RPS Group in 2011. Mr. Howlett is Vice President of Digital Products at Trinnex.io, a CDM Smith Company, where he builds software platforms that integrate IoT, models, geospatial data and AI. Mr. Howlett has a BE (Electronic Engineering), a MBA, and recently studied Data Science at MIT’s professional education program.

Barbara Kirkpatrick, GCOOS: Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick is Senior Advisor for the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observation System (GCOOS). She has more than 35 years of experience in human and environmental epidemiology and started her career as a Respiratory Care Supervisor at Duke University Medical Center before going on to receive a Master’s Degree in Health Occupations Education at North Carolina State University and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Sarasota. After completing her graduate program, Kirkpatrick served as an Associate Professor at Manatee Community College in Bradenton, FL, where she continued her research interests in human respiratory health and assessing clinical teaching effectiveness. In 1999, Kirkpatrick joined Mote Marine Laboratory as a staff scientist and shifted her research focus to environmental human health, particularly the respiratory effects linked to harmful algal blooms. As a senior scientist and program manager at Mote Marine Laboratory, her continued research efforts focused on harmful algal blooms and the effects they have on humans. She was co-leader of the first major multi-institution study of Florida’s red tide on humans that was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The 11-year study was the first to scientifically document the impacts that red tide has on humans — particularly those who have chronic respiratory diseases. She was the co-chair of the National Harmful Algal Bloom steering committee for six years and co-chaired the National HAB science meeting in 2013. Kirkpatrick became Executive Director of GCOOS in 2014, where she was instrumental in broadening the scope of the ocean monitoring organization to include biological aspects of ocean monitoring — particularly monitoring for toxic algal blooms and marine animal movements. She retired as Executive Director in August 2021 and is now GCOOS Senior Advisor. 

Laura Lilly, Exponent: Dr. Lilly is a biological oceanographer broadly trained in analyzing oceanic and atmospheric causes of ecosystem perturbations, physical-biological interactions, and future forecasts of climate change on human maritime activities. She has also worked at the interface of ocean data and marine policy to help inform state policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and other coastal users about trends and anomalies in ocean conditions and ecosystem threats along the U.S. West Coast. The end-goal of all her efforts has been to develop the most effective, sustainable, and realistic methods for human uses of our global oceans and coasts. She believe strongly that humans will and should use the marine resources available to us, but must use all tools available to develop the optimal and healthiest uses of those resources. Dr. Lilly received interdisciplinary training in environmental science and human-ecosystem interactions through B.S. and M.S. degrees in Earth Systems at Stanford University. Following those degrees, she pursued a California Sea Grant State Fellowship to better understand and interface with the needs of coastal and marine resource users along the West Coast. She then completed a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, to enhance her technical skills and depth and breadth of ocean comprehension. She has since completed two postdoctoral fellowships, before transitioning to scientific consulting. In her current capacity at Exponent, Dr. Lilly interfaces with marine resource users in an effort to understand their needs and challenges and how we can address them. She has helped develop environmental impact assessments for the U.S. offshore wind industry and provided ecosystem analysis for companies navigating regulation and litigation of environmental pollutants. 

Julio Morell, Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CARICOOS): Since 2007, Julio M. Morell has served as Executive Director and Principal Investigator of the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CARICOOS), a regional component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System. Prof. Morell’s ocean experience made him aware of coastal information needs faced by diverse societal sectors in the Caribbean. For more than a decade, Prof. Morell has focused on the development of CARICOOS with the goal of providing for these needs. This has required continuous engagement of stakeholder sectors and building strategic partnerships with pertinent research, educational, federal, state and private entities that have made CARICOOS a reality (https://www.caricoos.org/). Professor Morell currently serves on several advisory committees including the Puerto Rico Climate Change Council, the UPR Sea Grant program, the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, The Ocean Foundation, the South Puerto Rico Harbor Safety and Security Committee and the IOOS Association. Mr. Morell holds a B.Sc. in Natural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras and a MS in Chemical Oceanographer at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. A native of Puerto Rico, Mr. Morell has pursued various fields in his oceanography career including plankton metabolism, marine pollution by oil and debris and the study of tropical marine biogeochemical processes and their role in modulating atmospherically active gases. Professor Morell also participated in interdisciplinary research efforts towards identifying the influence of major river plumes (Orinoco and Amazon) and mesoscale processes, such as eddies and internal waves, on the optical, physical and biogeochemical character of Eastern Caribbean waters. More recent research targets include the diverse expressions of climate and ocean acidification in our oceanic and coastal surroundings and ocean observing applied science.

Nick Rome, Center of Ocean Leadership: Mr. Nicholas Rome is the Senior Program Manager for UCAR’s Center for Ocean Leadership (COL), where he oversees strategic planning and program management for ocean observing programs. He coordinates activities across U.S. science and technology agencies and global intergovernmental organizations. Mr. Rome is key in advancing ocean observation efforts, including his work with the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) and contributions to developing the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Mr. Rome has also supported NANOOS (Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems), working to enhance regional collaboration on ocean and coastal observing efforts. His work includes connecting regional, national, and international stakeholders and promoting data sharing and management across diverse sectors. Mr. Rome’s expertise and leadership continue to drive the development and sustainability of ocean observing networks, both in the U.S. and globally, in support of the UN Ocean Decade and other initiatives.

Steve Woll, Little Creek Applied Science: A native of Pittsburgh PA, Steve attended Duke University, graduating with a BS in Zoology and Computer Science, including a semester at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort NC. After college, he started his professional career as a computer programmer with several environmental consulting firms in the Washington DC area, addressing topics including the dispersion of contaminants at Superfund sites and the modeling of ocean wave conditions. He then joined the Navy, serving as a Surface Warfare Officer before converting to a Meteorology and Oceanography Officer, earning an MS in Meteorology and Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School, and then earning an MBA from the College of William and Mary. In his Navy career, he served in a series of operational and staff assignments, including a carrier deployment to the Arabian Gulf just prior to September 11th, serving at the Air Combat headquarters during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and culminating in a tour as the inaugural Commanding Officer of the Strike Group Oceanography Team Norfolk. After retiring from the Navy, Steve worked in the meteorology private sector, doing business development and project management at WeatherFlow Inc, which operates a network of coastal weather observing stations, including support of IOOS Regional Associations and service on the SECOORA and MARACOOS Boards. He then shifted to a WeatherFlow spinoff company, Synoptic Data PBC, a Public Benefit Corporation which provides environmental data aggregation services and serves as the lead subcontractor for the NWS’ National Mesonet public-private partnership. After heading up business development for 6 years, Steve served as Synoptic’s President from July 2020 to September 2022. After leaving Synoptic, he then founded Little Creek Applied Science LLC, where he currently serves as principal. He is a 24-year resident of Norfolk VA, where he currently heads up a three-dog household.