{"id":17010,"date":"2023-04-12T12:29:55","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T16:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/?page_id=17010"},"modified":"2024-09-19T12:10:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T16:10:50","slug":"our-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/about\/our-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
marybeth_barrow@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-9103<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As fiscal officer, Mary Beth Barrow manages the budget and oversees technology projects at North Carolina Sea Grant. She received her Certification for Research Administration, or CRA, in 2010. She is a past chair of the Sea Grant Fiscal Officers Network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From 2005 to 2009, Barrow handled financial and grant-related matters for different departments at North Carolina State University<\/a>. Before that, she worked at North Carolina Sea Grant in an administrative position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Originally from Wake Forest, Barrow graduated from East Carolina University<\/a> with a bachelor of science in political science and a minor in business administration.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n cdcothro@ncsu.edu<\/a><\/strong> | 919-515-1686<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus Areas: Planning, policy, decision-making, climate change, resilience, sustainability, engagement<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cayla Cothron is North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s coastal planning specialist, located in Raleigh on NC State\u2019s Centennial Campus. The coastal planning specialist works collaboratively to support planning, policy, and decision-making that improves resilience and sustainability of coastal communities and ecosystems to climate impacts and other changing conditions. She connects science-based information to coastal communities, resource managers, and interest groups in North Carolina and the surrounding region, and works with university researchers, communities, and other stakeholders to translate and apply science to policy and decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cothron has a bachelor\u2019s degree in environmental studies from Florida State University and a master\u2019s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado Denver. Prior to joining Sea Grant, Cothron worked in long range community and environmental planning in both the private and public sectors in the western U.S. She has experience working with communities, government agencies, decision-makers, and other stakeholders to collaboratively address local needs across a wide variety of land use and environmental topics.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n dsdinico@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-1092<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dan DiNicola is a science writer\/digital content producer, developing engaging content for new and ongoing Sea Grant-funded projects from across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DiNicola began his career in marine policy and species conservation before transitioning to science communication with an emphasis on visual storytelling. Now he uses his background to collaborate with researchers to bring the stories behind their science to life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n DiNicola was previously the communications manager for the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences as well as the marine biology program for four years. In that role, he transformed the communications for one of the nation\u2019s preeminent fisheries institutions, concentrating on the school\u2019s world-class research and legacy, while also ushering in a new era of marine science at the University by developing recruitment strategies for its nascent undergraduate marine biology program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to his experience in Seattle, he was the communications specialist at the University of Miami for the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative-funded grant, RECOVER, which investigated the impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on coastal and pelagic fishes. While with RECOVER, he built brand awareness, partnered with private companies to amplify outreach goals and developed a free-to-use virtual lab app with lesson plans focusing on emerging oil spill science for students and teachers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with his family and two dogs, hiking, photography, and cooking barbecue. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n bdoll@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-5287<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus Areas: Nonpoint source pollution prevention and treatment, restoration ecology, stormwater management, stream assessment, sustainable landscaping<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Barbara Doll joined North Carolina Sea Grant in 1992. Her current interests focus on repairing degraded stream systems, reducing the impacts of nonpoint source pollution and assessing the effectiveness of restoration practices. She is responsible for leading a multimillion dollar, three-phase project to restore Rocky Branch. This creek runs a mile through the North Carolina State University<\/a> campus and is a tributary to the Neuse River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her recent research focused on the comprehensive evaluation of stream restoration performance. Doll has authored a number of publications on stream restoration and stormwater runoff, including Stream Restoration: A Natural Channel Design Handbook<\/em> and Stormwater Runoff Best Management Practices for Marinas: A Guide for Operators<\/em><\/a>. She also has been published in Journal of the American Water Resources Association<\/em>, Journal of Shellfish Research<\/em> and Water Environment and Technology<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Doll holds a doctorate degree in biological and agricultural engineering from NC State<\/a>, where she has a joint appointment with the NC State Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department as an extension associate professor. There she teaches courses and conducts research related to fluvial geomorphology and ecological restoration. Prior to joining Sea Grant, she worked as a staff engineer for Soil and Material Engineers in Raleigh, NC, and as a research assistant in the civil engineering department at NC State.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n jmfear@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-9104<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n John Fear is deputy director of North Carolina Sea Grant and the Water Resources Research Institute<\/a> of the University of North Carolina system. He focuses on developing and executing research portfolios for the two interinstitutional programs. He works to increasing the links among the research, extension and communication sections of both organizations, with a special emphasis on creating new student engagement opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fear worked as research coordinator for the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve<\/a> program within the N.C. Division of Coastal Management for nine years. In this role, he conducted original research and facilitated studies by partners at the 10 sites of the NCCR-NCNERR and their respective watersheds. Prior to that, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill\u2019s Institute of Marine Sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fear previously chaired the core management team for the North Carolina Sentinel Site Cooperative<\/a>, a multiagency partnership established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He also is a member of the Criteria Implementation Committee<\/a>, which works with the Department of Environmental Quality\u2019s Division of Water Resources on the state\u2019s Nutrient Criteria Development Plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A native of New Bern, NC, Fear holds a doctorate in environmental sciences and engineering from UNC-CH<\/a>\u2018s School of Public Health, and a bachelor\u2019s degree in biology and chemistry from UNC-CH. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, family time and tinkering with anything mechanical.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n jane_harrison@ncsu.edu<\/strong><\/a> | 919-513-0122<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus Areas: Environmental economics, economic development, natural resource management, public engagement and outreach<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jane Harrison, North Carolina Sea Grant coastal economics specialist, applies economic analysis and other social science methods to meet the needs of coastal stakeholders. She regularly collaborates with city planners and elected officials, private businesses, and residents to safeguard natural resources and make smart, long-term investments in infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She leads development of the NC Oyster Trail<\/a>, which offers unique tourism experiences centered on our state\u2019s tasty oysters. The Trail\u2019s mission is to provide oyster tourism experiences that help sustain and grow N.C. oyster supply and demand, resulting in economic, environmental, and social benefits to the state\u2019s seafood industry and coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, Harrison is a graduate faculty member in the College of Natural Resources and an affiliate faculty member in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at NC State University. She teaches economic development, a course on the unique development challenges of, and strategies being pursued in, rural and urban areas of North Carolina.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n rejone25@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-9069<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rebecca Jones is the communications director for North Carolina Sea Grant, the Water Resources Research Institute<\/a> for the University of North Carolina,<\/a> and North Carolina Space Grant<\/a>. Previously, she served as an associate professor of writing studies and the writing program administrator in Montana State University\u2019s Department of English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her prior positions include professor of rhetoric and writing studies at University of Tennessee, Chattanooga and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where she taught writing and served in administrative roles ranging from graduate director, internship coordinator, writing program administrator, and assistant dean. She also worked as a freelance science writer for the Rocky Mountain Research Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A native of Morehead City, NC, Jones received her bachelor\u2019s in English from UNC Chapel Hill, master\u2019s in English from the University of South Carolina-Columbia, and her doctorate in Rhetoric and Composition from UNC Greensboro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In her free time, Jones enjoys eating local food with family, reading, swimming, kayaking, hiking, and traveling.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n akkohli@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-8850<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Amanpreet Kohli joined North Carolina Sea Grant in September 2024 as its first research and program coordinator. In this role, Kohli will develop and support funding opportunities for faculty and student research and fellowships while working to identify research priorities, engage with educational institutions across the state, participate in proposal reviews, and assist with related grant management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kohli\u2019s previous work includes positions as a research and outreach associate for Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, where she also served as a research competition project coordinator and managed an advisory committee, as well as also working for Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant at the Illinois Natural History Survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She earned her bachelor\u2019s in microbiology from Delhi University, master\u2019s degrees in biology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and in environmental science from TERI School of Advanced Studies, and her doctorate in marine sciences from William and Mary\u2019s Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Her Ph.D. research focused on disease in American eels in the Chesapeake Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her husband and dog, exploring new restaurants, reading, and cooking.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n fmlopez@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-3012<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Frank L\u00f3pez is the extension director for North Carolina Sea Grant<\/a> and the state\u2019s Water Resources Research Institute<\/a>. He supervises extension specialists for the programs in Raleigh, Morehead City, Manteo, and Wilmington. The extension team\u2019s portfolio meets the programs\u2019 spectrum of focus areas on the coast and statewide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n L\u00f3pez comes to Sea Grant and WRRI from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, where he administered the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, an integrated research\/education program, in Huron for more than 14 years. He has a master\u2019s degree in regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n debra_lynch@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-9102<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Debra Lynch provides office support for North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s director, deputy director and extension director, as well as the extension staff in Raleigh, Manteo, Morehead City and Wilmington. She helps manage a variety of workshops and conferences, along with the N.C. Fishery Resource Grant Program and the N.C. Blue Crab and Shellfish Research Program. In addition to managing a dozen listservs and the mailing lists for the FRG and Blue Crab programs, she plays an integral role in processing the related proposal requests and applications.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n anna_arnold@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-513-1203<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna Martin is the program coordinator for both North Carolina Sea Grant and the state\u2019s Water Resources Research Institute<\/a> (WRRI), where she provides technical and administrative support for events and day-to-day operations. Her duties include assisting with Sea Grant and WRRI advisory board activity; the annual call for proposal process; and website\/listserv maintenance. Anna also is the key administrator for the North Carolina Water Resources Association<\/a>, a partner organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in natural resources, with a concentration in marine and coastal science, from NC State University\u2019s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. After graduation, she worked with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (formerly the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources) Land Quality Division. Before joining WRRI in 2007, she was a science educator at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. She currently is seeking state certification in environmental education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside of work, Anna volunteers with programs that help alleviate food insecurity in the Wake County community. She also enjoys attending concerts, traveling, reading and spending time outdoors.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n smmehdao@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-9101<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As the public health specialist, Sarah connects coastal communities and the Sea Grant research community. Mehdaova is a member of the extension team and works towards building capacity for health equity in communications during disasters for underserved coastal Latino and Latina communities in North Carolina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mehdaova previously worked as a COVID-19 Lead with the CDC Foundation at the Washington State Department of Health in Tumwater, Washington, where she facilitated emergency management programs involving heat waves, flooding, and medication preparedness. She also oversaw the development and progress of multiple cross-departmental projects as a medical logistics and countermeasure coordinator. Additionally, she worked with Ready Responders Inc., in Las Vegas, Nevada, a non-emergency private practice, where she was a project manager and practice administrator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mehdaova earned her bachelor of science in public health from East Carolina University where she presented her preliminary research of social determinants of health at a conference at the Brody School of Medicine. She has a master\u2019s degree of public health from the University of Arizona.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n christy_perrin@ncsu.edu<\/a><\/strong> | 919-513-1152<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus areas: Collaborative decision making, public engagement, watershed management, green infrastructure<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Christy Perrin provides leadership to initiatives that involve multiple sectors and citizens in planning, studying, protecting and restoring water resources in a sustainable manner. She coordinates the statewide NC Watershed Stewardship Network<\/a> in partnership with UNC Institute for the Environment<\/a> and many other organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She has special interests in helping public and private organizations to enhance community development while protecting natural resources, particularly in historically underserved areas, and to build citizens\u2019 capacity for collaborative leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perrin joined North Carolina Sea Grant and the Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina system<\/a> after managing Watershed Education for Communities and Officials, or WECO, a North Carolina State University Extension program, from 2001 to 2014. She began her career at NC State with the Natural Resources Leadership Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She earned her Master\u2019s in Public Administration with an environmental policy focus from NC State, and has extensive training and experience in community mediation and group facilitation. In addition, Perrin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science, with a wildlife biology minor, and an advanced certificate in corporate sustainability from the University of Vermont.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n gloria_putnam@ncsu.edu<\/strong><\/a> | 919-513-0117<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus Areas: natural landscapes and green infrastructure, toxic algal blooms, marine debris.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In her role as the coastal resources and communities specialist, Gloria Putnam helps state and local organizations and communities address environmental concerns through research, education, planning and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Putnam serves as the lead for the Coastal Landscapes Initiative<\/a> that aims to foster resilient and sustainable landscapes throughout coastal North Carolina. Gloria has also been engaged with researchers and communities in the Chowan River and Albemarle Sound to better understand algal blooms in that region. Marine debris is another major area of topic for her and she has been an integral part of a team that developed the first NC Marine Debris Action Plan released in 2020, and continues to serve on an implementation committee and participate in projects connected with the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gloria has co-authored a number of NC Sea Grant publications, including Algal Blooms Things to Know<\/em><\/a>, NC Coastal Landscaping Designs<\/a><\/em>, and the Coastal Grass Beds<\/em><\/a> <\/em>and Trees and Plants<\/em> <\/a>fact sheets of the Sustainability Series<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to joining Sea Grant in 2007, Putnam worked for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Quality as the coastal nonpoint source program coordinator. She earned a master\u2019s in environmental management and policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and she holds a bachelor\u2019s degree from North Carolina State University.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n dbrobin2@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-513-0116<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dynestie Robinson is the coordinator of the national Community Engaged Internship program. She oversees professional development opportunities, hands-on experiences, and funding resources for 40 undergraduate student interns from underrepresented and indigenous communities across the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robinson’s background in community engagement includes her work with Passage Home, Wake County\u2019s Community Action Agency. Passage Home provides intentional and accessible resources to lift families out of the cycle of poverty and toward generational self-sufficiency. As Passage Home\u2019s volunteer coordinator, Robinson mentored interns, volunteers, and staff, ensuring their professional development and success. Additionally, she played a pivotal role as the nonprofit\u2019s communications and grant writer, securing vital funding for its initiatives and programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robinson earned her bachelors of social work from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her masters of social work from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She is also pursuing her doctorate in social work.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n dmshaw@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-621-3933 | he\/him<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Shaw has worked as an editor and writer for two and a half decades, including a dozen years as executive editor of Southern Cultures<\/em>, the award-winning journal at UNC\u2019s Center for the Study of the American South. His first book won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction, and his work has appeared internationally in literary magazines and anthologies, as well as on numerous education and science news sites. He joined North Carolina Sea Grant after five years as communication director of UNC\u2019s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, where he served on FPG\u2019s award-winning Committee on Race, Culture, and Ethnicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For North Carolina Sea Grant, he is a member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibilty<\/a> Team and serves as editor of the award-winning Coastwatch<\/a><\/em> magazine, the Currents<\/em><\/a> blog series, and the award-winning Hook, Line & Science<\/em><\/a> series.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n snwhite3@ncsu.edu<\/a> | 919-515-2455<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Susan White is the executive director for North Carolina Sea Grant, the Water Resources Research Institute<\/a> for the University of North Carolina,<\/a> and North Carolina Space Grant<\/a>. All three programs provide targeted research, outreach and education projects to address critical issues in the state and within the region. Sea Grant, with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and WRRI, with funding from the U.S. Geological Survey, focus on coastal, ocean and water resource topics for ecosystems and communities. Space Grant<\/a> projects, with funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, include partnerships with the aerospace industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fall 2017, White was named chair of the N.C. Sediment Control Commission by Gov. Roy Cooper. She previously was director of NOAA\u2019s Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, S.C. Formerly the national research coordinator for NOAA\u2019s Estuarine Reserves Division and National Estuarine Research Reserve System<\/a>, she has served on national and regional steering committees on topics including technology transfer, integrated drought monitoring and early warning, and climate\u2019s connections to health. White earned a doctorate from the University of Georgia<\/a> and a bachelor\u2019s degree from Duke University<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nCayla Cothron, Coastal Planning Specialist<\/h2><\/a>
Dan DiNicola, Science Writer\/Digital Content Producer<\/h2><\/a>
Barbara Doll, Water Protection and Restoration Specialist<\/h2><\/a>
John Fear, Deputy Director<\/h2><\/a>
Jane Harrison, Coastal Economics Specialist<\/h2><\/a>
Rebecca Jones, Communications Director<\/h2><\/a>
Amanpreet Kohli<\/strong>, Research and Program Coordinator<\/h2><\/a>
Frank L\u00f3pez, Extension Director<\/h2><\/a>
Debra Lynch, Administrative Support Specialist<\/h2><\/a>
Anna Martin, Program Coordinator<\/h2><\/a>
Sarah Mehdaova, Public Health Specialist<\/h2><\/a>
Christy Perrin, Sustainable Waters and Communities Coordinator<\/h2><\/a>
Gloria Putnam, Coastal Resources and Communities Specialist<\/h2><\/a>
Dynestie Robinson, Community Engaged Internship Coordinator<\/h2><\/a>
Dave Shaw, Editor\/Science Writer<\/h2><\/a>
Susan White, Executive Director<\/h2><\/a>