Erika Young.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nErika Young has joined North Carolina Sea Grant as the coastal and marine education specialist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cEducation is a pillar of the NC Sea Grant program,\u201d notes Susan White, executive director. \u201cErika embodies a genuine ‘sense of wonder’ about the N.C. coast, and has a successful record of working with diverse audiences. We are pleased that she has joined our team.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nYoung had been on faculty at the University of North Carolina Pembroke for 13 years, and served as a mentor for students there through the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement. She also has been active in science education outreach through programs such as the Morehead Planetarium, NC Science Festival, and Boys and Girls Clubs.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI often visit local schools in underprivileged counties to talk to K-12 students about STEM fields. I grew up in Robeson County and understand how important it is to have a connection with your audience,\u201d she explains.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAs a first-year college, Native American undergraduate student, I was unaware of the multitude of undergraduate opportunities, let alone research,\u201d she recalls. But she applied for a summer opportunity to study herpetology in Indiana, a step that set her career path.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI collected local frogs and tadpoles from ponds to study pigmentation and camouflage,\u201d she recalls. That led to additional undergraduate research opportunities at\/through UNCP; then a master\u2019s degree from Western Carolina University; and her doctorate from UNC Chapel Hill, where she \u201cfocused on aquatic ecology with emphasis in estuarine habitats, oyster biodeposition, meiofauna, and sea-level rise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nYoung will be based at North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s headquarters at NC State University and will serve the entire state. She will work with a variety of partners, such as the N.C. Office of Environmental Education.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI am super excited to be a part of NC Sea Grant and look forward to developing relationships with our various stakeholders and continuing stewardship for our coasts,\u201d Young adds.<\/span><\/p>\nmore about Erika Young<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n##<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The new year brings Erika Young to North Carolina Sea Grant as a new coastal and marine education specialist. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1407,1399,1390],"tags":[1490,1491,8,166,1492,92,1493,661,1494],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-14067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-extension","category-staff-news","tag-erika-young","tag-lumbee","tag-marine-education","tag-national-sea-grant-college-program","tag-nc-environmental-education","tag-nc-sea-grant","tag-sea-grant-education","tag-unc-ims","tag-uncp"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"yoast_head":"\n
Erika Young Joins NC Sea Grant as Education Specialist - North Carolina Sea Grant<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n