Biologist and marine scientist Amanpreet (Aman) Kohli is North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s first research and program coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kohli will develop and support funding opportunities for faculty and student research and fellowships. She will also work with the North Carolina Sea Grant team 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
\u201cI\u2019m excited to join North Carolina Sea Grant and advance marine science in the state,\u201d says Kohli. \u201cThe program\u2019s fellowships, which I\u2019ll help coordinate, offer excellent training opportunities for its fellows.\u201d<\/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
\u201cWe are extremely excited to have Aman join our team,\u201d says John Fear, deputy director of North Carolina Sea Grant. \u201cShe brings with her a wealth of experience from her time at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and has been able to hit the ground running.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kohli is no stranger to the East Coast. She earned her Ph.D. in marine sciences with a sub-concentration in marine policy from William and Mary\u2019s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (now Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences), where her research focused on disease in American eels in the Chesapeake Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also completed two master\u2019s degrees \u2014 one in biology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and another in environmental science from TERI School of Advanced Studies. She graduated with a bachelor\u2019s in microbiology from Delhi University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her new role, Kohli will also support North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s advisory board, the NC Coastal Conference, and other statewide meetings. Kohli is based at North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s headquarters at NC State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am committed to fostering collaborations and expanding funding and training opportunities, ensuring people of different backgrounds and abilities are included in our applicant and reviewer pools, and seeking valuable professional development for our fellows,\u201d says Kohli. \u201cWith my research background and Sea Grant experience, I look forward to bringing fresh perspectives to our state\u2019s coastal research challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n