Dr. Tricia Thibodeau (URI), President, she/her/hers
She is a biological oceanographer interested in understanding the effects of climate change on plankton populations. She received a PhD in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, and a BA in Earth and Oceanographic Science from Bowdoin College. Her research has enabled her to participate on five research cruises to the Western Antarctic Peninsula to identify the effects of long-term warming and sea ice loss on plankton communities as part of the Palmer Antarctica Long-Term Ecological Research program. During her Ph.D., she co-founded the SWMS chapter at VIMS and was the co-leader for two years. Her experience with plankton time series led to her current research position as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Rhode Island where she is analyzing a 60-year plankton time series from Narragansett Bay, RI. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her pug, Otto, cross-stitching, and going for walks with her partner, Josh. She is excited to be the President of SWMS and can’t wait to get to know everyone in this great organization! You can find her on twitter @PattyPlankton.
Trish Albano (national Marine Sanctuary Foundation), Vice President, She/Her/Hers
Growing up in South Florida, Trish spent her summers developing a love for the ocean while splashing around at the beach. She received a B.S. in Marine & Atmospheric Science from the University of Miami, where she conducted research in Miami and the Bahamas with the Shark Research and Conservation Program. Trish also holds an M.S. in Marine Ecosystems & Society from the University of Miami where her research focused on evaluating the efficacy of marine reserves for shark protection in South Africa. Currently, Trish is based in Washington D.C. and works with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in support of NOAA Ocean Exploration, facilitating experiential learning opportunities for students and early career folks as the office’s Internship Program Coordinator. In her free time, you can find Trish camping, traveling, or exploring on her paddleboard with her rescue dog, Mahi. Trish is passionate about mentorship and professional development for all career stages and is excited to bring that enthusiasm to SWMS as Vice President!
Alex Sinclair, Chapters Liaison, she/her/hers
Alex Sinclair is a Senior Systems Engineer / Electrical Engineer with 25 years of experience gained at DoD contractors, in academia, and at a national laboratory. She has been on both sides of the hiring table many times and strives to learn new approaches from each interview to share with others. Her passion is coastal and physical oceanography research, as well as development of oceanographic instruments.
Kayle Krieg (University of Maryland Eastern SHore), Chapters Liaison, she/her/hers
Kayle is a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Paulinus Chigbu’s lab at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in the Marine, Estuarine, Environmental Science (MEES) program and beginning in September 2022 a Maryland Sea Grant State Science Fellow. She received her M.S. in Natural Resources with a focus on fisheries conservation and management and her B.S. in Environmental Science with a focus on ecology at the University of Arizona. Before moving to Maryland to work on her PhD, she was an Education and Outreach Specialist at the Biosphere 2 (Oracle, AZ) and she loves to share science with folks of all ages. Her research interests include system and community ecology within aquatic systems. With a particular fondness for fish and inverts, she is open to studying many organisms and systems. In her spare time she spends as much time as she can with her 4 kids and husband exploring the East Coast and reading (book recommendations always welcome!).
Niamh Meyler (University of Stockholm), Treasurer, she/her/hers
Niamh is studying for an MSc. in Marine Biology with Stockholm University. Her research is focused on coral resilience, in particular the multiple stressor effects of pollution and disease on stony corals in tropical and sub-tropical climates. She currently works as a Marine Science Educator in Florida where she has the opportunity to teach people of all ages about the importance of coral reef ecosystems. She is cofounder of Ireland SWMS and is helping to grow our society internationally.
Katherine (Katie) Gallagher (STony Brook University), Communications Coordinator, she/her/hers
Katie is an NSF Office of Polar Programs Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Institute of Advanced Computational Sciences at Stony Brook University. She is studying the impacts of physical oceanography and behavior on Antarctic krill accumulation and distributions adjacent to penguin colonies along the West Antarctic Peninsula. Broadly, Katie is interested in impacts of physical oceanography on bio-physical interactions, food web ecology, and marine species biogeography. Katie got her B.S. in Marine Science from Northeastern University in 2017 and her Ph.D. in Oceanography from University of Delaware in 2022. During her time at UD, she co-lead the UD SWMS chapter and coordinated the DelMarVa SWMS symposium with current president Tricia! She excited to work with SWMS on a larger scale! You can find her Twitter at @klgallagherphd and online on her website.
Tianyin Ouyang, Mentorship Chair, She/her/hers
Tia is a Ph.D. student majoring in chemical oceanography at the University of Delaware (UD). Her research primarily focuses on identifying the sources and controlling factors of organic chemicals (including potential pollutant and contaminations) present in Delaware’s water bodies and aims to develop a conceptual model to predict organic chemical variations in estuarine and coastal water systems. She earned a B.S. degree with dual majors in Chemistry and Secondary Science Education from the University of Maryland – College Park, where she worked as research assistant to assessed biosolid standards of wastewater treatment plants and investigated the effects of saltwater intrusion on coastal agricultural soils. She began her involvement as a co-chair of UD SWMS chapter and now is excited to work with main SWMS chapter to further develop a dynamic and supportive society. To find out more about Tia, see her personal website: https://tianyinouyang.weebly.com!
Rae Quadara (The University of Southern Mississippi), Clerk/Secretary, She/her/hers
Rae (she/her) grew up in San Diego, California where her love of the ocean and all of its wonders began. She received her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Marine Biology and Conservation from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. While in college, she took and then became the teacher assistant in the Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA) course which inspired her to pursue informal educational aspects of science (such as volunteer aquarist-educator work and internships) along with her research. She was a recipient of the Cal Poly FROST Grant and conducted her senior research project on the effects of commercial sunscreens on the development of purple sea urchin embryos. She believes that these mentorship opportunities made a significant impact on her career path, leading her to roles that work with empowering students of all ages and encouraging their growth. After graduation, she moved back to San Diego to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA Member, building capacity for both in-school and out-of-school ocean science and research programs within an underserved community. Rae then moved to the San Francisco Bay area and taught science formally in a classroom setting. She then received her Specialized Certificate in Sustainability and Behavior Change from USCD Extension. Her experiences thus far have further developed her love for the ocean, drive as an educator and science communicator, and passion for inclusivity in science. Rae relocated to the Gulf Coast earlier this year and she is proud to serve as the Marine Education Project Manager in support of the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative. Rae is so excited to continue this work in building mentorship opportunities, supporting interns, and growing connections with ocean science colleagues!
Thank you to all our former steering committee members!
We hold elections once a year in the spring for our steering committee members. Look out for details in our newsletter.