Ocean Jobs in the Federal Government Webinar
Are you interested in a career with the United States federal government? SWMS held a webinar on September 22 from 12:00 to 1:30PM EDT with professionals working in the government sector of marine and ocean science!
Please email swms.general.contact (at) gmail.com if you cannot access the recording above.
This event featured an overview of the federal government sector, how to find open positions, networking, and Q&A with panellists from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). See below to learn more about the panellists!
Panellists
Dr. Alexa Sterling (she/her)
Alexa Sterling is a life scientist in the Ocean and Coastal Protection section of the New England regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She is in her first year of the Pathways Program for Recent Graduates after finishing her PhD in marine microbial ecology at the University of Rhode Island. Her current role involves assisting with the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act including dredged material management using ocean surveys and providing technical assistance and field work related to harmful algal blooms and other areas of her expertise.
Jena Kent (she/her)
Jena Kent is a physical scientist with NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in atmospheric science from Old Dominion University. Throughout her career with NOAA, Jena has analyzed and managed annual tide and current predictions for the nation, which help mariners safely and efficiently navigate U.S. waters. Jena seeks to make ocean data more accessible. Her passion is communicating the importance and usefulness of NOAA's tide and current data to help the public use this information in new and innovative ways.
Dr. Adrienne Copeland (she/her)
Adrienne Copeland is a Physical Scientist with NOAA Ocean Exploration. She is the Program Manager for the Ocean Exploration Competitive Grants Program and oversees the office’s biological acoustic priorities. She specializes in the use of active and passive acoustic collection methods to understand pelagic predator-prey dynamics. Adrienne received her B.S. in Biology and Certificate in Mathematical Biology from Washington State University and her Ph.D. in Zoology with Marine Biology specialization from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her undergraduate and graduate research varied from single-celled parasite genetics to mammalian behavior, but all of her diverse research projects employed mathematical tools to understand biological principles. Adrienne was also a 2017 NOAA John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow with NOAA Ocean Exploration.
Dr. Jen Le (she/her)
Dr. Jennifer Le (she/her) is an oceanographer for the Office of Environmental Programs at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. She currently supports the headquarters office on environmental regulatory requirements and serves as a subject matter expert on benthic ecology. Before coming to BOEM, Jen was an Associate Scientist and Knauss Marine Policy Fellow for NOAA Ocean Exploration. She has a PhD from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in Oceanography with a specialization in interdisciplinary environmental research. Her interests lie in applying scientific research in support of environmental decision-making with a huge soft spot for all things deep ocean.
Dr. Kaytee Canfield
Dr. Kaytee Canfield is a postdoctoral translational scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development in the Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division in Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA. She is a qualitative social scientist by training, focused on applied research to improve stakeholder communication and engagement in water quality research. In the past her work has focused on inclusive science communication and justice in tourism development.