Six new members have joined the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC) Engagement and Education Team. These professionals bring a range of expertise in science education, community engagement, resilience and environmental stewardship to support MASGC’s mission to provide programming to coastal communities that leads to the responsible use of ocean and coastal resources through informed personal, policy and management decisions.
“Our Sea Grant program is excited to see these highly qualified professionals, who will focus their programs on the challenges facing our coastal communities, join our team,” MASGC Director LaDon Swann said.
Sommer Calderone serves as an MASGC-supported resource teacher at the Mobile County Public Schools Environmental Studies Center in Mobile, Alabama, where she teaches high school students coastal ecology. With more than a decade of classroom experience, she blends biology and environmental science to build environmental literacy. Calderon holds a master’s degree in secondary science education from the University of Georgia.
Nina Davis joins MASGC as an MASGC-supported habitat resilience specialist. Working out of the Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research Extension Center, Davis focuses on engaging communities along the Gulf Coast with adaptation and environmental information. She holds a master’s degree in biology from East Carolina University.
Taylor Kilgore, an MASGC-supported marine educator with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Discovery Hall Programs, teaches hands-on science lessons to promotes ocean literacy in students and people of all ages. She connects participants with Gulf of America research and leads them in exploring coastal ecosystems. Kilgore earned her master’s degree in marine sciences and her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Georgia.
Heather King is MASGC’s Clean and Resilient Marina Program coordinator. Based at Auburn University’s Shellfish Laboratory, she works with marina operators to implement environmentally responsible practices that protect coastal water quality. She also contributes to oyster aquaculture research and is a Ph.D. student at Auburn University Shellfish Lab. She holds a master’s degree in coastal sciences from The University of Southern Mississippi.
Justin Sharpe joins the team as an MASGC-supported research engagement specialist with the Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes EXperiment-Southeast (VORTEX-SE) program. Based at The University of Southern Mississippi, he works to translate tornado-related research into tools and actions for communities, focusing on safer sheltering practices and severe weather preparedness. Sharpe brings global experience in disaster risk reduction, including past work with the United Nations, and he holds a Ph.D. in geography from King’s College London.
Anthony Vedral is a Sea Grant research coordinator with the Community Oriented Nature-based Science for the Ecosystem Restoration and Versatile Engineering (CONSERVE) Research Group at the Alabama Water Institute at The University of Alabama. In this role, he engages with researchers, engineers and community partners to address marine debris and microplastics in coastal Alabama and Mississippi. Vedral is a Ph.D. candidate at Mississippi State University, where his research focuses on marine debris, microplastics and wetlands. He holds a master’s degree in marine science from The University of Alabama and Dauphin Island Sea Lab and a bachelor’s degree in biology and marine science from Spring Hill College.
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states. Sea Grant programs encourage the wise stewardship of marine resources through research, education, engagement and technology transfer.
Meet the author
Melissa Schneider
Communications Coordinator
Melissa Schneider coordinates public information, educational media and communication services for Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. Some of MASGC's communications projects include our website, social... Read more
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