Meet the Team Behind The Evaluations
| Sound, rigorous Technology Evaluations require dedicated staff with a variety of technical skills. ACT is fortunate to work with both technology specific advisory committees and a team of experts from each our eight Partner Institutions. Below are the Technical Coordinators and support staff that help design and run all the ACT Technology Evaluations. |
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Meeting May '05 Mosslanding CA |
Technology Specialist
CBL - Mid Atlantic
Jason received a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Metropolitan State College in Denver, CO. At ACT, Jason is responsible for the searchable technologies database, moderating the discussion forum, and assisting in the maintenance of the buoy and weather station. Before joining the ACT team, Jason was employed as a Research Assistant at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, investigating pathogenic bacteria uptake and depuration rates of Asian and Eastern oysters. Prior to this, Jason had been employed as an Environmental Management Fellow, Aquarium Biologist, and Lab Assistant. Jason has also been taking graduate courses part-time at the University of Maryland. |
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Technical Coordinator
CBL - Mid Atlantic
Tim received his BS from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1996. Since then, he has worked with various marine technologies including dissolved oxygen sensors, salinity meters, and other water quality sensors, as well as ROVs and underwater camera systems. Currently he is responsible for the setup and maintenance of the CBL partner's water quality monitoring buoy and weather station. Before joining ACT, Tim worked on oyster restoration projects in the Chesapeake Bay as well as oyster disease dynamics and ecology.
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Technical Coordinator
USF - Gulf Coast
Sherryl received her BS in Marine Science from Eckerd College in 1996 and went on to obtain a MS in Physical Oceanography in 2001 from the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science. She has extensive experience in the collection and statistical analyses of large oceanographic data sets and with various oceanographic sensors from her work with the COMPS, PORTS, and ACT programs. Her primary focus is studying the dynamics of wind waves across Tampa Bay. She is the Technical Director of the Ocean Monitoring and Prediction Laboratory, where she is responsible for the deployment and retrieval of various physical oceanographic sensors, oversight and implementation of all ACT field tests, analyses of test data, preparation of reports, workshop and meeting logistics, and communication/liaison with ACT headquarters and partner institutions. She is currently working on implementing the SWAN model for Tampa Bay.
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Technical Coordinator
UH - Pacific Islands
Dan received a BA from the University of South Carolina and is completing a PhD from the Univ. of California Los Angeles where he examined the role of fluid dynamics on the dispersion of odors within mountain streams. Dan has 15 years of experience using a variety of technologies, including flow probes, oxygen sensors, flourometers, chemical electrodes, submersible video equpment, and custom underwater microcomputer applications. Currently he is responsible for the maintance, programing, deploying oceanographic equipment, including magnetic and acoustic flow sensors, oxygen elecrodes, CTD's, submirsible light meters, flourometers, turbidity, and depth meters. He has worked in various habitats ranging from salt marsh estuaries, rocky intertidal, to freshwater mountain streams.
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Technology Specialist
CBL - Mid Atlantic
Dean received a BA in Environmental Studies from Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, with a focus on coastal resource management,. Before joining the ACT team at CBL, Dean was employed as a Recreational Fisheries Technician for the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC). Prior to this position, Dean was employed by Booz Allen Hamilton Consultants Inc., as a Consultant within the EPA’s Region III Superfund Division, as a contractual Drift Gillnet Fisheries Observer for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) through Frank Orth & Associates, and as an Inland Fisheries Aide and Marine Fisheries Aide at the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG). Dean completed his Master’s degree in Marine Biology at Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center and relocated from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to join the ACT team as the Program Coordinator.
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Technical Coordinator
MLML - West Coast
Jason, an Associate Research Scientist at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, received his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Georgia in 1984. His ongoing research program is centered around a fascination with the molecular physiological ecology of marine algae. Current research seeks to identify molecular and biochemical markers associated with production of the neurotoxin domoic acid by diatoms in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Jason serves as the Technical Coordinator for the ACT/MLML, providing liaisons between resource managers, environmental scientists and the private sector, with the goal of fostering reliable and appropriate application of new technologies for monitoring water quality and ecosystem health in coastal waters.
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Research Technician
UASLC - Alaska
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Technical Coordinator
SkIO - Southeast
Travis is an Engineering Manager at SkIO and is the Project Engineer for the SABSOON, where he provides Systems Engineering for the overall project, including the development of Data Acquisition Systems, Hybrid Wind/Solar Power Systems, and Data Communications Networks. Prior to joining the staff at SkIO, Travis worked for fifteen plus years in the defense electronics industry designing Automated Test Equipment and Electronic Warfare Systems for military applications. As the ACT/SkIO Technical Coordinator at SkIO, he is responsible for oversight of all technical aspects of sensor evaluations.
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Research Technician
SkIO - Southeast
Debbie has worked for the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography since 1991 as a Research Assistant. She is responsible for maintaining operations of the analytical facilities for the trace element biogeochemistry laboratory, which includes the ICPMS, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and the atomic fluorescence mercury analyzer. Debbie has participated in numerous intercomparison studies for the NOAA/NS&T program and the National Research Council Canada. She has considerable experience in fieldwork in oceanic and coastal marine environments and is currently working on ground water-surface water interactions associated with permeable sediments along coastal southern Brazil. As a member of the ACT Support Staff, she assists with sample collection and analytical processes for field testing of instruments.
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Technical Coordinator
UM - Great Lakes
Heidi is a research Area Specialist at the University of Michigan Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratories (MHL), She holds a BSE in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a MSE in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, both from the University of Michigan. Research activities include nearshore hydrodynamics and current systems, coastal and large lake observing systems, and buoy technologies. She is involved in the design and fabrication of smart buoy technologies such as the portable Automated Lagrangian Water-Quality Assessment Systems (ALWAS). The ALWAS buoy, developed jointly by the MHL and MTRI, is capable of measuring a suite of water quality parameters while working autonomously in harsh environments. She continues to work towards the sustainability and expansion of the Grand Traverse Bay Observing System in the Great Lakes using low cost monitoring buoys designed and fabricated at the MHL.
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Research Technician
SkIO - Southeast
Charles received a BS in biology from Georgia State University (1982), a MS in Microbiology from the University of Georgia (1986), and has studied as a postgraduate student at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole (1983) and at the Friday Harbor Laboratories (1988 & 1991). Charles has over 25 years of research experience at SkIO and other units within the University System of Georgia. He is currently studying ocean color in the waters of the South Atlantic Bight, with focus on its measurement and relationship to water column and benthic primary production. As a member of the ACT Support Staff at SkIO, Charles plays an active role in assisting in the development and execution of the Test Protocols/QA Plans.
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Research Technician
USF - Gulf Coast
Michelle received her BS in Marine Science from Eckerd College in 1999, her MS from the University of South Florida, College of Marine Science in 2003, and her GIS Specialist degree in 2007 from USF. Michelle has considerable experience in oceanographic sensors and ocean-going field work, with 5 years at the USF College of Marine Science. She also brings her knowledge and experience in marine GIS to the ACT team with 2 years as a GIS analyst at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and more recently, a GIS specialist degree from USF. Currently, she is working with the Ocean Modeling and Predication Lab at USF College of Marine Science as the Assistant Technical Coordinator.
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Research Technician
University of Southern Mississippi
/ACT HQ
Kjell received his PhD in biological oceanography from the University of Southampton (England, UK). He has 23 years of experience in biogeochemical research covering coastal (brackish and marine) as well as open ocean waters. Nine years were spent in the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) program. Kjell currently holds a position as an Assistant Research Professor at the Department of Marine Science (Stennis Space Center, USM).
Initially, Kjell was associated with the ACT partner institute GoMOOS (Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System), but current work involves assisting ACT-HQ in planning, data processing, and finalizing of data reports. Current
research is focused on the role of new production and microheterotroph respiration in biogeochemical cycles. Considerable time has also been spent
on combining nanocrystals (Q-dots) with antibody proteins to detect nitrogen fixers and nutrient stress proteins in single cell organisms. Kjell has
extensive experience working with instrumentation used on long-term observing platforms.
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ACT Partner
CILER/UM - Great Lakes
ACT Partner
HI - Pacific Rim
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QA/QC Specialist - NOAA/CCEHBR
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