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Mary Anne Bishop
is a research ecologist with a doctorate from the University
of Florida at Gainesville. Her research focuses primarily on
estuarine ecology, including the shorebirds, estuarine fishes
and benthic invertebrates that inhabit the estuarine environment.
For more than a decade she has been a Co-Principal Investigator
on the Pacific Flyway Shorebird Migration Program studying migration
strategies and the importance of coastal habitats used by shorebirds
during spring migration. Since 1987 Bishop has worked cooperatively
with the International Crane Foundation and Chinese scientists
on the Tibetan Plateau studying the ecology and conservation
of bar-headed geese and the endangered black-necked crane. Click
here for links to current
projects (nearshore ecology) of Dr. Bishop.
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Shelton Gay
works on oceanography projects at the Center. He earned a Masters
of Science in biology at Northern Arizona University and joined
the Science Center's staff in 1994. He maintains, tests and
deploys the oceanographic equipment as well as works on data
analysis and publication writing. He is particularly interested
in the physical oceanography of fjords and near-shore locations
in Prince William Sound. Click
here for links to current projects (Physical oceanographic
studies) on which Shelton is assisting. |
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Thomas
C. Kline, Jr. is a biological oceanographer who specializes
in food web analysis using stable isotopes. He earned his doctorate
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and has been the principal
investigator for numerous studies in Prince William Sound, the
North Slope of Alaska and the Gulf of Alaska regions. Currently,
he is working on the Coastal
Gulf of Alaska GLOBEC project. Additional abstracts on Dr.
Kline's projects are included here
(see Food Web Analysis section). |
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Richard
Thorne , Deputy Director of Nowcast/Forecast programs
and Director of Research, is a fisheries scientist who specializes
in using hydroacoustics to measure fish and plankton populations.
He holds a doctorate degree in Fisheries and a Masters degree
in Biological Oceanography. Currently, his work focuses on acoustic
surveys of herring, pollock and zooplankton in Prince William
Sound and the Kodiak region. He is also investigating the decline
of Steller sea lion populations in relation to the abundance
of herring and pollock. |
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Rob Campbell is a biological oceanographer, and came to PWSSC via the University of Hamburg following a doctorate at the University of Victoria. His current research is primarily observational, and centered around trying to understand how plankton and fish interact with the physical environment (temperature, salinity, nutrients) to produce the patterns we observe in nature. Current projects include surveys of plankton and oceanography in PWS; studies on the distribution of nutrients, plankton and fish around the plume of the Copper River; and the development and testing of an in situ phosphate analyzer. He is also interested in the use of ecophysiological measurements (lipids, protein, enzyme assays) for the estimation of rate processes, and the influence of biochemical content in the control of buoyancy by marine plants and animals.
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Mark Halverson
joined the PWSSC as a physical oceanographer in early 2009.
His primary responsibility will be to maintain OSRI funded moorings in Hinchinbrook Entrance and Montague Strait, which are the primary pathways for water exchange between Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska.
Other projects involve organizing routine hydrographic studies in the sound, as well as conducting drifter and hydrographic studies as part of the AOOS summer field experiment (http://www.aoos.org/fieldexp/index.html). Mark is putting the finishing touches on his Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia, where he utilized ship-of-opportunity observations to study the Fraser River plume in the Strait of Georgia. He holds a M.Sc. from the University of Wisconsin in astronomy and a B.Sc. from the University of Minnesota in physics. |
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James Thorne
works double-duty, as the Center's IT systems administrator
and as technician for the hydroacoustics research programs measuring
fish and plankton populations. He holds a bachelors degree in
oceanography from the University of Washington. Before coming
to Cordova in 2001, he worked as a research scientist for a
sonar equipment manufacturer and production coordinator for
a dot-com. |
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Brad Reynolds, Research Assistant working with Dr. Mary Anne Bishop - Brad
began working for the Science Center in April 2004 as a field biologist collecting data on juvenile salmon habitat along the Copper River Delta. He earned his Bachelor's degree in biology from Western Carolina University and has worked for the Mountain Aquaculture Research Center in North Carolina and the Florida Program for Shark Research. Currently, he is completing his Master’s degree in Marine Science at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama. Brad’s graduate research is focused on restoration ecology and the use of artificial reefs to enhance fish habitat in western Prince William Sound.
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Jennifer Todd,
field biologist and lab technician, joined the PWSSC in March 2008. She will be working with Dr. Tom Kline & Dr. Rob Campbell. Born in Alaska, Jennifer graduated from CSUS with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and plans pursuing a career in Wildlife Medicine. She moved to Cordova from Sacramento, California where she was working with the CA Dept. of Fish & Game.
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Administrative Staff
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Nancy Bird
is both President & C.E.O. of the PWS Science Center and Executive Director of the Oil Spill Recovery Institute. She is committed to continuing the growth of PWSSC as a community-based research and education center with strong scientific credibility and programs that promote cost-effective, leading-edge measurement and modeling technologies. Bird is responsible for overall operations at the Center and works with both the Science Center's Board of Directors and the Advisory Board of the Oil Spill Recovery Institute to set policies and develop programs. She is currently serving on the North Pacific Research Board, the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Board, and the advisory councils for the Alaska Ocean Observing System and the Coastal Response Research Center.
Nancy was recruited to the Center's staff four months after its founding in 1989. She arrived in Cordova in 1976 to work as a youth center counselor; she later worked as a teacher, museum curator and Editor of the Cordova Times, among other positions prior to joining the Science Center. Bird earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton College with an emphasis on the modern political history of India and sometimes enjoys looking for appropriate comparisons to the history of scientific research in Prince William Sound.
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Penelope (Penny)
Oswalt as Finance Director is responsible for all financial
related activities and helps coordinate grants and contracts
administration. She prepares budgets and financial reports for
the President and Board of Directors, and coordinates annual
audits of the Center's finances which are completed by nationally
recognized accounting firms.. Penny has A.A. degrees from Highline
Community College in Washington and Prince William Sound Community
College. Penny joined the Center's staff on its first day in
1989 and remains very dedicated to its long-term success. |
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Shelley Grant
is Science Center bookkeeper and is responsible
for accounts payable/receivable and payroll. Shelley graduated
from West High School in Anchorage and attended the University
of Alaska in Fairbanks. She has extended family in Cordova and
she enjoys fishing, gardening, reading, organizing community
events and spending time with her children and family. |
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Linee Bradford is Executive Assistant for the Science Center. Her background is in sociology. Once she discovered Cordova’s small town community with access to a vast wilderness, she made her home here. Besides being an avid hiker, she is involved in the local quilters’ guild. Linee offers her quilting services as sole proprietor of The Quilting Studio. She looks forward to meeting you in the Science Center lobby or out on a trail.
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Signe Fritsch
is a Program Specialist for the Science Center. She performs various administrative and general Science Center tasks. Signe earned her Bachelor’s Degrees in Geosciences and Biology at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. She arrived in Cordova in the fall of 2000 after a summer position as a naturalist guide in Prince William Sound. Signe was involved in the education program her first year at the Science Center, then worked for Tom Kline on GLOBEC and IPHC projects. From fall 2002 to spring 2007 she was involved with the Biological Monitoring Projects of the Copper River Delta; including Benthic Resources, Marine Invertebrates and Shorebirds, under the direction of Mary Anne Bishop.
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RJ Kopchak joined the Science Center as the Development Director on January 1, 2009. He was one of 5 incorporators of the Science Center in 1989, where he served as the first Board chairman and president and helped secure initial funding for the Center’s operations. RJ’s background includes being the Director of the Ecotrust Copper River Program for 7 years, where he worked on watershed scale approaches to better understanding wild salmon and their habitat. His efforts focused on creating regional partnerships to develop web based information and educational maps and tools that incorporate multiple agency, academic, cultural, and institutional knowledge about Copper River and Bering Glacier watersheds.
He has over 30 years of experience in non-profit development and fundraising, ranging from youth and family services and mental health to fisherman co-ops and salmon marketing.
RJ will focus on facilities and program expansion opportunities for the Science Center.
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Scott Pegau is OSRI Research Program Manager. Scott was most recently with the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve in Homer, where he has been a researcher for the past five years. Scott grew up in Alaska and graduated from high school in Nome. After serving in the Navy on submarine duty, he attended University of Alaska Fairbanks and graduated with a degree in physics. He received his Doctoral degree in Oceanography from Oregon State University. Scott served as a researcher and teaching professor at Oregon State. Scott and his wife Cathy, who is a writer of fiction, have two young daughters. Scott likes to read, fish, hunt, garden and manage a house full of pets.
As OSRI Research Program Manager, Scott develops annual and strategic plans for a grant program focused on oil pollution issues in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. He oversees peer reviews of proposals, monitors grant contracts, and provides leadership in planning research programs and work plans in collaboration with the OSRI Board and Scientific and Technical Committee. The Research Program Manager works with the Executive Director to develop and maintain cooperative agreements with other organizations for research and education programs.
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Bertha
joined the Science Center in the Fall of 2008. She was adopted from Arctic Office in Anchorage and is a welcome addition after the retirement our previous copier. She is a Canon Color ImageRunner C5185i and built to withstand many years of print jobs and abuse from fellow staffers. Bertha can do black & white copies, full color copies, create booklets such as the Science Center’s newsletter, The Breakwater. She can also scan a document and send it to you via email. Yes, Bertha has her very own email address! We are working on teaching her how to make breakfast, but that may take several years. We are very happy she has joined our staff and we look forward to many long years together. |
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Lindsay Butters
- Education Staff –
Lindsay Butters joined the Education staff in November 2004 as an education intern. She became Program Coordinator for the Science Center's 2005 Summer Camp Programs, and led the development of the Youth Environmental Leadership Program. Lindsay currently assists in the Discovery Room, Outreach Discovery and high school science programs, and serves as Summer Education Program Coordinator, organizing a variety of educational experiences for youth and adult audiences. In 2004, Lindsay received a B.S. in Integrated Environmental Sciences from Johnson State College in northern Vermont, where she also completed coursework in Outdoor Education and Adventure Leadership.
Lindsay also completed a 30 day wilderness training program with the Colorado Outward Bound School, and holds current certification as a Wilderness First Responder.
Prior to her arrival in Alaska, Lindsay served as a Volunteer Educator for the Environmental Learning for the Future program in Cambridge, VT, and was employed for two field seasons by the Green Mountain Club as a Backcountry Caretaker, providing education and assistance to hikers and groups using the Long Trail.
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Alice Dou-Wang
recently joined the Science Center as an Education Specialist. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Wheaton College in 2007.After graduation she spent a season as a sea lion observer on the Columbia River in Oregon with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fisheries Field Unit. She has also worked as an intern in the science policy division at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC. In summer 2008 she
spent three months in the Alaskan wilderness with the National Outdoor Leadership School. |
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Allen Marquette - Education Staff-
Allen Marquette – Community Education Program Coordinator- Allen joined the Science Center in the fall of October 2002 and became the education program coordinator shortly thereafter.
In the fall of 2008 Allen changed to part time and currently manages the Community Education programs. Allen manages the weekly community education lecture series, which occurs Tuesday evenings from September through May at 7:00 pm in the Forest Service conference room in Cordova.
Researchers and scientists from various agencies and organizations in Cordova and visiting scientists from outside the area give one-hour presentations on science related topics.
Allen also writes and records “Field Notes”, a weekly science radio program aired on Public Broadcasting System’s KCHU Terminal radio in Valdez, Alaska on 88.1 FM. Field notes airs on Thursday’s at 6:55 pm and Friday’s at 7:10 pm; archives of previous programs available for listening can be found at http://www.kchu.org/index.html. KCHU radio serves seven communities around Prince William Sound and the Copper River Basin.
Allen also hosts another radio program called “Sound Science and Binocular Astronomy” on Cordova’s privately owned radio station, KLAM radio at 1450 on the AM dial. The first Monday of each month Allen hosts a twenty-minute call in program of what can be seen during the current month in the night skies around Prince William Sound |
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Kate Alexander
- Education Staff – Kate recently returned to the Science Center from the University of Oregon in Eugene where she earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration. She earned a Bachelor's degree in environmental biology and a minor in environmental studies from Dartmouth College in 2002. Kate started as an academic intern in our education program in January of 2003. In 2004 she took responsibility for running the summer programs. One of Kate's highlights has been coaching the National Ocean Science Bowl team from Cordova High School for three years, including the winter 2005 transportation tangle with a canceled ferry and multiple avalanches on the way to Seward that concluded with a trip to Nationals in Monterey, CA. She'll be back in summer to lead the Youth Environmental Leadership Program and looks forward to continuing to expand summer program opportunities for all ages. |
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Erica C. Thompson
- Education Assistant – Erica is a lifelong Alaskan, environmentalist, and commercial fisher. She earned a B.S. in Communication from Southern Oregon University in 2006. Upon graduating she returned to her hometown of Kodiak, Alaska to commercial fish and work as an advocate and educator for local agencies including Kodiak Island Housing Authority, Kodiak Women’s Resource & Crisis Center, Kodiak Island Borough School District Alternative High School, Kodiak Middle School, and Kodiak High School. Her commercial fishing experience includes Kodiak salmon seining, Bristol Bay drift gillnetting, and diving/tendering for sea cucumbers, as well as brief stints longlining for halibut and jigging for cod. In 2007 she received her 100 Gross Ton Masters license. She is currently working on a Masters of Education in Counseling, through the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. |
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