Our People

As the Executive Director, Ben sets the vision and programmatic direction for NCEAS. He also serves as a principal investigator on several projects and working groups. Ben is also a professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

His research interests are primarily in marine ecology and conservation planning, but span a wide range of disciplines. He has led several research initiatives that have influenced ocean management, including a global analysis of the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs), a global assessment of the cumulative impacts of human activities on oceans, and the development and global application of the Ocean Health Index.

Ben has been involved with NCEAS for more than two decades, first as a graduate student participant and a postdoctoral researcher, and later as a Center Associate and Deputy Director. He earned his B.A. in biology from Carleton College in 1995 and his Ph.D. in marine ecology from UC Santa Barbara in 2003.

Marty manages the Network Office of the Long Term Ecological Research Network, coordinating scientific synthesis, education, and engagement activities for 28 research sites in every major U.S. biome.

Since 2005, she has managed collaboration, communications, and outreach in environmental and public health organizations, including Brown University’s Environmental Change Initiative, the New England Aquarium, and the Nature Conservancy, where she led the Science Impact Project, a professional development program for TNC scientists. As a science journalist, she has written for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Technology Review, the news section of Science, and produced news and commentary for public radio. Marty began her career as an ecologist, investigating plant-soil-atmosphere interactions in temperate forests, subarctic forests, and arctic tundra. Use ORCID to view her research publications.

Marty earned her B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and her M.S. in Science Journalism from Boston University.

View her personal website >> 

Matt directs the Informatics program at NCEAS, which focuses on both supporting efficient synthesis through scientific computing and on building new advanced infrastructure to support data sharing, preservation, analysis, and modeling. Matt is the Director of the DataONE program, a global network of interoperable data repositories, and of the NSF Arctic Data Center. In addition to data infrastructure work at NCEAS, Matt also helps to build the NCEAS Learning Hub through an emphasis on data science and reproducible research teaching.

Matt’s career has focused on improving data science infrastructure to support cross-disciplinary and synthetic science, principally through the development of open source software for data repositories, metadata systems, and reproducible analysis and modeling.

Matt has a M.S. in Zoology from the University of Florida that focused on the ecology of plant-animal interactions, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Visit his personal website >> 

Michelle is responsible for NCEAS' financial, facilities, and administrative functions, employing her depth of knowledge in UC finance, contracts and grants, and policy.

She started at NCEAS as Event Coordinator in 2010, then to moved to the Financial Analyst position in 2013, and Contracts and Grants in 2018.

She has a BA in Psychology from UCSB that she uses everyday at NCEAS.

Jim leads an environmental data science program at NCEAS geared toward building infrastructure, tools, and capabilities that enable our community to achieve more impactful research outcomes through better data management, modeling, analysis, and visualization. Complementing this technology program, Jim is also passionate about expanding data science literacy & expertise in the practitioner community.

Throughout his career, Jim has served as a Data Science leader & researcher applying diverse strategies for transforming data into valuable information. Jim first joined NCEAS in 1997 as a graduate intern coordinating data synthesis efforts, then later returned for 8 years as staff data scientist supporting Center residents and working groups. Prior to rejoining NCEAS in his current role, he spent over a decade in the software industry, leading data science initiatives and developing analytics products using robust and scalable software approaches applied across the entire data technology stack.

Jim earned his Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology From Princeton University, a Master’s in Environmental Science & Management from the Bren School at UCSB, and a B.A. in Biology from Williams College.

Courtney works to advance the Center’s mission and support cross-Center initiatives that bridge synthesis research, environmental data science and learning activities.

Trained as a marine scientist, Courtney is passionate about bringing interdisciplinary science to bear on real world issues affecting people and the planet.

She received her Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at UCSB and a Bachelor of Science degree in Aquatic Biology, also from UCSB.

Cat is a Research Associate with NCEAS and is currently leading the Western Wildfire Resilience Index (WWRI) project. Her research is at the interface of social and ecological systems with the goal of solving sustainability challenges by supporting societal decision-making and addressing key issues of environmental justice and sustainable development. Previously, Cat was an NSF postdoc studying anthropogenic stressors to tropical reefs, then an NCEAS postdoc exploring aquaculture as a sustainable pathway for meeting growing food demands. She earned her PhD in 2016 at UCSB where her dissertation investigated parasite population and community ecology.

Carmen has collaborated on data science projects at NCEAS focusing on analyzing remotely sensed images since 2021. She is currently part of a joint project with The Nature Conservancy to map the spread of invasive iceplant along the California coast. Carmen is also an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. At the Bren School, she teaches data science tools and skills and leads the capstone courses for the Bren Master of Environmental Data Science (MEDS).

Before her work at NCEAS, Carmen received her Ph.D. in Mathematics from UC Santa Barbara and her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Guanajuato in Mexico. 

Will is a Senior Fellow at NCEAS, leading a team that develops and implements software for marine monitoring, assessment, and planning. SeaSketch (www.seasketch.org), a web-based mapping application developed in his lab, is used for the collaborative design of marine spatial plans including marine protected areas (MPAs) and other types of zones.

Although trained in behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology, as a postdoctoral researcher Will concentrated his work on the development and implementation of geospatial tools for use by non-technical users, first for the design of California's MPAs and later for international marine planning efforts.

He received his B.A. in Biology from Earlham College, M.S. in Behavioral Ecology from the University of Cincinnati, M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, and Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology from the University of California Santa Barbara.

Laurel is a data scientist at NCEAS investigating climate-related species range shifts in partnership with the USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers.

Prior to joining NCEAS, she worked at another collaborative UCSB lab: the Environmental Markets Lab (emLab). At emLab, she specialized in quantifying the value of ecosystem services like carbon storage on timberlands and endangered species on military lands.

Laurel earned her master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School where she assessed the forest benefits of California’s Tahoe Central Sierra. Before graduate school, Laurel worked for the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office and earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and B.A. in Public Policy and Leadership from the University of Virginia.

Carlo Broderick is a data analyst for the Wildfire Resilience Index (WWRI). The WRI is a science communication tool designed to help people and policymakers understand how resilient their communities are to wildfires. Carlo collaborates with two other data analysts and the broader WWRI team to research, develop, and implement WRI's methodology. His work focuses on the creation and calculation of the index through reproducible, open source, and collaborative data science.

Carlo holds a master's degree in Environmental Data Science from UC Santa Barbara, a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from UC Berkeley, and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Economics from UC Santa Cruz. His professional background includes supply chain visibility, SAS project management, and sustainability-focused scientific administration.

Passionate about utilizing data science to measure and manage environmental externalities, Carlo has a special interest in satellite image and machine learning (SIML) technology and it's potential impact on sustainable development. His passion for environmental economics can be found in his flaming hot composable plastic takes and his strong aversion to market failures.

Matthew Brooke is a Research Software Engineer at NCEAS, where he develops tools that facilitate the storage and exchange of ecological data for scientists. His work includes contributions to the Arctic Data Center, and to ESS-DIVE – the Department of Energy's data repository for Earth and environmental science.

Matthew's interest in technology and its potential to enhance people's lives has been a driving force throughout his career. He has a wealth of experience in the software industry, having held numerous engineering and leadership positions since first working at NCEAS in the early 2000s. His passion for advancing scientific knowledge has now led him back to academia, where he is eager to continue his work.

Matthew's academic background includes a Ph.D. in Physics/Acoustics from the University of Wales in Cardiff, UK, and a BS in Physics & Acoustics from the University of Surrey, UK.
 

Chad Burt is Principal Developer for the McClintock Lab and develops software for marine conservation planning and fisheries management. Our main application, SeaSketch, has been used in over a dozen countries to support marine spatial planning projects.

Chad works to understand how web and spatial technology can be used by a broad set of stakeholders, focusing on the development of user-friendly tools.

Chad received a B.A. in Biology from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Jeanette helps researchers make their research more reproducible and open by helping them publish data on the Arctic Data Center, and teaching them software and workflow techniques in training events.

She is broadly interested in ways to bring reproducible research and open data practices to researchers in order to facilitate collective knowledge production in science. Prior to working at NCEAS, Jeanette brought her oceanography knowledge to a coral reef ecology research group at the NOAA Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center. The experience she had working with long-term monitoring data there ultimately drove her interest in working with data more broadly across multiple fields at NCEAS.

She has a masters in physical oceanography from the University of Hawaii.

Visit her personal website >>

Melanie collects, analyzes, and visualizes data for several global projects at NCEAS including the Ocean Health Index, cumulative human impact on global oceans, and footprint and costs of food. She also works to promote good data management, analysis, and visualization skills.

Prior to arriving at NCEAS, Melanie worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She has worked on various projects, but the link between these efforts is the desire to synthesize complex data and information in ways that help us better understand our world and our impact on it.

Melanie has a PhD in Ecology from the University of Washington studying insect ecology and evolution at high altitude; a Master’s degree in Physiology from Arizona State University studying on oxygen limitations in insects; a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University; and an AA degree from Yavapai College in Prescott, AZ (whew!).

Darian builds software to help researchers access, manage, and analyze ecological and environmental data. His primary project at NCEAS is VegBank.

While his time is often spent in the particulars of programming, Darian’s heart lies in the interdisciplinary work that makes climate action clear and realizable. Before coming to NCEAS, he spent 3 years at Mast, coding tools to revolutionize reforestation and counter the catastrophic effects of wildfires. Prior to that, he worked at The Blue Planet Foundation, helping accelerate Hawaii’s transition to renewable energy by drafting policy and writing web-based educational games.

Darian received his B.S. from the University of Puget Sound, where he studied computer science, philosophy, and bioethics, but he credits his Honolulu public school teachers with pointing him on the path he walks today.

Justin helps researchers manage and archive their data so that it will be easily discoverable, ready for long term storage, and ready for use by others. He mainly works with the Arctic Data Center online repository.

He is broadly interested in the intersection of data science with environmental and climate science. Before coming to NCEAS, he had researched the use of deep learning models in hydrological forecasting at UC Berkeley, worked on short-term weather forecasts at ClimateAi, and worked on a language modeling research project at NASA Ames. All these experiences contributed to his excitement for the potential impacts of data and computational methods in our understanding of our planet.

He graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor's in Data Science with an emphasis in Physical Science Analytics.

Dr. Li Kui is a data scientist at UC Santa Barbara, where she supports marine and environmental science research through data management, reproducible workflows, and applied AI methods. She has led and implemented research projects in Ventura County and serves as a data manager for several regional long-term ecological research groups. Dr. Kui also leads AI-related training and coordination efforts, including the UCSB AI for Research Special Interest Group, with a focus on helping researchers use emerging AI tools responsibly and effectively in scientific workflows.

Nick Lyon (they/them) is an early career data scientist with experience managing and analyzing scientific data in a range of formats. Nick earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Puget Sound and an M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Iowa State University. They are a passionate educator (certified as an instructor by The Carpentries) and thoroughly enjoy chances to teach and learn with audiences of all levels of prior experience. They firmly believe in transparency in data management and are an avid Git/GitHub user. Check out their GitHub profile (github.com/njlyon0) for examples of their work!

Sophia (Lecuona) Manos is a Data Analyst for the Gulf of California Ocean Health Index (GoC OHI) at NCEAS. She applies indicator science to transform complex ecological and social data into an assessment that will track the Gulf’s health over time, inform policy, guide investments, and prioritize actions for both ecosystems and coastal communities.

Previously, Sophia was an Ocean Health Index Global Fellow, focusing on dimensions of ocean health like sustainable tourism, food provision, and coastal water quality. At UCSB, her Master’s research examined how inland sediment disposal at Carpinteria and Goleta beaches affected water quality and access, and she also produced a watershed educational video. As an undergraduate, she co-led research on a novel copepod egg predator of rock crabs.

Sophia earned her M.S. in Coastal Resource Management with a focus in Strategic Environmental Communication from UCSB’s Bren School and a B.S. in Aquatic Biology from UCSB.

Peter Menzies supports the marine conservation efforts of the McClintock Lab, a part of NCEAS, via data processing and visualization, dashboard development, and geospatial planning tool development within the SeaSketch ecosystem. Peter first joined NCEAS as an Ocean Health Index Fellow, processing data layers and calculating scores for the 2022 assessment. Soon after the fellowship, he was hired by the McClintock Lab. Prior to his time at NCEAS, Peter explored ecology field work and environmental education. Interested in the intersection of technology and conservation, Peter eventually made his way from his home state of North Carolina to Santa Barbara where he joined the first Masters of Environmental Data Science cohort at UCSB’s Bren School.

Abby is a Geospatial Developer for the McClintock Lab, developing software for marine conservation planning and fisheries management. They work specifically on reporting tools for SeaSketch, a web-based mapping application used for collaborative marine spatial planning.

Abby has worked developing software for ecology labs at the University of Michigan and University of Washington. As a research analyst with the Buckley Lab at UW, Abby developed web-based tools to support microclimate and biophysical modeling. Prior to joining NCEAS, Abby completed a nine-month project funded by the University of Michigan’s Wallenberg Fellowship, working with land managers in the southern region of Kalaallit Nunaat Greenland.

Abby earned a B.S.E. in Computer Science Engineering at the University of Michigan with minors in Climate Science and Environment.

https://www.avmey.com/

Rushiraj is a Scientific Software Engineer building software for open science. Specific projects he's worked on include DataONE Metrics Service and EZID--an identifier management system.

Intrigued by Computer Science he taught himself to program computers at an early age and started his contribution to the open science community as an intern at United States Geological Survey.

Rushiraj graduated from the Missouri University of Science and Technology with a Master's degree in Computer Science and with a Bachelor's of Technology in Information Technology from Nirma University.

Ian helps develop open-source software for use in science as part of the NCEAS Informatics team.

Ian's work as a science industry software developer and as a Master's student included constructing open-source tools for scientific analysis and visualization of geophysical data. He also managed a number of remote citizens science seismic and weather systems and continues to be a strong advocate of citizen science.

Ian is working on an M.S. in Earth and Climate Science from the University of Maine that focused mainly on the geophysics and geomorphology of late-glacial and post-glacial lake sediments (but also sent him to Antarctica). He has a B.A. from Williams College.

- Personal website: https://iannesbitt.org
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/paleosurface

Jing is a software engineer at NCEAS, working on different environmental software projects, including Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB), Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge (SEEK), Kepler and Data Observation Network for Earth (DataONE).

Jing focuses on developing robust, efficient and scalable software products from desktop applications to server repositories for environmental scientists, ecologists, and biologists.

Jing has a combined educational background of both chemistry and computer science. He completed a Ph.D of polymer chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a M. S. of computer science at the University of Montana, Missoula.

Gabrielle Armin is a Postdoctoral Scholar with the Gulf Ecosystem Initiative interested in studying how constructed restoration projects change (physically and biologically) over time and their resilience to climate change impacts. Previously, her research focused on modeling cellular responses of phytoplankton to various environmental conditions and the resulting effect to larger biogeochemical cycles.

Gabby’s Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island and B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida trained her to be a systems thinker and inspired her passion for interdisciplinary science, communication, and collaboration.

LM is Gulf Ecosystem Initiative postdoctoral fellow, studying Gulf shrimp population dynamics under environmental stressors, such as temperature changes and hypoxia. They got their PhD in 2025 from Emory University, studying how resource quality alters zoonotic infection risk from trematode-infested freshwater snails through theory, experiments, and field work. They have expertise in biochemistry, mass/energy balances, disease ecology, agent-based modelling, and ecological forecasting.

I am a postdoctoral scholar at NCEAS, working on applying the Ocean Health Index to the Gulf of California (GoC), Mexico. Day to day, I work with other members of the NCEAS GoC team and colleagues in Mexico to define the indicators of ocean health in this region, collect data, and synthesize it under the Ocean Health framework. Long-term, we plan to use the findings from our analyses to make tangible, socially-relevant recommendations for marine conservation and planning.

My work on this project builds upon previous research I've conducted in the Baja California region and previous research appointments across the UC. Prior to joining NCEAS, I was a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Santa Cruz in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. And before that, I completed my Ph.D. in Marine Biology and M.S. in Oceanography at UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

My research is broadly focused on the effects of climate change on coastal ecosystems, ‘fish’, and fisheries, with an interdisciplinary focus on the oceanographic trends and social-ecological factors that confer resilience. Through my research, I seek to advance solutions to marine conservation issues, particularly in the subtropical and temperate regions of the United States and Latin America.

Personal website: https://emferrer.github.io/
Google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=V759DIMAAAAJ&hl=en

Juliette is a postdoc at NCEAS studying the environmental impacts of food production with an emphasis on marine systems. Juliette's research spans marine conservation science and impact assessments, with the overarching goal of supporting efficient and holistic management decisions for ocean sustainability. Prior to joining NCEAS, Juliette obtained a Ph.D. from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. During her PhD, Juliette studied the capacity of marine protected areas to enhance resilience to climate change, the protection level of marine ecosystems across depths, and the ecology of deep-reef fish communities. Her work has combined global scale data analyses with fieldwork in many ocean basins focused on reef fish ecology. Research Gate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Juliette-Jacquemont-2

Rachel King is a data analyst on the Digital Assets for Nature project, working to catalogue and summarize the extent of current digital monitoring efforts of the natural world.

With a background in ecosystem and plant ecology, Rachel has conducted research that investigates the interactions between plants and soil and how humans may alter these relationships. This work can further our understanding of ecosystem responses to climate change as well as how to restore function to landscapes negatively impacted by humans. More recently, Rachel worked as an Analyst at NCEAS to create maps of prey resources for endangered vertebrate species across California drylands, with a particular focus on the Blunt-nosed leopard lizard.

Rachel completed a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a B.A. in Biology at Scripps College.
 

Erica is a Point Conception Institute Anthony LaFetra Research Fellow, where she helps coordinate TNC’s coastal research collaborations at the Dangermond Preserve. She also focuses on synthesizing existing coastal biodiversity data to understand ecological dynamics and species range shifts under climate change to inform conservation practice both locally and globally.

Erica holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Zoology from Stellenbosch University in South Africa and a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Prior to joining TNC, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of California, Davis, where she studied eco-evolutionary dynamics of a climate-driven range shift in owl limpets.

Casey is a postdoctoral scholar studying the impacts of human activity and climate change on marine biodiversity. His work examines the intersection of anthropogenic stressors with the ranges of species affected by those stressors to understand spatial patterns of human impact, to help inform effective marine conservation.
As a data scientist, Casey strives to incorporate best practices of reproducibility and open science in his research. He also enjoys working with students to help them develop their own data science skills, formally as a lecturer and informally through workshops and lecturing.
Casey earned his MESM and PhD in environmental science and management at UC Santa Barbara, and a BS and MS in mechanical engineering at Stanford.
Website: oharascience.com
 

Jonathan Rodemann is a Postdoctoral Scholar with the Gulf Ecosystem Initiative working on understanding how recreational sportfish communities respond to extreme climatic events such as hurricanes, cold snaps, and heat waves. A seascape ecologist, Jon employs a holistic perspective when investigating ecological questions at all scales from individual to ecosystem. His previous research/work includes studying algal bloom dynamics in Florida Bay as a Postdoc at Florida International University, investigating movement and habitat use of Spotted Seatrout in an area recovering from a seagrass die-off while getting his PhD at Florida International University, and looking at consumption pressure across a latitudinal gradient while obtaining his MS at Northeastern University.

Trevyn is a restoration ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at NCEAS where he is synthesizing and evaluating various approaches to deep-sea coral restoration. Prior to joining NCEAS, Trevyn studied marine biology at Duke University before completing his Ph.D. at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and a prior postdoctoral position at North Carolina State University. His research focuses on tracking ecosystem decline, identifying recovery pathways, and developing novel restoration techniques across a range of marine ecosystems including shellfish reefs, salt marshes, seagrass beds, and (now!) deep-sea corals. Outside of the research world, Trevyn spends a lot of time swimming laps, trying out new recipes, going to the movies, and traveling near and far. You can check out his personal website here.

Nicholas Tucker is a post-doctoral researcher with the Gulf Ecosystem Initiative investigating how marine artificial structures influence cetacean habitat use across space and time in the Gulf of Mexico. 

With a background in predator behavior, marine ecosystems, and active acoustics, Nick’s research integrates scientific echosounders and remote sensing to examine fine-scale interactions between baleen whales, abiotic variables, and prey dynamics—offering non-invasive alternatives to traditional net-sampling methods. He aims to advance our broader understanding of large-scale cetacean ecology to inform species management. 

Nick holds a Ph.D. in Biology from Florida International University and a B.S. in Marine Biology from Alaska Pacific University.

Zhe Wang specializes in detecting iceplant through remote sensing imagery. Leading the analysis and synthesis of remotely sensed data, she spearheads the development of open, reproducible machine learning workflows aimed at identifying invasive iceplant. As a remote sensing researcher, her primary focus lies in deep learning applications. Her research interests span across climate, environmental issues, geohealth, and spatiotemporal modeling. Zhe completed her PhD in Geography at the University of Idaho, complemented by two master's degrees—one in GIS from Arizona State University and another in Computer Science from the University of Idaho. She obtained her bachelor's degree in remote sensing in China.

Tessa helps tell the stories of NCEAS! Collaborating with NCEAS’s working groups and staff, she aims to communicate science in a way that is informative, engaging, and accessible.

Tessa has been a science educator in classrooms, aquariums, and museums across the country. Driven by a desire to deepen the public’s understanding of scientific concepts, she hopes to inspire others to become stewards of the environment.

She received her Master’s in Teaching the Biological Sciences from Miami University through the Project Dragonfly Program, and holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Environmental Science and Classical Civilization from Emory University.

As the Data Training Coordinator, Sam works to develop and teach data science curricula for the Masters in Environmental Data Science (MEDS) program and data science initiatives across NCEAS and UCSB. She finds much of her inspiration from the awesome in-person and online open data science communities that so willingly share their experiences, ideas, and work for others to learn from.

Previously, Sam worked as a Data Fellow with the Arctic Data Center and informatics team at NCEAS, with a focus on using data semantics to make data more readily discoverable within online repositories. She is also a co-organizer of R-Ladies Santa Barbara, a local data science group which works to promote diversity in the R community.

She received her M.S. from the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2020, following a B.S. in Marine Biology from Northeastern University in 2016.

Personal website: https://samanthacsik.github.io/

Angie is the Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for both the Arctic Data Center and DataONE, where she furthers both projects' presence in their respective communities and the broader community. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies and Environmental Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Angie has helped other think-and-do tanks with science communication and further developed her leadership skills through various roles in organizations while at UCSB. She has a passion for science communication and graphic design she hopes to leverage in assisting both projects while at NCEAS.

Nicole is a Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for the Arctic Data Center and NCEAS, focusing on communications, community involvement, and data science trainings. Nicole earned her B.S. in geology from James Madison University and her PhD in geology at the University of Florida where her research focused on glacial sedimentology and she found her passion for science communication and promotion of women in STEM.

Heather is the Project Manager for the Cultivated Seafood project. In collaboration with the Environmental Markets Solution Lab at UCSB, the team aims to understand under which conditions cultivated seafood may have a conservation impact.

With over ten years in both the seafood and technology sectors, this project perfectly combines her background and interest in creating better food systems for people and the planet.

Heather completed her Masters in Environmental Resource Management with an emphasis in coastal conservation at the Bren School at UCSB and a B.S. in Biology at Graceland University in Iowa.

Jamie is the coordinator for the Master's of Environmental Data Science (MEDS) degree program, a joint partnership between NCEAS and the Bren School of Environmental Data Science & Management. 

Previously, Jamie worked as a marine data scientist at NCEAS, where she served as the lead analyst on the US Northeast Ocean Health Index project.

Her research experience includes synthesizing large spatial datasets to estimate and track human impacts on the global oceans and assessing the potential of aquaculture as a marine conservation strategy. She is also co-founder of local data science study groups, including R-Ladies Santa Barbara and EcoDataScience.

Jamie has a Masters in Environmental Science & Management from the Bren School at UCSB, and a B.Sc in Marine Biology from the University of Miami.

Allison is the Science Facilitation Coordinator at NCEAS, focusing on supporting NCEAS's interdiscplinary scientific teams as they conduct research, manage projects, and engage with their community. Allison earned her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz, where she studied the ecology of deep ocean predators and discovered her love of facilitating collaborative research experiences for scientists of all backgrounds and career stages. 

Sarah cultivates support for NCEAS through fundraising and facilitating strategic partnerships.

With over 20 years of experience in environmental science and management, Sarah has helped nonprofit organizations and government agencies advance programs, policies, and campaigns to better understand and advance science-based solutions to environmental problems, primarily focused on ocean and watershed health. She was previously Vice President for Heal the Bay, served on the Board of Directors for the Honda Marine Science Foundation and Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Santa Barbara Channelkeeper.

Sarah received her Master's of Environmental Science & Management from the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara, and B.S. in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of New Hampshire.

As part of the scientific computing support staff, Thomas provides IT support for our residents, working groups, and other visitors.

Thomas has over 20 years of experience in IT support and is an expert in general system and network administration.

He has a Master's of Science in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis on telecommunications and computer architecture. He is also a Microsoft Certified Solutions expert and electronics technician.

Working groups and visitors can approach him with any questions technical (or even non-technical) nature! 

Maddie is the Personnel Analyst at NCEAS. She works on hires, merits, promotions, payroll, and procurement . She brings 6 years of administrative experience to her role. Maddie started at UCSB in 2024 and enjoys continually learning about the UC operations and systems. Maddie graduated from Westmont College in 2015, with a BA in Spanish Language and Literature, and a minor in Psychology. Outside of work, she enjoys family time, good coffee, thrifting and loves to travel whenever possible.

Sara supports NCEAS’ working group financials through stipends and reimbursement, and helps with daily office operations through maintaining shared spaces and assisting with administrative tasks at NCEAS.

She is currently pursuing a BA in Environmental Studies and Communications at UCSB, and appreciates being part of a center that turns environmental research into real-world impacts.

She hopes to build a career in sustainable fashion, through either the ethical material sourcing or marketing side, driven by a desire to help reduce textile waste produced by the industry.

Nick works with staff, scientists, and developers to provide and optimize computing resources such as servers, networking, and cloud services.

Focusing on Linux, server hardware, and the latest technologies, Nick strives to keep services online and secure while also making them friendlier to use.

Nick has a B.A. in Art with a focus on Digital Media from UCSB.

Ana Peters is the Contracts and Grants Analyst for NCEAS. She helps facilitate the proposal process and works closely with PIs, Sponsors and the Office of Research. If you have any questions regarding the proposal process or potential funding opportunities, please feel free to contact her via email.

Nancy Baron is a Senior Research Associate for NCEAS and Director of Science Outreach for COMPASS, where she designs and delivers communications and leadership trainings for researchers. She travels the world working with environmental scientists of all stripes. In between, she perches at NCEAS where she enjoys engaging with the NCEAS community and learning about the new science initiatives. If her work and travel schedules align with staff and visiting researchers, she is happy to make herself available for coaching consultations.

Her pioneering science communication book, Escape from the Ivory Tower: A guide to making your science matter, includes many accounts of experiences working with participants of NCEAS working groups.

She began her career as a national parks biologist in Banff, then Director of Education of the Vancouver Aquarium, before morphing into a successful career as a science journalist. Her passion is helping scientists bring their science into society’s conversations for the good of nature and people.

In The Nature Conservancy’s California Chapter, Kelly is the lead Conservation Technology Manager at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, where she oversee GIS and technology projects related to the operation, management, and research at the Preserve.

Prior to joining TNC, Kelly was a Postdoctoral Researcher with the California Heartbeat Initiative, where she linked field-based experiments and sensor networks with repeat UAV surveys to study plant-water interactions across the network of University of California Natural Reserves.

She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of California, Berkeley.

Leah R. Gerber is a conservation scientist whose work bridges ecology, decision science, and policy to advance effective biodiversity conservation. She is Professor of Conservation Science at Arizona State University and Founding Director of the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, where she leads interdisciplinary efforts to connect science with real-world environmental decision-making.

Trained as a population ecologist and marine conservation biologist, Gerber’s research focuses on improving how limited conservation resources are allocated, developing quantitative approaches to endangered species recovery, and advancing actionable science for biodiversity outcomes. Her work spans marine and terrestrial systems globally and emphasizes integrating ecological data, economics, and social considerations into conservation strategy.

Gerber has played a leading role in shaping international conservation efforts, including serving as a lead author of the Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and contributing to advisory bodies such as the IUCN Red List Committee. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Ecological Society of America, and her work has been widely recognized for advancing the role of science in environmental policy and practice.

Gerber has a long-standing connection to NCEAS, where she was a postdoctoral fellow early in her career. As a Senior Fellow, she brings deep expertise in synthesis, decision science, and science-to-policy translation to support NCEAS’s mission of producing actionable, collaborative environmental research.

In her role as a team science facilitator, Carrie Kappel helps NCEAS working groups to design and facilitate engaging virtual and in person meetings that strengthen connections across the team, foster creativity and productivity, and model best practices for collaboration. 

Carrie is deeply interested in the process of working across disciplines and sectors to solve complex environmental challenges. In her research she uses collaborative synthesis science to develop solutions that protect marine ecosystems and enhance human wellbeing. Carrie recently led the Ocean Tipping Points project, which sought to integrate scientific understanding of ecosystem tipping points into ocean management through practical tools and approaches.

Carrie has been part of NCEAS since 2006, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as a researcher and Senior Fellow. Carrie earned her B.S. in biology with honors from Brown University and her Ph.D. in biology from Stanford University.

Kim is an independent researcher focused on synthesis science. NCEAS has been her home base since 2005, first as a post-doc, then associate researcher, and now Senior Fellow. During most of that time, she held a joint affiliation with the Tobo Lab at Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, allowing her to bring big-data approaches and a synthesis lens to questions of the ecology, genetics, and management of Hawaii's coral reefs.

Notable contributions include co-leading a long-term NCEAS-based program to map the cumulative human impacts to the oceans, pioneering work in the field of seascape genetics and community genetics, and co-leading the Ocean Tipping Points project to advance tools and embed concepts of socio-ecological regime shifts into marine management. Kim also serves as executive director of the non-profit Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara. As a fisheries advocate, she works to integrate the goals of fishermen, NGOs, and marine managers on topics like climate change adaptation of fisheries, port infrastructure projects and market access. In 2018, she founded Get Hooked Seafood, a Community Supported Fishery that seeks to close the gap between supply and demand for sustainable, local seafood.

Kim received a B.A. from Pomona College in 1997 and Ph.D. in marine ecology from UC Santa Barbara in 2005.