Dr. Ken Halanych, Executive Director of the Center for Marine Science came to UNCW from Auburn University (AU), where he was the Stewart Schneller Endowed Chair and Alumni Professor of Biology. He served on the Research Board of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and is Editor-in-Chief of Biological Bulletin. Prior to joining AU, he worked at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, MA. Halanych holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University, where he was honored as the 2002 Distinguished Alumni Lecturer.

Valerie Nicole Tovar is the Conservation Coordinator at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, where she works with the conservation team to develop & implement collaborative conservation solutions to address human-caused threats facing sea turtles. Primarily, Val oversees the national Responsible Pier Initiative program and maintains regular contact with program partners to monitor program challenges and successes. Val has a bachelor's degree in Biology with a special focus in Marine Sciences from Florida Atlantic University and has been working in the sea turtle world for five years. As a first-generation Colombian-American woman, a big passion of Val's is celebrating and empowering minority communities to get involved in ocean conservation efforts. She believes that the ocean thrives on diversity to survive and thrive, and there's no reason why the field of Marine Science shouldn't be the same. In Val's free time, she enjoys live music, paddle boarding, and spending time at the beach with her family and one-eyed blind husky Xochitl!

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Deb Allen is the NC Sea Turtle Permit Holder for Ocean Isle Beach.  Deb moved to Ocean Isle Beach in 2010 and promptly volunteered with the OIBSTPO. Her love of sea turtle conservation has grown each year as she participated in nest verification, rescue, beach patrol, turtle talk, nest parenting and fundraising for the organization.  In 2018 Deb was selected as the island coordinator for Ocean Isle Beach. While she focuses her efforts on OIB, Deb feels we all have something to learn from each other about best practices for sea turtle conservation while following NC Wildlife Resources Commission guidelines.

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Ellen Sheehan is an award-winning professional photographer specializing in wildlife and sports photography. Ellen is the proprietor of The Photographer’s Learning Studio (PLS), an LLC dedicated to educating photographers of all skill levels. Ellen is a volunteer with the Ocean Isle Beach Sea Turtle Protection Organization and through this involvement she recognized a need to develop a curriculum including best practices and techniques for safely photographing Sea Turtles.

Kathy Matthews is a biologist in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services-Raleigh Field Office.  She has a background in marine biology, wetlands, and water quality. Kathy is one of the primary contacts in the Raleigh Field Office for issues related to federally-listed species and North Carolina beach, shoreline, and offshore activities. 

I received a BSc in Marine Biology from Auburn University and MSc and Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. I conducted post-doctoral research at the NOAA Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and joined the faculty in the UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology in 2005.  My research revolves around marine reptile physiology and I am interested in a diversity of topics, including diving physiology, thermal biology, conservation physiology, and endangered species management. 

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Kathy joined the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in February, 2021. For the previous sixteen years, she served as President and Executive Director of the National Marine Life Center, a marine animal hospital, science and education center in Bourne, Massachusetts. From 1998 to 2005, she served as program manager for the Georgia Coastal Management Program and helped achieve a federally- approved coastal zone management program for the state. Kathy has volunteered for a variety of marine animal projects and organizations in Massachusetts, California, Georgia, Hawaii, and North Carolina. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Augusta College and received her master's degree in Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University. A member of the International Sea Turtle Society, Kathy has also served on a number of nonprofit boards, educational advisory committees, and other civic service in California and Massachusetts. Locally, she serves on the Surf City Shoreline and Resiliency Advisory Committee and is liaison to the Topsail Island Shoreline Protection Commission.

Emily Asp is a Senior Lighting Project Specialist with Sea Turtle Conservancy and works to mitigate the effects of artificial light on sea turtle nesting beaches. Emily is a certified lighting specialist in the lighting industry through the National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology and a Master's of Science in Coastal, Marine, and Wetland Studies. Emily has worked with various nonprofit organizations, universities, and government agencies for nearly 12 years to monitor sea turtle nesting beaches, participate in sea turtle research both in the water and on the beach, and educate coastal residents and visitors on the harmful effects of artificial light.

Since March 2022, Georgia Busch has filled the role of the southeast region's coastal specialist for the North Carolina Coastal Federation. Her work supports coastal restoration, advocacy, and outreach through projects making a positive impact on our coastal habitats and surrounding communities. As a Richmond, Virginia native, she worked for several years as an environmental educator, guiding trips for teachers and students on the James River. She was awarded a Master of Science in Coastal and Ocean Policy from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2021 where her research examined the economic feasibility of sustainable aquaculture to support the Blue Economy model.

Sue is the chairperson for the student research project submissions.  She will announce the winners and present the student awards at the symposium on January 14.