WASHINGTON — The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today its 2024-2026 cohorts of Early-Career Research Fellows in two tracks: Environmental Protection and Stewardship; and Education Research.

The Early-Career Research Fellowships program supports emerging scientific leaders as they take on untested research ideas, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues who share their interest in advancing the safety of the offshore energy system and improving the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems.  

Eight fellows will be joining the Environmental Protection and Stewardship track, where their work will focus on advancing scientific knowledge and its application to improve understanding of how climate change, sea-level rise, and shifting water quality affect organisms, populations, or ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico region.  

The five fellows joining the Education Research track will contribute to the advancement of science, STEM, and environmental education in the Gulf of Mexico region or Alaska by considering the impacts of establishing sense-of-place in formal or informal learning environments. 

“We welcome these talented fellows and look forward to supporting their innovative, collaborative research,” said Karena Mary Mothershed, director of GRP’s Board on Gulf Education and Engagement. “We are excited to see what these early-career researchers will accomplish as they implement research that will have a lasting impact on the Gulf of Mexico region.”

Pending final agreements, the fellows in Environmental Protection and Stewardship are:

Simon J. Brandl
University of Texas at Austin
Brandl is an assistant professor at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI). He earned his B.Sc. in biology from the University of Innsbruck, Austria, in 2010 and his Ph.D. in marine biology from James Cook University, Australia, in 2016. Following postdoctoral fellowships with the Smithsonian’s MarineGEO program, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research, Brandl joined UTMSI in 2021 to lead the Fish & Functions Lab. His research focuses on the ecological functioning of coastal marine ecosystems, particularly fishes’ roles in energy and nutrient fluxes in habitats like coral and oyster reefs. Brandl has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles and received awards including NSF CAREER and NOAA RESTORE.

Jon Doering
Louisiana State University
Doering is an assistant professor of aquatic toxicology in the department of environmental sciences at Louisiana State University. He holds a Ph.D. in toxicology and B.Sc. in biology from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Doering completed postdoctoral fellowships at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development and the University of Lethbridge, Canada. His research involves the development of predictive models and associated regulatory frameworks to guide faster, cheaper, and more holistic assessments of risk posed by anthropogenic stressors on aquatic biota. His models have been used in high-profile ecological risk assessments in the United States, Canada, and European Union.

Fanny Girard
University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Girard is an assistant professor in the department of oceanography at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Her research focuses on deep-sea benthic ecosystems, their response to environmental change, and human disturbance. Using noninvasive methods like imagery, she studies poorly understood systems, including deep-sea coral and chemosynthesis-based ecosystems, addressing spatial and temporal dynamics. Girard co-developed an image-based monitoring program to track recovery of deep-sea coral communities affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, informing strategies for protection and restoration. She earned a Ph.D. in marine biology from Pennsylvania State University, an M.Sc. in marine ecology from the University of Western Brittany, France, and a B.S. in biology from Sorbonne University, France, followed by postdoctoral positions at Ifremer, the French national institute for ocean science and technology, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

Marc Hensel
University of Florida
Hensel is a research assistant professor at the University of Florida (UF) and holds a joint appointment at the Nature Coast Biological Station and the soil, water, and ecosystem sciences department. He earned his Ph.D. in environmental biology from the University of Massachusetts (2020) and M.S. (2013) and B.S. (2010) in zoology from UF. A coastal ecologist, Hensel explores species interactions at large scales, focusing on biodiversity and climate resilience. His research spans marshes, mangroves, coral reefs, and more, addressing global change impacts through experiments, surveys, and modeling. At UF, his lab studies climate migrants, coastal ecosystem dynamics, and climate adaptation strategies. Hensel is also affiliated with UF’s Center for Coastal Solutions and GRP’s Gulf Scholars Program.

Elise S. Morrison
University of Florida
Morrison is an assistant professor in environmental engineering sciences at the University of Florida. She researches nutrient and organic matter cycling in wetlands and estuaries, focusing on microbial ecology and chemical biomarkers. Her work examines biogeochemical impacts of anthropogenic disturbances, funded by agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the Army Corps of Engineers. Current projects include studying freshwater discharges’ effects on estuarine biogeochemistry, phosphorus dynamics in aquatic systems, links between discharges and harmful algal blooms, methane cycling under sea-level rise, and the 2021 Piney Point phosphogypsum spill in Tampa Bay. She earned her B.S. at the University of California, Davis, her Ph.D. in soil microbiology at UF, and completed postdoctoral training in UF’s Organic Geochemistry Lab.

Sydney Moyo
Louisiana State University
Moyo is an assistant professor in the department of biological sciences at Louisiana State University. He earned his Ph.D. in zoology from Rhodes University, South Africa. Before joining Louisiana State University, he was an assistant professor of biology at Rhodes College. He is a community ecologist who explores food web dynamics in freshwater and coastal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico and all over the world. Specifically, his research uses fatty acids and other biochemical biomarkers to explore species’ ecological responses to environmental stressors (e.g., oil spills and climate change) and to evaluate the ecological implications of coastal restoration efforts on ecosystem function.

David Rounce
Carnegie Mellon University
Rounce is an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He studies glacier response, water resources, and hazards under climate change to inform adaptation and mitigation strategies. Using computational models, remote sensing, and field data, his research improves sea-level rise projections and supports climate-resilient planning for coastal communities. He leads a GRP project to enhance regional sea-level rise projections and develop user-focused tools for adaptive planning. He also leads NASA projects on glaciers’ contributions to sea-level rise and associated hazards. Rounce earned his B.S. from Villanova University and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Paresh Kumar Samantaray
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Samantaray is an assistant professor of chemical and materials engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a member of the American Chemical Society’s advisory board. A sustainability advocate and materials scientist, his research spans materials chemistry, polymer nanotechnology, and environmental toxicology. He focuses on upcycling plastic waste using adaptable networks to molecularly transform plastics and improving water remediation by analyzing microbial ecology, contaminants, and microplastics. His work emphasizes green solvents and solventless chemical approaches. A Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholar, Caltech Presidential Fellow, and member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Samantaray earned his B.Tech. in plastics engineering from CIPET Bhubaneswar, India, an M.Sc. and Ph.D. from IISc Bangalore, India, and completed postdocs at the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, and Caltech.

Pending final agreements, the fellows in Education Research are:

Lourdes Cardozo-Gaibisso
Mississippi State University
Cardozo-Gaibisso is an assistant professor of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and linguistics at Mississippi State University and a research fellow at the Social Science Research Center, where she leads the Science Literacy for Equity Research Collaboratory. A systemic functional linguist, her work focuses on science literacy and culturally sustaining pedagogies. Her projects include SMILE (Scientific and Multilingual Inquiry Learning in Engineering) and SISTEMAS (Stimulating Immersive Science Through Engaging Multilingual Scenarios). Her research addresses multilingual learners’ needs in science, teacher education, and equitable assessment, promoting accessible, place-based STEM education in Mississippi. Named a 2023 promising scholar by the North American Systemic Functional Linguistics Association, she earned her Ph.D. in language and literacy education from the University of Georgia and previously taught in Uruguay.

Megan Ennes
University of Florida
Ennes is the assistant curator of museum education and director of the Thompson Earth Systems Institute at the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. Her research explores how museums can inspire science interest and career aspirations among underrepresented groups through family programs and civic engagement. She leads Community Action Projects for the Environment, supporting youth-driven environmental initiatives, funded by the North American Association for Environmental Education and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ennes also focuses on improving science communication, particularly about climate change, for museum educators and scientists. Chair of the American Educational Research Association’s Informal Learning Environments group, she holds a Ph.D. in science education from North Carolina State University, and an M.A. in environmental studies and B.S. in marine biology and education from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.

Amal Ibourk
Florida State University
Ibourk, an associate professor of science education at Florida State University, brings a multicultural perspective as a first-generation college graduate from Morocco fluent in five languages. Her research focuses on science learning, teaching, and identity, emphasizing three-dimensional science learning and learning technologies. She uses storied identities — narratives shaping identity — to explore pre-service teachers’ practices and STEM identity among youth. Ibourk leads an NSF CAREER grant to enhance elementary teachers’ climate change teaching through justice-based, place-based, and community-centric approaches, improving climate literacy and fostering early student interest in environmental issues via projects like community gardens. She earned her Ph.D. from Michigan State University and has published widely in leading journals, including Science Education and the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

Ali McMillan
Louisiana State University
McMillan is the education coordinator at Louisiana Sea Grant, based at Louisiana State University (LSU). Her research explores place-based learning, adolescent identity development, interdisciplinary literacy, rural education, and community stewardship. Funded by organizations such as the National Geographic Society and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, her work includes student learning initiatives, teacher development, and stewardship programs in coastal Louisiana. McMillan holds a B.S. in secondary education from LSU, a master’s in human relations from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from LSU, where she also earned the 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award. With 14 years of teaching experience, including roles in Nigeria, Spain, and the U.S., McMillan integrates global perspectives into her work to promote education and environmental stewardship.

Cristina Poleacovschi
Iowa State University
Poleacovschi is an associate professor in the department of civil, construction, and environmental engineering at Iowa State University. Her research focuses on water insecurity issues in vulnerable communities in Alaska and Puerto Rico. She studies people's behaviors and preferences toward water sources and uses place-based interventions to enhance understanding of treated water. Her work also focuses on enhancing critical consciousness and understanding of the changes in the Arctic among civil engineering students using civic engagement pedagogies.

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. It seeks to enhance offshore energy system safety and protect human health and the environment by catalyzing advances in science, practice, and capacity to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf of Mexico region and the nation. The program has $500 million for use over 30 years to fund grants, fellowships, and other activities in the areas of research and development, education and training, and monitoring and synthesis. 

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

Contact:

Pete Nelson, Director of Public Engagement and Communications
Gulf Research Program
Email pnelson@nas.edu