Category: SeaSquad

Sharon Ryan has been involved with CCS since its earliest days, helping shape the center’s vision, strategy, team culture and approaches to stakeholder engagement. In this interview, she reflects on CCS’s evolution, the value of collaboration and the importance of connecting science with the people who can use it. Is there a place along Florida’s […]

By Megan Sam As an undergraduate, Megan Sanford spent plenty of time in the lab. But it wasn’t until she was out on the water, collecting samples and seeing how those experiments connected to real ecosystems that something clicked: she wanted a more hands-on role in research. When her advisor, Elise Morrison, Ph.D., an assistant professor in environmental engineering sciences at the University of Florida, encouraged her to […]

By Sharon Ryan This month’s SeaSquad features an interview with advisory board member Drew Jeter of AECOM, who shares what keeps him energized in his role, the coastal issues he’s most passionate about, and how his personal connection to the coast motivates him to support research that protects these places for future generations. Can you […]

By Sharon Ryan For Megan Sam, storytelling is more than communication — it’s a way to connect people to hope. Her passion for environmental storytelling grew through a series of formative internships, from capturing oral histories to collaborating with scientists at the World Wildlife Fund. Those experiences taught Megan the power of relatable characters and […]

By Megan Sam In August, we proudly celebrated the graduation of three outstanding students: Yiyang Kang, Nick Chin and Hyun Dong Kim. Each is embarking on exciting new chapters of their careers. Whether pursuing academic careers as professors or stepping into engineering roles, their expertise, passion and dedication to coastal innovation will undoubtedly shape the […]

By Megan Sam Scott Lee Young is driven by a simple but powerful question: What can I accomplish that I once thought was impossible?   This mindset took root in his home country of Jamaica, where he and his high school team spent six months preparing for a national quiz competition. Covering topics ranging from proverbs […]

UF Center for Coastal Solutions’ alumna Julie Walker has always embraced a challenge, even if it means facing down an alligator to check on her field experiments. During her doctoral studies, she once spotted what appeared to be an alligator’s head floating near her work site in the marsh. After waiting for 30 minutes, she […]

Growing up in Taiwan, where typhoons and coastal storms were a regular occurrence, Chu-En Hsu developed a deep fascination with the ocean and the forces shaping his surroundings. This interest eventually led him far from home to the University of Florida, where he earned his doctorate degree in coastal and oceanographic engineering. As a graduate […]

Growing up along Florida’s coast, Jack Parker experienced several hurricanes that affected his family’s life. Two of these storms, Dennis in 2005 and Michael in 2018, caused a great amount of damage to his home, and led to several days without power followed by weeks of cleaning up. These experiences made Parker want to contribute to […]

From the mines of Ghana to the beaches of Florida, Stephen Adusei journeyed a long way to follow his dream of becoming a geotechnical engineer. Driven by a strong interest in soil and rock mechanics and geospatial data analysis, Adusei’s passion led to a career in research with frequent field work and use of some […]