Team

Jen Read, who directs the U-M Water Center, implemented the Integrated Assessment program, including introducing the idea to the research community, while working for Michigan Sea Grant. Jen is also experienced leading interdisciplinary teams informed by multi-sector advisory groups to address challenging water-related issues. Jen serves as the Science Collaborative's principal investigator, provides overall program leadership, and manages the day-to-day activities of the Science Collaborative program.

Maeghan Brass is highly experienced engaging multi-disciplinary, multi-sector teams to develop and implement user-driven projects. She helps lead the day-to-day administration of the program, coordinates the Science Collaborative's regular request for proposal processes, and serves as a program officer, working closely with research and catalyst project teams. She also supports ongoing project and program learning and contributes to the development of collaborative science workshops and resources.

Nick Soberal is a science communications specialist and serves as a program officer for science transfer and capacity building projects. In addition to supporting program management activities, Nick leads the development of science communications products that synthesize and share stories across projects, maintains the project catalog and resource library, and produces the program’s Collaborative Science for Estuaries webinar series.

Doug George is a trained geological oceanographer and the program manager for the NERRS Science Collaborative. He has worked throughout the West Coast as a federal scientist, state resource manager, and environmental consultant with projects ranging from estuary restoration and living shorelines to regional sediment management and climate change adaptation.

Vincent Salgado attended the University of Michigan for both his undergraduate and graduate degree. For the latter, he specialized in Environmental Justice, Behavior, Education & Communication, and, to paraphrase, Ecosystem Studies & Stewardship. For his capstone project, Vincent outlined an overview of Traditional Knowledge systems as well as elaborated on how Western Science can work with them in a good way. After graduation, he has been aiding to write a document to help ground Tribal-State collaboration efforts in restoring Manoomin, a resource to aid in NERRS researchers in forming good relationships with Tribal partners and communities, and a federal plan in aiding the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous cultures in the face of climate change.