On this episode of The Capitol Beach, Derek Brockbank interviews the three co-executive directors of the US Coastal Research Program (USCRP): Julie Rosati with US Army Corps of Engineers, Hilary Stockdon with US Geological Survey, and Nicole Elko with American Shore & Beach Preservation Association. On the podcast, you’ll hear why 11 federal agencies (from NOAA to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) are participating, how collaboration on a multi-faceted coastal experiment is utilizing Hurricane Dorian to improve coastal storm modeling and much more, and how academics have received $6.3 million in federal grants through the USCRP and what might be funded next… This podcast may not dive into the weeds on policy, but it explains how the federal government is driving coastal science that will lead to better coastal policy and management.
The USCRP is a multi-agency, academic and stakeholder partnership created to leverage and expand collaboration across coastal research sectors and ensure future research plans address stakeholder needs. USCoastalResearch.org
Dr. Hilary Stockdon is a Research Oceanographer with the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal-Marine Hazards and Resources Program (CMHRP), Science Adviser for the CMHRP Coastal Change Hazard program, and an Executive Director for the U.S. Coastal Research Program. Her previous research on the effects of storms on coastal communities has led to tools that predict beach response to extreme events and has raised public awareness about the value of scientific information on coastal vulnerability. She received her B.S. in Geology from Duke University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Oceanography from Oregon State University.
Nicole Elko, Ph.D., is the Science Director for the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA), Executive Director of the South Carolina Beach Advocates, an Executive Director of the U.S. Coastal Research Program (USCRP), and President of Elko Coastal Consulting based in Folly Beach, SC. She serves as one of the three civilian members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Coastal Engineering Research Board (CERB), and has recently been appointed the NOAA’s Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP). Dr. Elko received her B.S. in Environmental Resource Management with a minor in Marine Science from Pennsylvania State University in 1996 and her M.S. from the University of South Florida in Geology in 1999. She received her Ph.D. in Geology from the University of South Florida in 2006 after working with the USGS Coastal Marine Geology Program, St. Petersburg, and while serving as the coastal coordinator for Pinellas County, FL.
Dr. Julie Rosati is Technical Director for Civil Works R&D at the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research Development Center (ERDC) in the Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory. In this role, she oversees basic and applied research involving coastal, watershed, navigation, and environmental assessments over short-term storm hazards and long-term evolution. Julie also serves as a Technical Director for the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, an Associate Editor of ASCE’s “Waterways” journal, and is a one of the lead representatives for the Corps as part of the multi-organizational US Coastal Research Program. She has BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering, and PhD in Oceanography, and is a Professional Engineer in Mississippi.
Subscribe to the American Shoreline Podcast Network. Available on Apple, Google, and Spotify.
ASBPA Executive Director, Derek Brockbank, hosts this semi-regular podcast. Prior to starting with ASBPA, Derek worked as campaign director for a coalition effort to restore the Mississippi River Delta and Coastal Louisiana, and was part of a gulf-wide campaign to pass the RESTORE Act, securing billions of dollars for Gulf Coast restoration. This followed up on his work with National Wildlife Federation on climate adaption. Derek started his career as a grassroots organizer. Derek grew up in New York City and got his coastal education from an early age playing on the beaches of Long Island, and kayaking and fishing in Peconic Bay.
Please consider joining the ASBPA.