Staff

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Dr. Brett Branco

Executive Director

Michael Menser

Dr. Michael Menser

Associate Director for Public Engagement

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Dr. Jennifer Cherrier

Associate Director for Integrated Water Research

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Hannah Eisler Burnett​

New York Sea Grant​

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Polly Pierone ​

NYC FloodNet Project Manager ​

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Véronëque Ignace​

NYC FloodNet Community Engagement Manager ​

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Sofia Mariyamis

SRIJB College Assistant &
FloodNet Research Fellow

Student Research Assistants

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Georgie Efegenia Humphries
PhD Earth and Environmental Sciences, 
CUNY Graduate Center
Water Quality; Harmful Algal Blooms
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Natasha Herman
B.S. Earth and Environmental Sciences, Brooklyn College
Ecology; Community Resilience
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Matthew Wojcik
M.A. Earth and Environmental Sciences, Brooklyn College
Stewardship; Ecology; Living Shorelines
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Thomas Morton
M.A. Earth and Environmental Science, Brooklyn College
Environmental Policy; Conservation; Fieldwork
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Grace Damiano
PhD Earth and Environmental Sciences,
CUNY Graduate Center

Ecology; Maintenance; Nature-Based Solutions

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Vivian Chavez
B.S. Interdisciplinary Environmental Science
CUNY Lehman College
Microbial ecology, carbon sinks, science communication
 
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Mojgan Zamani
PhD Earth and Environmental Sciences,
CUNY Graduate Center 
River engineering; Environmental Science, Water
 
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Shahela Begum
PhD Earth and Environmental Sciences,
CUNY Graduate Center
Traditional and Local Ecological Knowledge; Stewardship; Nature-Based Solutions
 
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Aya Abdelaziz
M.S. Earth and Environmental Sciences,
Brooklyn College
Ecology; Nature-Based Solutions; Salt Marshes
 
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Tiaamè Medina
PhD Earth and Environmental Sciences,
CUNY Graduate Center
Water Quality; Participatory Science
 

Affiliated CUNY Faculty

LaDawn Haglund
John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Water governance; Environmental justice; Human rights

Greg Smithsimon
Brooklyn College

Displacement; Community; Sea level rise

Peter Groffman
Brooklyn College

Ecosystems; Nitrogen; Wetlands

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Rebecca Boger 
Brooklyn College

Geospatial technologies; Marine science; Science education

Chester Zarnoch 
Baruch College 

Benthic ecology; Salt marsh and oyster restoration; Aquaculture

William Solecki 
Hunter College

 Urban environmental change; Resilience;  Adaptation transitions

Tammy L. Lewis 
Brooklyn College

Sustainable development; Green gentrification; Urban sustainability

Kenneth Gould
Brooklyn College

Environmental justice;  Sustainable development

Dmitry Brogun
Kingsborough Community College

Metagenomics; Algae; Evolution

Shannon Caravello
Kingsborough Community College 

Urban agriculture; Public health; Community member

Phillip Staniczenko
Brooklyn College

Community ecology; Social-ecological networks; Mathematical and computational modelling

Gregory O’Mullan
Queens College

Environmental Microbiology and Water Resource Management

Dianne Greenfield
CUNY Advanced Science Research Center

Phytoplankton ecology; Water quality; Sensors

Katherine Fry
Brooklyn College

Communication; Research; community engagement/education

Alejandro Garcia Lozano
John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Environmental & Climate justice; Environmental anthropology; Fisheries

 
 
Silvina Calderaro
John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Land-based pedagogies; Eco-centric; PAR methodology

Lindsay Campbell
CUNY Graduate Center
Civic stewardship; Environmental governance; Sustainability policymaking
Kyle McKay
CUNY Graduate Center
Integrated water resource management; Urban ecosystem restoration; Natural infrastructure
Erika Svendsen
CUNY Graduate Center
Stewardship science; Socio-ecological Resilience

Executive Committee

  • Brett Branco; Brooklyn College, CUNY

  • Peter Tolias; Brooklyn College, CUNY

  • Jennifer Cherrier; Brooklyn College, CUNY

  • William Solecki; Hunter College, CUNY

  • John Waldman; Queens College, CUNY

  • Cynthia Olvina; Kingsborough Community College, CUNY

  • Rebecca Shuford; NY Sea Grant

  • Dan Mundy Jr.;  Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers

  • Terri Carta; Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy

  • John McLaughlin; NYC Department of Environmental Protection

  • Larson Marit; NYC Department of Parks and Recreation