Our research and administrative offices are based at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point, Virginia.
To contact our extension staff, please reach out to them at their relative institutions here.
Troy Hartley
Director
Dr. Troy Hartley is director of Virginia Sea Grant (VASG) and a research professor of Marine Science & Policy at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the William & Mary Public Policy Program. Troy lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, and has over 20 years of experience in coastal, marine, and natural resource policy and management. He is a public policy scholar and his research considers collaborative governance networks and processes, stakeholder attitudes, perceptions and opinions, and change management in communities, particularly in coastal, marine and fisheries contexts. His research has been funded by NSF, NOAA, Sea Grant, USEPA, Canadian Embassy, and the Water Environment Research Foundation.
He has a PhD in environmental and natural resource policy from the University of Michigan, a MAIS in environmental policy from George Mason University, and a BS in zoology from the University of Vermont. At VASG, Troy has overall responsibilities for the strategic priorities and direction, partnership-building and relations, new initiatives, and program oversight. He has been heavily involved in professional development with VASG’s fellows on the science-policy interface, transdisciplinary team science, and collaborative leadership. Beyond VASG and his research and teaching, Troy enjoys cycling, keeping pace with his teenagers and yellow lab, and wishing that he could be cross-country skiing or driving a Zamboni.
Scott Sandridge
Associate Director
Prior to his role at VASG, Scott was the Higher Education Budget and Policy Specialist at Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. He also served as a Medicaid budget analyst and a budget analyst for the Naval Sea Systems Command. He earned both his M.A. in Public Administration and B.A. in American Government from the University of Virginia. In his free time, Scott roots for UVA sports teams!
Sabine Rogers
External Relations Coordinator
Sabine Rogers is the external relations coordinator for Virginia Sea Grant. She lives in Newport News, VA, but says that her heart still lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. She earned her master's in environmental education from Colorado State University, and her bachelor’s in English with a concentration in environmental science from James Madison University.
Sam Lake
Fellowship & Research Program Coordinator
As the fellowship and research program coordinator, Sam Lake manages Virginia Sea Grant’s portfolio of graduate research and professional post-graduate fellowships, graduate student professional development programs, and other VASG support research and extension projects. He has a PhD in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and BS in marine science and biology from Coastal Carolina University. When not chasing his two young children as they bike, rock climb, and explore their way across the world, he likes getting muddy mountain biking, skimming across the water on a kiteboard, or logging some bottom time exploring a new coral reef. His hometown is Fairfield, Ohio.
Abigail Hils
Project Coordinator
Abigail works on a variety of projects as Virginia Sea Grant’s project coordinator. She earned her master’s in environmental sciences, focusing on coral reef ecological monitoring, and her bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies from Miami University (OH). Currently, Abigail is a part-time Ed.D. student at William & Mary's School of Education seeking to understand the impact of environmental education initiatives on changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Jay Clark
Communication Center Program Manager
Jay is the most recent VASG member, hired at the start of 2019! Jay brings with him more than 20 years of experience in communications and design. Formerly, he served as the project manager and communications strategist at East Carolina University, where he managed visual, design, and web development teams. He also served as a photographer and graphic designer for multiple publications, including Outdoor America Magazine. He earned his B.S. in mass communications from Towson University and will complete his M.A. in Technology and Communication this spring through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his free time, he enjoys hunting and fishing.
Madeleine Jepsen
Staff Writer & Communication Specialist
Madeleine, a recent graduate of Hillsdale College, joins the Virginia Sea Grant team after studying biochemistry and journalism. Previously, Madeleine covered earth and space science as an intern at the American Geophysical Union and also founded the science and technology section for her college newspaper, The Hillsdale Collegian. She looks forward to writing about marine and coastal science. When she’s not writing, Madeleine enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and watching baseball. She hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Aileen Devlin
Digital Storyteller
Aileen ("A-LEAN") received her bachelor’s degree in art with a concentration in photography at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. After graduating in 2009, she gained a spot at Greenville’s local newspaper, The Daily Reflector. Her desire to grow then took her to Virginia, where she worked as a photojournalist and videographer with the Daily Press newspaper reaching a readership of 85,000 for almost three years. Aileen hopes to pursue slow journalism with long-form coverage of the work and research of VASG extension and NGO partners, fellows and stakeholders.
