Staff Directory

VASG STAFF

Troy Hartley

Virginia Sea Grant
Director

Dr. Troy Hartley is director of Virginia Sea Grant (VASG) and a research professor of Marine Science & Policy at…

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Scott Sandridge

Virginia Sea Grant
Associate Director

Prior to his role at VASG, Scott was the Higher Education Budget and Policy Specialist at…

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Stacy Keating

Business Manager

Stacy comes to Virginia Sea Grant with more than 10 years of financial management experience…

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Michelle Rodriguez

Professional Development Coordinator

Students need more than a strong academic profile to be successful; that’s where I come in…

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Sabine Rogers

Strategic Partnership Coordinator

Sabine Rogers is the external relations coordinator for Virginia Sea Grant. She lives in Newport News…

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Sam Lake

Fellowship & Research Program Coordinator

As the fellowship and research program coordinator, Sam manages VASG’s portfolio of…

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Renee Sanders

Program Reporting & Projects Coordinator

Renee Sanders leads VASG’s efforts for federal and state reporting and assists program operations…

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Jay Clark

Communication Center Program Manager

Jay brings with him more than 20 years of experience in communications and design. Formerly, he…

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Madeleine Jepsen

Staff Writer & Communication Specialist

Madeleine, a graduate of Hillsdale College, joins the Virginia Sea Grant team after studying biochemistry…

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Aileen Devlin

Digital Storyteller

Aileen (“A-LEAN”) received her bachelor’s degree in art with a concentration in photography at…

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Extension Partners

Wie Yusuf

Assistant Director for Education

Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience at Old Dominion University

Dave Rudders

Marine Advisory
Program Director

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Cheryl Teagle

Business Manager

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Dave Ferree

Office Service
Specialist

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Lisa Ayers Lawrence

Marine Education
Program Leader

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Bethany Smith

Marine Education
Specialist

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Celia Cackowski

Marine Education
Specialist

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Bob Fisher

Fisheries/Seafood Technology Specialist

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Karen Hudson

Shellfish Aquaculture Specialist

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Susanna Musick

Marine Recreation
Specialist

Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Michael Hans Schwarz

Center Director,
Aquaculture

Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech

Jonathan van Senten

Associate Director and Assistant Professor

Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech

Robert Munson Lane

Extension Specialist, Engineering

Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech

Reza Ovissipour

Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist

Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech

Abigail Villalba

Extension Specialist,
Food Safety

Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech

Steve Urick

Lab and Research
Specialist

Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech

Keri Rouse

Communications
Associate

Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech

Elizabeth Andrews

Virginia Coastal Policy Center Director

Virginia Coastal Policy Center at the William & Mary Law School

Gray Montrose

Assistant Director

Virginia Coastal Policy Center at the William & Mary Law School

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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.

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!

Stacy comes to Virginia Sea Grant with more than 10 years of financial management experience. Prior to VASG she served as the Advancement and Finance Director at Hospice House & Support Care of Williamsburg. Originally from coastal Connecticut, she enjoys spending time on Cape Cod and exploring the shoreline of coastal Virginia.

Students need more than a strong academic profile to be successful; that’s where I come in. I work with master’s, doctoral, and alumni fellows at the Virginia Sea Grant to build holistic professional profiles to translate and action their research beyond the lab.

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.

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.

Renee Sanders leads VASG’s efforts for federal and state reporting and assists program operations through project management and grant administration support. Sanders previously worked as wildlife biology specialist for the Sierra Institute for Community and Environment in California, collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service to determine environmental impacts of wildfire mitigation projects. She also has experience updating endangered species recovery plans for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Arizona. Sanders earned a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Northern Arizona University, and holds bachelor’s degrees in Parks & Recreation Management and International Affairs.

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, a 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 (“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.

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