monica gregory noaa
Monica Gregory is pictured here with her state mentors Ken Richardson (left) and Tancred Miller (right), both of the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management.

Congratulations to Monica Gregory, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s first NOAA Coastal Management Fellow.

The Coastal Management Fellowship was established to provide on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy for postgraduate students and to provide project assistance to state coastal zone management programs. The program matches postgraduate students with state coastal zone programs to work on projects proposed by the state.

Starting in August, Monica will be working with the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, aiding in the assessment of the hazard vulnerability for communities living on the coast, and their needs for support in improving their resilience. She received a Master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University this past spring.

“I am incredibly excited to be a part of this fellowship, and more specifically to be a part of the project in North Carolina. My graduate studies focused on social and ecological resilience in the face of a rapidly changing environment, with a focus on vulnerable coastal communities,” said Monica.

“This fellowship is a dream come true!”

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Purdue Extension.

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Happy Juneteenth from all of us at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant!
Got a research idea for southern Lake Michigan? IISG’s 2026 Seed Grant Research Competition is open. Up to $150,000 total funding for pilot studies that could become your next big project.💵 $10,000 to $50,000 per project⏰ Applications due August 17, 2026Two info webinars coming up: July 2 and July 21.🔗 Full details at the link in bio.
Add a Great Lakes twist to your summer reading! Discover stories inspired by our region with Great Lakes Great Reads. Check out reading lists perfect for beach days or quiet evenings.https://greatlakesgreatread.org/#BeachReads
Real-time coastlines, real-world insights. Check out the LIVE feed of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park Beach – supporting recreationalists, researchers, and the broader public at the link in bio.This work is in partnership between Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (@secoora_org), the Great Lakes Observing System (@greatlakesobservingsystem), Indiana Dunes State Park (@indianadunessp), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (@indianadnr), and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant with support from Surfline (@surfline).Check out IISG’s website for more information on this collaborative project at the link in bio. Also featured on Seagull and Indiana Coastal Atlas.Purdue Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Illinois ExtensionSouthern Lake Michigan Water Safety Task ForceUS National Weather Service Chicago IllinoisSave the DunesShirley Heinze Land TrustIndiana Dunes National ParkIndiana DunesFriends of Indiana Dunes, Inc.