Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant welcomes Hillary Glandon, the program’s new coastal ecosystem and community resilience specialist. Glandon will work to assess coastal change and provide actionable solutions for communities along the Great Lakes shorelines. Her position at IISG is in partnership with the Illinois Natural History Survey in the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute.

“Understanding the factors that influence changes in the coastal zone is critical for communities to continue provide opportunities for people to live and recreate near the coast,” said Glandon. “At IISG, I am excited to work with a diverse group of scientists, managers, and community leaders managing this unique habitat in the face of ever-changing conditions.”

Glandon studies the response of coastal ecosystems to environmental change. She helps connect the results of research on coastal processes to communities that need it most, thereby increasing community resilience in the face of changing coastal landscapes.

In addition to work in the Great Lakes, Glandon has studied environmental change in the Bay of Fundy and spent 10 years assessing the effects of oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay.

“I have been lucky to work in a variety of interesting places, and much of my research has focused on quantifying response to environmental change in highly dynamic environments,” said Glandon. “I am looking forward to working in another dynamic system in the Great Lakes coastal zone to understand how species respond and adapt to changes in their environments.”

Glandon holds her PhD in marine, estuarine, and environmental science from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. She also received her Master of Science in marine biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.