Sea Grant Illinois-Indiana
About External Advisory Committee
External Advisory Committee
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s external advisory committee is comprised of industry, conservation, community, and agency leaders representing the bi-state area and broader Great Lakes region. The committee aids in defining IISG’s strategic goals, including providing guidance throughout the strategic planning process. It helps IISG assume a vital role in the science and practice of coastal restoration and management in our region.
External advisory committee members listed below will serve their term from 2025 – 2028. The leaders of the Illinois Coastal Management Program and the Indiana Coastal Management Program are ex-officio members and will remain on the IISG external advisory committee.
- Meg Kelly – Program Director, Illinois Coastal Management Program Office
- Chuck Knapp – Vice President, Conservation Research, Shedd Aquarium
- Jenny Orsburn – Program Manager, Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program
- Vic Santucci – Lake Michigan Program Manager, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
- Mike Searcy – Treasurer, Indiana Aquaculture Association; Owner, White Creek Farms of Indiana LLC
- Jason Taylor – Superintendent, Indiana Dunes National Park
Recent News
IISG Instagram
Meet IISG grad student scholar, Qianyu Zhao! Qianyu is a PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, focusing on understanding and reducing nutrient loss pollution. His research combines diverse datasets, watershed modeling, and machine learning to trace the movement of nitrogen and phosphorus at the regional scale. Through IISG, he is working to identify the sources and pathways of nutrient loading and translate that science into actionable guidance for policymakers and land managers protecting water quality across the region.
Learn more about Qianyu’s research at the link in bio.
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.
Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral.
Application deadline: June 3, 2026.
To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.
Science is Survival at C2E2 2026! Catch us at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (March 27–29) as we explore the underwater world of Subnautica through the lens of Great Lakes science.
Stop by our booth to discover how Great Lakes food webs, invasive species, and aquaponics stack up against your favorite survival game!
Learn more about the event at the link in bio.
Meet IISG grad student scholar, Wei Wu! Wei is a Ph.D. student at Purdue University focused on building AI-powered tools for coastal resilience. His research interests are combining drone sensing, 3D modeling, and immersive visualization to make environmental change more visible and measurable. Through IISG-supported research, he is advancing innovative approaches to monitor and strengthen communities along Southern Lake Michigan.
Full story at the link in bio.
Interested in becoming an IISG grad student scholar? Learn more: https://iiseagrant.org/its-time-to-apply-for-the-2026-iisg-graduate-scholars-program/
