Sea Grant Illinois-Indiana
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.
- Jennifer Day – Regional Coordinator, NOAA Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Team
- 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
- Tomas Höök signing off as Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant director this summer
- Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant welcomes Stuart Carlton as the program’s new director
- Four Illinois and Indiana educators will set sail on Lake Michigan aboard EPA’s research ship
- Join IISG as a new pollution prevention outreach assistant
- Beach season means it’s time for lifesaving Lake Michigan water safety resources
IISG Instagram
Shipboard Science Immersion educators are diving into scientific sampling alongside Dr. Paris Collingsworth, processing samples from Green Bay to study how larval fish and zooplankton communities shift from nearshore to offshore in Lake Michigan.
Back in the lab, with @purduefnr graduate student Anna Hill, the educators are sorting benthic samples, identifying the organisms collected. The relatively large quagga mussels are easy to spot!
@epa_greatlakes @nyseagraa2966 @miseagrant @ohioseagrant @uwiscseagrant @paseagrant @ilextension @noaaeducation @seagrant_noaa
#greatlakes #lakemichigan
Shipboard Science Immersion educators stepped off the ship and onto beautiful Beaver Island for a hands-on day at @cmichbiology Biological Field Station, hosted by the amazing Dr. Kevin Pangle!
From seining for fish and towing a plankton net to testing water quality with a multiparameter sonde, educators practiced aquatic science techniques that can translate to shoreside learning within their educational programming. The day wrapped with a scenic dune hike — science and nature at its best!
@epa_greatlakes @noaaeducation @seagrant_noaa
The Shipboard Science Immersion educators worked together to simulate sonar mapping and uncover the secrets of a mystery seabed, just like real underwater archaeologists!
This hands-on lesson mirrors the work of Dr. Ashley Lemke from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee who studies paleo landscapes below Lake Michigan by collecting sonar data from lakebeds. Experiences like these can be shared with youth to spark curiosity and connect them to real-world science in action.
#LakeMichigan #GreatLakes
15 educators from 7 Great Lakes states have boarded the R/V Lake Guardian for a week of science on Lake Michigan!
Day one was all about meeting fellow educators and the science team from the @epa_greatlakes, @uwmilwaukee, and @purduefnr, and getting shipboard safety training.
This hands-on program, supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, helps bring Great Lakes science into classrooms and builds educator-scientist partnerships.
Follow along as we explore water quality, food webs, and even underwater archaeology!
#GreatLakes #LakeMichigan
