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
- We’re hiring eight interns for summer 2026
- In 2026, IISG intends to fund 10 research projects focused on coastal concerns
- IISG looks back on 30 years of AIS outreach
- New step-by-step guide and veterinary brochures expand UnwantedMeds.org resources
- The Helm magazine features teachers and scientists setting sail on Lake Michigan
IISG Instagram
The gales of November may come early, but, as usual, the nominations for the Lakies are right on time along with our official call for nominations!
Brought to you by the Teach Me About the Great Lakes podcast, The Lakies (aka "quite possibly not the least prestigious Great Lakes-focused awards ceremony there is”) are back.
Our goal isn`t to be the Official Arbiters of Quality, but to host a fun celebration of amazing Great Lakes-related research, outreach, and communication in the inimitable Teach Me style.
Nomination categories are:
-Great Lakes Science Communication of the Year
-Great Lakes Outreach Program of the Year
-Great Lakes News Event of the Year
-Great Lakes Research Finding of the Year
-Coolest Thing You Learned Listening to TMATGL in 2025
-Science Podcast of the Year (Non-TMATGL edition)
-Great Lakes Animal of the Year
-Great Lakes Non-Animal of the Year
-Great Lakes Sandwich of the Year
-Great Lakes Donut of the Year
The Details:
-Deadline: Nominations close on December 4th.
Process: It`s easy (just enter the name/title and a link).
-Self-Nominations: Highly encouraged. Don`t be shy.
We’d love to get a broad swath of work across both the serious and less-serious categories to celebrate. Feel free to pass the link on to interested people: https://bit.ly/Lakies25
Making Sense of Social Media: Presented by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant & Purdue Extension
When: December 6, 2025, from 1 - 4:00 PM EST
Where: RDM Shrimp, RDM Shrimp, 101 N 850 E, Fowler, IN 47944
Registration Link in bio.
Social media can be a great way to market your small business and products, but sometimes it might feel like you are casting a net again and again to find that your net is empty. After all, the point of using social media marketing is to connect with customers. By attending this workshop, you will:
-Hear Research Findings
-Participate in an Interactive Workshop Session
-Learn Real World Application
-Tour a Shrimp Farm
-Network at the “After Hour Social”
This program is supported by the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center and put on in partnership with the Indiana Aquaculture Association Inc, RDM Shrimp, and Ohio Sea Grant, The Ohio State University.
For questions contact Amy Shambach by email (ashambac@purdue.edu) or phone (317-238-0511)
This fall, our team took advantage of several opportunities to showcase our engaging educational programs at outreach events.
One highlight included the Great Plankton Race, where participants built plankton models and tested various adaptations that help this vital part of the food web survive.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant has created another resource for students in the Great Lakes region to engage with real-world, professional water quality testing equipment. Currently, the Know Your H₂O Kit is being pilot tested in five classrooms, and for one Ohio teacher, it’s a hit for her and her students.
“The lessons have been incredibly useful,” said Shari Insley, a science teacher in North Olmsted, Ohio. “They not only aligned well with our Ohio 7th-grade science curriculum but also brought concepts to life in a way that deepened students’ understanding. For many students, this was their first time using scientific tools to test real water samples, and it sparked curiosity about local water systems and environmental stewardship.”
Learn more at the link in bio.
