Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant welcomes new coastal engineering and community resilience specialist

Posted February 4th, 2025 in Featured, News, Program
Sarah Peterson

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) welcomes Sarah Peterson as the program’s new coastal engineering and community resilience specialist. Peterson will develop a coastal resilience program along the southern Lake Michigan shoreline.

“Coastal hazards, such as meter-scale water level fluctuations in the Great Lakes, can lead to significant coastal geomorphic change and have major impacts on nearby communities, ecosystems, infrastructure and local economies,” Peterson said. “At IISG, I am excited to work alongside a skilled and passionate team of scientists, researchers, educators and specialists to help southern Lake Michigan coastal communities build resilience.”

The new coastal resilience program aims to enhance coastal hazard preparedness and resilience in communities along the Indiana and Illinois shores of Lake Michigan through collaboration, applied research, technical guidance, education and outreach.

Peterson earned both a Bachelor of Science and a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a focus on coastal geomorphic change. Her doctoral research examined the effects of water level fluctuations on coastal environments and shoreline change near the water’s edge.

While at UW-Madison, Peterson developed technical skills using ArcGIS to create spatial tools for analyzing coastal geomorphic change, mapping potential and identifying spatial and temporal changes in coastal property values in Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and adjacent estuaries. She also used FUNWAVE-TVD to model wave current circulation patterns and interaction with groin structures at Sheridan Park, on the Wisconsin coast of Lake Michigan.

She will be based at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station in Chesterton, Indiana.

IISG Instagram

Join is in welcoming our new research and reporting coordinator, Laura Esman, to the team! In her new role, Laura will oversee research competitions and manage IISG’s research portfolio. She will also spearhead IISG data collection and lead the program’s annual reporting process.

Esman brings over 30 years of experience in research, project coordination and grant administration. Her most recent positions include managing director of the Indiana Water Resources Research Center, and lab manager and research associate in the Natural Resources Social Science Lab in Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Full story at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17847944430638356
Join is in welcoming our new research and reporting coordinator, Laura Esman, to the team! In her new role, Laura will oversee research competitions and manage IISG’s research portfolio. She will also spearhead IISG data collection and lead the program’s annual reporting process.Esman brings over 30 years of experience in research, project coordination and grant administration. Her most recent positions include managing director of the Indiana Water Resources Research Center, and lab manager and research associate in the Natural Resources Social Science Lab in Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.Full story at the link in bio.

There’s still time to register! Educators are invited to join the Great Lakes Region Place-Based Education Institute starting this February and dive into hands-on strategies that connect students with their communities and local environments. Don’t miss this powerful professional learning opportunity!

Learn more & register at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18063625076281979
There’s still time to register! Educators are invited to join the Great Lakes Region Place-Based Education Institute starting this February and dive into hands-on strategies that connect students with their communities and local environments. Don’t miss this powerful professional learning opportunity!Learn more & register at the link in bio.

🎉 Congratulations to our IISG Knauss Fellowship finalists!
We’re proud to announce Anupama Chandroth (@iubloomington) and Laura Gray (@illinois1867) as Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s finalists for the 2026 Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship.

They’ll join a national cohort of 48 finalists placed in executive and legislative branch offices in Washington, D.C., contributing scientific expertise to federal decision-making on marine, coastal, and Great Lakes issues.

Full story at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17925527007208099
🎉 Congratulations to our IISG Knauss Fellowship finalists! We’re proud to announce Anupama Chandroth (@iubloomington) and Laura Gray (@illinois1867) as Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s finalists for the 2026 Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship.They’ll join a national cohort of 48 finalists placed in executive and legislative branch offices in Washington, D.C., contributing scientific expertise to federal decision-making on marine, coastal, and Great Lakes issues.Full story at the link in bio.