IAGLR award winners discuss science collaboration and communication

Posted June 8th, 2021 in Aquatic Invasive Species, Featured, News
Teach Me About the Great Lakes podcast logo, and Hank Vanderploeg in a laboratory inspecting invasive mussels

Great Lakes scientists from all over the basin came together online for the second virtual International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) conference in May, so the hosts of Teach Me About the Great Lakes took the opportunity to interview the conference’s two top award winners.

In this podcast episode—“Science Is a Team Sport”—Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s Stuart Carlton and Carolyn Foley interview Dr. Henry “Hank” Vanderploeg and Margaret Lansing, who were recognized for their accomplishments at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). They talk about what makes for good science collaboration and communication.

man wearing blue button up and beige jacket

Hank Vanderploeg

Vanderploeg, a research ecologist and GLERL’s Ecosystem Dynamics Branch Chief, received IAGLR’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on invasive invertebrates. He told host Carlton that his interests developed at a conference when he was “asked by the organizers to understand and then predict the consequences of a wave of invasive species that was likely to have a significant impact on the Great Lakes.” Since then, Vanderploeg has come to understand the complicated ecology of invasive species in the Great Lakes, and he warns about new creatures well on their way.

woman wearing a NOAA polo, blazer, and red-rimmed glasses

Margaret Lansing

Lansing, GLERL’s Information Services Branch Chief, received the Jack Vallentyne Science Communication Award for important and sustained efforts to inform and educate the public and policy on Great Lakes issues. For over 30 years, she has created ways for science communication to transcend disciplinary journals and reach the public. In this episode, she shares how her interest in communication developed and why public knowledge about the Great Lakes and science in general is so important.

Teach Me About the Great Lakes is a monthly podcast in which Carlton—a social scientist who grew up in the South near the Gulf of Mexico—asks people to explain the biology, ecology and natural history of the Great Lakes. A new episode will be released on the first Monday of each month. The latest episode is embedded below.

Love this episode and want to hear more in the future? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or use the RSS feed in your favorite podcast player.

If you have questions you want answered about the Great Lakes, reach out to @TeachGreatLakes on Twitter or email Stuart Carlton at jsc@purdue.edu.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Purdue Extension.

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Congress is finalizing the FY26 budget, and federal funding for Sea Grant programs across the country—including Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant—is uncertain. Sea Grant programs have consistently had broad community and political support, and now such support is more important than ever.

Add your name to our sign-on letter urging Congress to support continuation of programs benefiting the Great Lakes, supporting local economies, and connecting communities with science-backed solutions.


Scan the QR code or visit the link in bio to take action.

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Congress is finalizing the FY26 budget, and federal funding for Sea Grant programs across the country—including Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant—is uncertain. Sea Grant programs have consistently had broad community and political support, and now such support is more important than ever.Add your name to our sign-on letter urging Congress to support continuation of programs benefiting the Great Lakes, supporting local economies, and connecting communities with science-backed solutions.Scan the QR code or visit the link in bio to take action.

Stay updated with the latest environmental education happenings in the Great Lakes region. The Center for Great Lakes Literacy’s latest newsletter features upcoming events, professional learning opportunities, and valuable educational resources. Don’t miss out on these exciting updates—click the link in bio to read more and get involved!

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Stay updated with the latest environmental education happenings in the Great Lakes region. The Center for Great Lakes Literacy’s latest newsletter features upcoming events, professional learning opportunities, and valuable educational resources. Don’t miss out on these exciting updates—click the link in bio to read more and get involved!

Out with the old. A newly updated UnwantedMeds.org is here to make safe disposal of old medications easier than ever.

Read more at the link in bio.

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Out with the old. A newly updated UnwantedMeds.org is here to make safe disposal of old medications easier than ever. Read more at the link in bio.

We are excited to offer the opportunity to propose a speaker or panel session during the 2026 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference April 28-29. The conference will feature traditional 15-minute presentations and a poster session on the latest in emerging contaminant research, policies, and outreach in the soil, water, and air.

The deadline to propose a session is June 16, 2025.

Learn more at the link in bio.

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We are excited to offer the opportunity to propose a speaker or panel session during the 2026 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference April 28-29. The conference will feature traditional 15-minute presentations and a poster session on the latest in emerging contaminant research, policies, and outreach in the soil, water, and air.The deadline to propose a session is June 16, 2025.Learn more at the link in bio.
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