VI-EPSCoR DIRECTOR

kim.waddell@uvi.edu

Kim Waddell is the Principal Investigator and Project Director for the Virgin Islands Established Program for Stimulating Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR)—a National Science Foundation-supported research capacity building program based at the University of the Virgin Islands that focuses on land-based impacts on marine ecosystem health and function in a time of Climate Change, as well as STEM education research and opportunities for underrepresented students from K-12 through MS degrees. Kim was the project lead for the current US Virgin Islands Hazard Mitigation and Resilience Plan Update with support from FEMA and the Virgin Islands Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA). Prior to that, Kim was a Senior Program Officer with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dr. Waddell served as a study director for over a dozen National Academies reports on agriculture, fisheries and other natural resource management topics. He is also the new Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Union of Concerned Scientists. Kim received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina and his B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

tsmith@uvi.edu

Dr. Tyler Smith is the Interim Director of the University of the Virgin Islands’ Center for Marine and Environmental Studies and Coordinator of the Virgin Islands Coral Reef Monitoring Program. A coral reef ecologist, Dr. Smith’s research explores the dynamics of reef populations, the effects of natural and human-driven disturbances, and the ecological dimensions of coral-related human health issues.

Since 2005, he has served as a researcher, educator, and student mentor at UVI. His current work focuses on deep coral ecosystems (below 30 meters), reef refugia, degraded water quality impacts, and the use of remote sensing to assess water quality in the Virgin Islands.

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Dr. Olinger leads ecological imaging, AI development, and VICARIUS platform integration.

lauren.olinger@uvi.edu

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

kgrimes@uvi.edu

Dr. Kristin Wilson Grimes is a Research Associate Professor in the Center for Marine & Environmental Studies and the Department of Biology, at the University of the Virgin Islands, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Her research examines human impacts to nearshore environments, especially mangrove ecosystems. She directs the Virgin Islands Water Resources Research Institute, a network of 54 institutes across the United States in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey. She is also the principal investigator for NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance, a $10M effort that supports students from middle school through to the workforce in the marine and environmental sciences from the USVI, Puerto Rico, and Guam and the $7.5M Navigating Home project, which provides workforce training and fellowships in STEM for recent graduates who wish to stay or return to the Virgin Islands. Dr. Grimes also leads the GRROE USVI Mangroves program, which grows research, restoration, outreach and educational opportunities in the USVI, including the Mangroves in the Classroom Project, a partnership with the Virgin Islands Department of Education. Dr. Grimes earned a Master’s in Marine Biology, Master’s in Marine Policy, and doctorate in Ecology and Environmental Science from the University of Maine and a B.A. from Middlebury College.

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Dr. Brandt leads long-term coral reef monitoring and resilience research.

mbrandt@uvi.edu

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Assistant Professor of Biology , UVI College of Science and Mathematics, Director for Mentoring and Research Infrastructure, Virgin Islands Institute for STEM Education Research and Practice (VI- ISERP)

verleen.mcsween@uvi.edu

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Mr. Wilson leads open-ocean monitoring, glider operations, and marine acoustics.

doug.wilson@uvi.edu

MANGROVE RESTORATION & MONITORING SPECIALIST

Ms. Durdall supports drone operations and K–12 education programs.

allie.durdall@uvi.edu