North Carolina Sea Grant names new director

Ecologist Susan N. White, director of NOAA’s Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, S.C., will be the new executive director for North Carolina Sea Grant and the Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina after Michael P. Voiland retires in December.

“Susan brings a strong science background, as well as leadership working with a mix of partners and stakeholders,” said Vice Chancellor Terri L. Lomax of North Carolina State University, where the two state/federal partnership programs are headquartered.

White, who earned a doctorate from the University of Georgia, is returning to her home state. She grew up in Orange County and graduated from Duke University. She is eager to lead both University of North Carolina system programs that provide targeted research, outreach and education projects.

“I am excited to have this opportunity to work with the excellent teams associated with North Carolina Sea Grant and WRRI to continue to address the current and future critical coastal, ocean, and water resource issues in the state and within the region,” she said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hollings Laboratory is a Center of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health, working in partnership with the College of Charleston, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

As Hollings director since 2010, White had provided research vision and organizational management, including strategic planning with the partner agencies and universities. She previously served as deputy director, responsible for budgets and administration, with a focus on accountability and performance measures. The interdisciplinary facility provides science and technology research on coastal ecosystems, with an emphasis on linkages between the condition of coastal environments and human health and well-being.

White has served on national and regional steering committees on topics including technology transfer, integrated drought monitoring and early warning, and climate’s connections to health.