Staff Changes

Front Office

As the Division Secretary, Gloria Aguilar is responsible for providing secretarial and administrative assistance to the Division Director and other members of the Division’s front office. Prior to joining OCE, Gloria worked for NSF for more than fifteen years, most recently in the Directorate for Engineering.

Sharon Alston arrived in May as the Division’s new Financial Operations Specialist in time to process the grants resulting from the Spring target date. Sharon has prior experience in grant and proposal management at NSF.

As Program Assistant with the Division’s front office, Lisa Elkins is performing administrative and programmatic duties for the Division. Lisa previously served in a variety of capacities with the military, including as a Program Secretary with the Office of Naval Research.

Ocean Section

Shelby Walker is a Knauss Sea Grant Fellow working with the Division’s Ocean Section. Presently finishing her doctorate from the College of William and Mary, Shelby’s focus is on organic contaminant geochemistry. Shelby is involved in a variety of Division activites, including ocean observations and programmatic work in Chemical Oceanography.

Biological Oceanography

The Biological Oceanography Program welcomed Lita Proctor this Spring as Associate Program Director. Lita is a visiting scientist from Florida State University, where she has served in faculty and research positions since 1994. She also serves as a Visiting Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey and has an appointment with the Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB)/UMBI. With expertise in molecular microbial ecology, particularly in benthic systems, Lita is joint team leader for the next Biocomplexity GEN-EN program in addition to her core program responsibilities.

Ocean Drilling Program

John Walter joined the Ocean Drilling Program this Spring on a detail from NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations where he is a Senior General Engineer. John will provide oversight in the selection/charter/conversion of an offshore drilling vessel for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program that will begin in FY 2003.

Jamie Allan has joined the Ocean Drilling Program as a Program Director. Jamie, who previously worked with the Program as an IPA, most recently served as the Chair of the Geology department at Appalachian State University. His association with the Ocean Drilling Program goes back to 1989, when he began work as an ODP Staff Scientist at Texas A&M University. His responsibilities include oversight of the ODP operational contract as well as facilitating the startup of the forthcoming Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP).

Ann Noonan arrived in June as the Program Assistant for the Ocean Drilling Program. Ann brings with her many skills stemming from her extensive work experience with the Army, most recently as a military personnel management specialist.

Physical Oceanography

Theresa Paluszkiewicz arrived in January as a Program Director for Physical Oceanography after managing the ocean modeling program at the Office of Naval Research for four years. Prior to ONR, Terri had ten years of research and program management experience, primarily in coastal ocean modeling, with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Minerals Management Service, and the University of Alaska.

Elise Ralph, an IPA from the University of Minnesota, recently joined the Physical Oceanography Program as Associate Program Director. A graduate from MIT/WHOI, Elise’s research interests include hydraulics and instabilities of zonal flows and circulation of large lakes.