BATON ROUGE, La. (September 12, 2017) – The Water Institute of the Gulf announced Tuesday that Dr. Alyssa Dausman will join the Institute as Vice President for Science and as the Chief Scientist of the Louisiana RESTORE Center of Excellence effective Oct. 2, 2017.
Currently serving as the Science Director of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council), formed in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Dausman is experienced in working with a diverse array of stakeholders to forge effective solutions to the challenges that face coastal communities and ecosystems. Working with senior scientists and policy experts from the five Gulf states as well as six federal agencies, Dausman led the consensus-based development of the RESTORE Council’s Initial Funded Priorities List – a $156 million suite of projects containing on-the-ground restoration activities in key watersheds across the Gulf. Dausman also served as the senior scientist in drafting the Council’s 2016 Comprehensive Plan.
“Alyssa Dausman is recognized across the Gulf of Mexico as one of the most collaborative and creative scientists who works tirelessly to bring people together to generate innovative and practical solutions to our most challenging coastal issues,” said Justin Ehrenwerth, Institute President and CEO. “The extensive partnerships Alyssa has built during her career across the five Gulf states, at every level of government, and throughout the academic, non-profit, and private sectors will perfectly compliment the Institute’s mission to identify implementable solutions to sustain and protect natural systems and human communities locally, nationally, and around the world.”
Prior to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, Dausman served as Science Advisor and Gulf Coast Science Coordinator for the Southeastern Region of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) where she was a senior representative to the U.S. Department of the Interior to support both the RESTORE Council and restoration monitoring for the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process. Dausman also co-led the Science Coordination Team for Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, made up of more than 70 scientists from 18 different federal and state agencies. Previously, Dausman worked as a hydrologist doing research at the USGS Florida Water Science Center. Born and raised in Mississippi, she received her bachelor’s degree at Tulane University, master’s degree from University of New Orleans, and her doctorate from Florida International University in Miami, Florida.
“During my federal service, I have had the amazing opportunity to work with top scientists from the Gulf states, federal agencies, universities, NGOs, and companies on so many important coastal issues. I look forward to continuing and deepening those partnerships in my new role at the Institute,” Dausman said.
Dausman arrives amidst a number of exciting developments at the Institute. In July, the Institute signed a historic agreement with Deltares, the premier coastal and deltaic applied research institution in the world. In December, the Institute will move into its new home along the Mississippi River, joining the LSU Center for River Studies and state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority at The Water Campus in Baton Rouge.
About the Water Institute of the Gulf
The Water Institute is a not-for-profit, independent applied research and technical services institution with a mission to help coastal and deltaic communities thoughtfully prepare for an uncertain future. Through an integrated and inter-disciplinary approach, our work helps to create more resilient communities, thriving economies, and a healthy environment. For more information, visit www.thewaterinstitute.org.