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 The Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) and AOOS Board of Directors are pleased to announce the appointment of Sheyna Wisdom as incoming Executive Director. Wisdom, who is currently managing director of Fairweather Science, will replace Molly McCammon, current AOOS executive director and AOOS founder, in January 2021. McCammon has been AOOS’ only director since its founding in 2004.
“We are excited to have Sheyna join the AOOS team,” said AOOS Board Chair Katrina Hoffman. “Her experience with the private sector and in managing large teams of marine scientists will serve our organization well as AOOS continues to provide ocean information to support the blue economy.”
Wisdom received an MS in marine science from the University of San Diego, with her thesis on sound production in gray whales. She came to Alaska in 2006 as an environmental consultant specializing in noise effects on wildlife, and was then tapped to help run a large, multi-disciplinary research program in the Chukchi Sea sponsored by Shell Oil, ConocoPhillips, and Statoil. That program, the Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Program (CSESP), was the largest industry-sponsored ecosystem baseline study in Alaska over a 7-year period. AOOS’ Data Center now houses all of the environmental data collected during that program.
As General Manager of Fairweather Science, Wisdom has also managed an artificial polar bear den detection study, marine ecosystem studies in the Beaufort Sea/Prudhoe Bay region funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and a multitude of other projects.
Wisdom played competitive basketball in college and always finds the local gym in Alaska’s rural communities when she visits. She also finds time to coach her 13-year-old daughter’s softball team. In her application letter, Wisdom said “I bring a mix of energy, intensity, professionalism, love, and humor to my job and am sincerely very excited to be considered for this position.” We look forward to the energy Wisdom will bring to bear on behalf of Alaska’s ocean observing systems.
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