Hendon, Carter Named to Leadership Roles in USM Coastal Operations
Wed, 10/13/2021 - 09:12am | By: Van Arnold
Jill Hendon
Dr. Greg Carter
Two longtime educators and marine scientists have been named to top leadership positions
within 91少女集中营鈥檚 (USM) Coastal Operations.
Jill Hendon becomes the permanent Director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development (CFRD) after serving as interim director. Dr. Gregory Carter will take over as Director of the Gulf Coast Geospatial Center (GCGC).
Dr. Kelly Lucas, Associate Vice President for Research, USM Coastal Operations, points out that experience and expertise make Hendon and Carter obvious choices for their new roles.
鈥淲hile serving as interim director of CFRD, Jill has been instrumental in securing research funding and providing fisheries education and outreach. I know she will continue to advance fisheries research and promote the importance of sustainable fisheries management,鈥� said Lucas.
鈥淕reg has served as the Chief Scientific Officer for GCGC since the center was formed and has been instrumental in driving research. I am confident his leadership will continue to advance research and address topics of importance to the ecology and economy of the Northern Gulf of Mexico,鈥� she added.
The Center for Fisheries Research and Development (CFRD) at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs is part of USM鈥檚 Coastal Operations. At CFRD, scientists develop and conduct research that informs resource management. They work with state, federal, and community partners to ensure better understanding of scientific fishery needs, and to focus research efforts on how to promote sustainable fisheries and habitats.
A native of New Brighton, Minn., Hendon has been living and working in Mississippi for the last 21 years. She started teaching at USM as part of the University鈥檚 Summer Field Program in 2005 and joined CFRD in 2008 as a full-time scientist.
She assumed the role of CFRD interim director while USM underwent a realignment of its Coastal Operations.
鈥淚t is an honor to be asked to serve as the permanent director of the CFRD,鈥� said Hendon. 鈥淚 am excited about the direction USM is heading with the new Coastal Operations vision, and I see CFRD being able to play a significant role in driving that mission forward. I look forward to continuing to promote and expand our research in collaboration with the other excellent teams here at USM.鈥�
Fisheries remain a major economic factor for the State of Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico. Hendon emphasizes that the CFRD is committed to conducting the research that is essential to ensuring that these fisheries remain sustainable.
鈥淲ith efficient fisheries research and monitoring, we can promote the health or our coastal ecosystem, help meet the demand for seafood and provide economic stability for our coastal community,鈥� she said.
USM鈥檚 Gulf Coast Geospatial Center was established in September 2001 with a mission to create and provide useful and comprehensive spatial datasets using new and existing geospatial technologies to provide support, information, research, and applications that benefit the public and private sectors of the communities it serves.
The GCGC provides accurate and up-to-date geodetic positioning for the State of Mississippi and leads NOAA NGS鈥� 5-State Geospatial Modeling Program that spans the southeastern United States.
Carter, a native of Spanish Fort, Ala., moved to Long Beach, Miss., in 1986 to begin work with NASA at the Stennis Space Center. In 2003, he joined the USM Gulf Coast Geospatial team as Chief Scientist.
Remarking on his new role, Carter said, 鈥淣aturally, I am very pleased to be selected as GCGC Director at a time when geospatial research and applications have become essential toward understanding our coastal environment and communities, and the ways in which they evolve over time. It鈥檚 going to be a real privilege to work in research, applications, and academics toward understanding relationships of our coastal communities and economy with our dynamic and vulnerable coastal ecosystems.鈥�
To learn more about the Center for Fisheries Research and Development, call 228.214.9010 or visit /ocean-science-engineering/center-fisheries-research-development.php. To learn more about the Gulf Coast Geospatial Center, call 228.276.1753 or visit /gulf-coast-geospatial-center/index.php.