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Ginny L. Eckert was appointed director for Alaska Sea Grant earlier this month by Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Anupma Prakash. Eckert served as acting and interim director of Alaska Sea Grant from 2019 to 2020 and as associate director of Alaska Sea Grant from 2013 to 2019.

Eckert will continue as a professor in the Fisheries Department at the Juneau Center of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, where she teaches and conducts research in marine ecology, mariculture and fisheries in Alaska.

“I am pleased that Dr. Eckert is taking on this important leadership role,” said Provost Prakash. “She brings seven years of leadership experience at Alaska Sea Grant and 20 years of expertise in Alaska coastal resource issues. This experience is an asset to this multimillion dollar program that is vital to UAF’s mission as a Land, Sea and Space Grant institution.”

Dr. Eckert is an expert on Alaska’s living marine resources and has a distinguished career training the next generation of scientists for a variety of career paths, and engaging communities and the public in science activities. She has a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, a master’s degree from the University of Florida and a doctorate from the University of California Santa Barbara. She has authored over 50 scientific publications and is an active scientific scuba diver and avid boater on vessels ranging from paddleboards to trawlers.

“Alaska Sea Grant is a talented organization working in coastal communities throughout Alaska,” said Eckert. “I look forward to continuing to support researchers and faculty who address issues of importance to all Alaskans, from seafood safety and production, to healthy coasts and ecosystems, to preparing for climate changes and natural or manmade disasters.”

Alaska Sea Grant reports to the Office of the Provost and was previously organized under the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences from 1987 to 2020. Chancellor Dan White’s  was in response to a recent federal site review and task force that examined the placement of the program.

Eckert is the eighth director in the 50-year history of Alaska Sea Grant.  is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and UAF. One of 34 Sea Grant programs across the country, it supports research, education, and extension activities that enhance the ability of Alaskans to understand, conserve, and sustainably use Alaska’s rich and diverse marine and coastal resources.