HARTE RESEARCH INSTITUTE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant & NOAA CCME Scholar
- Graduate Research Assistant & NOAA CCME Scholar / Research
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
- Graduate Research Assistant / Research
Job Titles:
- Student Research Assistant
- Student Research Assistant / Research
Daphne is an undergraduate student at the College of Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi, working to obtain a major in biology with a minor in chemistry. She works for Dr. Pollack as a research assistant in the Coastal Conservation and Restoration Lab where she helps analyze samples and data.
Job Titles:
- Research Specialist I
- Research Specialist I / Research
- Research Specialist in HRI 's Coastal
Dominic Burch is a research specialist in HRI's Coastal Ecosystems Processing lab for Dr. Michael Wetz. He earned a B.S. in Environmental Science, concentrating in marine and costal resources (2010) from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Dominic worked for the Conrad Blucher Institute 2009-2011 focusing on real-time atmospheric and oceanographic monitoring projects. 2014-2021 Dominic was a board member of the Dive Control Board of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi where he helped establish a center of excellence that promotes safe and efficient dive habits for TAMU-CC and the South Texas scientific dive community.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Research Scientist
- Assistant Research Scientist / Research
Dr. Amie O. West is an Assistant Research Scientist working with HRI Chairs Dr. Jennifer Pollack and Dr. Michael Wetz. She earned her M.S. and B.S., in Geology at the University of South Florida. Her PhD in Environmental Dynamics was earned at the University of Arkansas where she focused on human perceptions of water in the environment and how they relate to measured water quality. Recent work focuses on socio-ecological science to support ecosystem-based management. At HRI she will be helping to understand ecosystem change along the Texas coast.
Amie is also a CrossFit trainer and competes in Olympic weightlifting.
Job Titles:
- Endowed Chair for Conservation & Biodiversity
- Endowed Chair for Conservation & Biodiversity / Research
Job Titles:
- Senior Executive Director and Endowed Chair for Socio - Economics
- Senior Executive Director and Endowed Chair for Socio - Economics / Research
- Senior Executive Director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies
Dr. David Yoskowitz serves as the Senior Executive Director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Yoskowitz is the third director of the institute and was chosen to lead HRI in July of 2020.
Job Titles:
- Endowed Chair for Coastal and Marine Geospatial Sciences
- Endowed Chair for Coastal and Marine Geospatial Sciences / Research
Dr. James Gibeaut is the Endowed Chair for Coastal and Marine Geospatial Sciences at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi. He earned a B.S. in geology from Ohio State University, a M.S. in coastal geology from the University of Rhode Island, and a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the University of South Florida. He is a coastal geologist who uses optical, radar, and lidar remote sensing, GIS, and field surveys to measure and understand coastal change. He has studied shorelines in a variety of locations including Rhode Island, Florida, Texas, Alaska, Honduras, Venezuela, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. Currently, his main research focus is modeling the effects of relative sea-level rise and storms on coastal systems and projecting future change. His Coastal and Marine Geospatial Lab at HRI is also developing web applications and scientific data repositories for the dissemination of research results.
Job Titles:
- HRI Chair for Gulf Strategies
- HRI Chair for Gulf Strategies / Research
- Retired Director of Coastal Fisheries
- Senior Director of Aquatic Resources for the Texas Parks
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Research Scientist
- HRI Director of International Programs & Associate Research Scientist
- HRI Director of International Programs & Associate Research Scientist / Research
Dr. Mark Besonen is an Associate Research Scientist and HRI Director of International Programs at the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He earned a B.S. in Geological Sciences and Classical Archaeology from Tufts University, an M.S. in Geology from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and a Ph.D. in Geosciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research is broadly focused on recent Earth system history, and he uses proxy evidence from sediment cores to interpret and reconstruct past climates, environments, and landscapes. Much of his interest is focused towards the past variability of water and aquatic resources in coastal, estuarine, and lacustrine settings, paleotempestology, and extreme hydrological events such as mega-droughts that may be reflected in the archaeological record. He has conducted field work and research in a variety of locations including in North America, South America, Europe, and western Asia. He works in the Coastal and Marine Geospatial Lab at HRI, and as a Spanish-speaker, is involved with many of HRI's efforts in Cuba and Mexico.
Job Titles:
- HRI 's First Executive Director
Job Titles:
- HRI Ambassador to the Gulf
- HRI Ambassador to the Gulf / Research
Dr. Sylvia Earle, award-winning oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer, has dedicated her career to protecting the Earth's oceans. She is a Founding Advisory Board Chair for the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and is President and Chairman of Mission Blue / The Sylvia Earle Alliance. It was her book, "Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans," that inspired HRI founder Ed Harte, the former publisher of the Caller-Times and a conservationist and philanthropist, to give $46 million in 2000 to help start the Harte Research Institute.
Earle was formerly the first female chief scientist of NOAA prior to her current Explorer-in-Residence position at the National Geographic Society, and is called Her Deepness by the New Yorker and the New York Times, Living Legend by the Library of Congress, and first Hero for the Planet by Time Magazine. Through research and exploration, Earle's seeks to conserve and protect marine areas across the globe, called "hope spots," to protect biodiversity and provide stability.
Ed Harte's $46 million endowment to create the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi stands first among the many important and valuable contributions the newspaper magnate made to environmental preservation and conservation science during his lifetime.
Harte had a distinguished career in the newspaper industry, eventually serving as the long-time publisher of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. A passion for preserving the Gulf Coast environment he made his home drove him to become a leader in conservation. Learn more about his life, career, and commitment to the environment.
Job Titles:
- Student Worker
- Student Worker / Research
Hall, Q.A., M.M. Reese Robillard, J.A. Williams, Ajemian, M.J., and G.W. Stunz. 2016. Reopening of a remote tidal inlet increases recruitment of estuarine-dependent nekton. Estuaries and Coasts (In Press)
Williams, J.A., G.J. Holt, M.M. Reese Robillard, S.A. Holt, G. Hensgen, and G.W. Stunz. 2016. Habitat selection not growth to determine the survival of an estuarine-dependent fish in fragmented seagrass beds. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 479:97-105. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2016.03.008
Oakley, J.L., J. Simons, and G.W. Stunz. 2014. Spatial food web dynamics mediated by oyster reef and other estuarine habitat types in a subtropical estuary. Journal of Shellfish Research 33:841-855. doi:10.2983/035.033.0319
Job Titles:
- Endowed Chair for Fisheries and Ocean Health and Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation Director
- Endowed Chair for Fisheries and Ocean Health and Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation Director / Research
Job Titles:
- Laboratory Technician
- Laboratory Technician / Research
Job Titles:
- HRI Chair for Coastal Conservation & Restoration
- HRI Chair for Coastal Conservation & Restoration / Research
- HRI Fellow
She is excited to work with Dr. Jennifer Pollack as an HRI Fellow. Together, they plan to conduct analyses of corpora of texts related to natural resource management. Such analyses may reveal inductive linguistic patterns that shed light on stakeholder perceptions and decision-making processes.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
- Graduate Research Assistant / Research
Role
Senior Leadership
Education
Ph.D. in Biology; Texas A&M University. (1974)
M.S. in Biology (Geology Minor); Texas A&I University. (1969)
B.S. in Biology (Chemistry Minor); Texas A&I University. (1967)
HRI co-founder, Endowed Chair for Biodiversity and Conservation Science and Professor Emeritus Dr. John "Wes" Tunnell Jr. joined Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 1974, but his instruction, insight, and interests, his depth of experience and understanding of the Gulf of Mexico have reached throughout the world. Dr. Tunnell passed away on Saturday, July 14, 2018, after a long battle with cancer.
He was an early advocate for strong relationships between the United States, Mexico, and Cuba to research and support the Gulf of Mexico. As a broadly trained marine biologist/ecologist with a particular interest in field studies on coral reefs and coastal areas of the Gulf, seashells of Texas, oil spills in the marine environment, and biodiversity of the Gulf of Mexico, he was often asked to present to a variety of audiences. He was instrumental in developing not only the Harte Research Institute, but also founding the Center for Coastal Studies and pioneering the concept of co-locating environmental and natural resources agencies to the TAMUCC campus.
Dr. Tunnell was an educator at heart. During his career with the University, he taught 18 different courses. He worked closely with his associates and actively supported a wide range of environmental initiatives. In 1985 Dr. Tunnell was named the university's first Fulbright Scholar and in 1998 the first Regent's Professor. In 2007, he was recognized by the University as an Outstanding Research Scholar and in 2015 he was named Professor Emeritus.
An endowment, the "Dr. Wes Tunnell Gulf of Mexico Fellowship Program," was established in 2016 by the Harte Charitable Foundation to fund graduate student studies of the Gulf of Mexico and to honor Dr. Tunnell's longtime commitment to education and study of the Gulf. Visit the link below to contribute to the fellowship for future students.
Job Titles:
- Director of Texas OneGulf & Senior Research Scientist
- Director of Texas OneGulf & Senior Research Scientist / Research
- Expert
Kateryna (Katya) Wowk is an expert in using interdisciplinary approaches to mitigate coastal hazard risks and strengthen community resilience. At HRI, she is the Director of Texas OneGulf, a RESTORE Center of Excellence and partnership of nine institutions dedicated to advancing the long-term environmental and economic health of Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. She also is Co-Lead of the Regional Resilience Partnership, an initiative with the Coastal Bend Council of Governments and other partners working to strengthen the resilience of local communities to mitigate disaster risk. Prior to her position with HRI, Katya served in senior positions at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she led efforts related to Hurricane Sandy Recovery, National Ocean Policy, and the National Drought Resilience Partnership. Katya holds a PhD in International Marine Policy from the University of Delaware, a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science & Policy from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science in Ecology from Central Connecticut State University.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
- Graduate Research Assistant / Research
- Student in the Coastal and Marine
Kelley Savage is a PhD student in the Coastal and Marine System Science program working with HRI Chair for Coastal Conservation and Restoration, Dr. Jennifer Pollack. She earned a B.S. in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin and a M.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Her Master's thesis focused on salinity recommendations needed to regulate Perkinsus marinus in Texas oyster reefs. From 2017 to 2022, Kelley worked at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute as a Research Associate with NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve program. For her dissertation research she is assessing the blue carbon value of oyster reefs.
Kelley was born and raised in Texas. When Kelley is not researching oysters, she loves being outdoors, camping, traveling, and eating great food. Fun fact - for about six years she kept bees in Blanco, Texas and recently has taken up an interest in fly fishing.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Research Scientist
- Assistant Research Scientist / Research
- Assistant Research Scientist in the Center for Sportfish Science
Kesley Banks, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Scientist in the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She graduated from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi in December 2019 with a doctorate in marine biology. Under the mentorship of Dr. Greg Stunz, Kesley's dissertation focused on movement patterns and habitat use for fishery species of varying life history strategies, including Red Snapper and Shortfin Mako sharks. Her research interests include movement patterns, habitat-use, and population connectivity of sportfish with an emphasis in coastal migratory pelagic and highly migratory species.
Kesley came to HRI after earning her M.S. in Environmental Science (2015) from Troy University where, as the ALFA Research Fellow, she studied federally threatened freshwater mollusks and their sensitivity to various toxicants lacking U.S. EPA Water Quality Criteria. Kesley received her B.S. in Biology (2012) at the University of Tennessee at Martin where she studied the evolutionary relationships within the Millipede suborder Spirobolidea.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
- Graduate Research Assistant / Research
Job Titles:
- Postdoctoral Research Associate
Leslie Adams has been at the Harte Research Institute since 2006, first as a master's student in the Mariculture program and then as a research specialist in the Ecosystems and Modeling Analytical Lab for several years with HRI Chair Dr. Paul Montagna. She currently serves as the HRI Operations Manager.
Leslie obtained her bachelor's degree in Anthropology with a minor in Biology from The College of William and Mary in 1983. After graduation Leslie joined the Peace Corps and taught science in Botswana, Africa for three years, living in a village on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. Leslie has extensive research experience working at various marine labs including the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, the Guam Aquaculture and Development Center, the UC Davis Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory in California and Kona Blue (Formerly Black Pearl's Inc.) in Kona, Hawaii.
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Research Assistant
Linnea Balderson is an undergraduate at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi majoring in Accounting with a minor in Management Information Systems. She joined the Harte Research Institute during the Spring 2021 semester. Linnea assists with preparing, reconciling, and reporting p-card expenses for the institute.
Linnea grew up in Corpus Christi and graduated from Veterans Memorial High School. She hopes to one day get her MBA concentrating in Data Analytics & become a CPA certified accountant. Linnea's hobbies include spending time with family and friends, watching Korean dramas, and collecting plants.
Job Titles:
- HRI Chair for Coastal Ecosystem Processes
- HRI Chair for Coastal Ecosystem Processes / Research
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant & NOAA CCME Scholar
- Graduate Research Assistant & NOAA CCME Scholar / Research
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Associate Director / Research
Mrs. Carmen Osier, a U.S. Navy veteran, is the Associate Director for the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi. She works closely with the Senior Executive Director and provides accounting, budget development/management, and both pre- and post- sponsored research administrative support to the HRI researchers and staff. Carmen has been with the University since 2014. Prior to her position with HRI, she was an employee in the central office of sponsored research where she became skilled in post award administration and federal/state/local/private contract policies and regulations. She received both her Bachelors and Masters in Accounting from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Her graduate work focused on startup business ventures. Prior to Carmen receiving her degrees in accounting, her background was in healthcare administration.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Project Manager II
- Project Manager II / Research
Tasha Breaux is a Project Manager under Dr. Pollack. Tasha received a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida in 2009 and worked as a Fisheries Biologist in Louisiana before pursuing her M.S. in Marine Biology at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi (2017). Her research interests include benthic and restoration ecology, and the role of freshwater inflow and salinity change on estuarine ecosystems. Her current work includes a research project examining trophic dynamics in Baffin Bay, Texas using faunal community and stable isotope analyses.
Job Titles:
- Master
- Graduate Research Assistant
- Graduate Research Assistant / Research
Neina Chapa is a master's student in the Coastal and Marine System Science program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and she is working in Dr. Pollack's Coastal Conservation and Restoration Ecology lab. Her thesis project evaluates how a paired intertidal and subtidal oyster reef restoration approach can help ameliorate the effects of declining oyster populations and reestablish lost ecosystem services in St. Charles Bay, Texas. Results of this thesis will provide resource managers with a restoration technique that can more holistically improve oyster habitat provisions, invigorate economically viable fisheries, and sustain healthy ecological habitats.
Neina received her B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of South Florida- St. Petersburg, where she completed a National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates that investigated the physiological effects of extreme water temperatures on Caribbean coral species. Afterwards, she worked as a Fisheries Technician and Coral Restorationist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and The University of Hawaii. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling to obscure places in the U.S. and being out-hiked by her rescue dog Gypsy June.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant & NOAA CCME Scholar
Job Titles:
- HRI Chair for HydroEcology
- HRI Chair for HydroEcology / Research
Job Titles:
- Research Technician II
- Research Technician II / Research
Johnson, M.J., S.L. Diamond, and G.W. Stunz. 2015. External attachment of acoustic tags to deepwater reef fishes: an alternate approach when internal implantation affects experimental design. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 144: 851-859. doi:10.1080/00028487.2015.1042556.
Job Titles:
- Postdoctoral Research Associate
Job Titles:
- HRI Fellow & Associate Professor of English, Applied Linguistics
- HRI Fellow & Associate Professor of English, Applied Linguistics / Research
Job Titles:
- Furgason Fellowship International Chair for Coastal and Marine Studies in Cuba
- Furgason Fellowship International Chair for Coastal and Marine Studies in Cuba / Research
Education
Ph.D. Biological Sciences, University of Havana (2010)
M.S. Environment, Territorial Planning and Geographic Information Systems, University of Havana (2001)
B.S. Biology, University of Havana (1999)
Dr. González became the HRI International Chair for Coastal and Marine Studies in Cuba in 2017. She served as the Director of the Center of Marine Research at the University of Havana (CIM-UH) from 2014-2020, where she now continues as a faculty member and researcher in the Marine Ecology group. She is also an affiliate faculty member at the University of Vermont. Her research interests and specialties include: Community, population and individual level indicators for ecological research of coral reefs; Natural and anthropogenic impact on coral reefs; and Conservation and management of coastal ecosystems. She teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and her classes include: Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems; Marine Ecology; and Components and Processes of Coastal Ecosystems. She has participated in more than 15 past and current research projects; has published more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has served as the advisor for more than 15 graduate theses and dissertations. Dr. González is also a member of the CIM-UH Scientific Council; a member of CIM-UH Postgraduate University Council; head of the MS and PhD Programs in Marine Biology and Aquaculture at the University of Havana; a member of the IBERMAR network; and a member of National Oceanographic Committee of Cuba.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Research Scientist
- Assistant Research Scientist / Research
- Assistant Research Scientist in the Coastal Conservation
Terry Palmer is an Assistant Research Scientist in the Coastal Conservation and Restoration laboratory. Terry has a diverse range of research interests; however most involve studying the effects of anthropogenic changes on water quality and benthic organisms. Terry is involved in all of Dr. Pollack's projects, which include comparing the ecosystem functions of oyster restoration types, and comparing food webs on oyster reefs and offshore oil and gas platforms (among others). Terry has over fifteen years of experience investigating the effects of freshwater inflows on estuarine water quality and benthos along the length of the Texas coast and on both of Florida's coasts. He has also been involved in marine and terrestrial environmental monitoring at McMurdo Station, Antarctica for twelve years. Terry's large skillset enables him to conduct a wide range of activities ranging from polar scientific diving to conducting statistics and writing manuscripts. Prior to moving to Texas, Terry was involved in environmental monitoring in his homeland of New Zealand where he worked as a Hydrology Technician and a marine ecology Research Assistant.
Job Titles:
- HRI Chair for Ecosystem Science & Modeling
- HRI Chair for Ecosystem Science & Modeling / Research