WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute (UCI) will host the 10th Annual Champions of the Ocean Awards Luncheon and Ocean Future Symposium on Thursday, October 30, in historic Wilson Hall.
The proceeds from this year’s awards luncheon will support a $5 million Marine Science and Policy Initiative Challenge Grant, which will have a transformative impact on the breadth and depth of Monmouth University’s marine projects and programs.
Two national leaders – and New Jersey natives – will be Monmouth University’s Ocean Champion honorees and Symposium presenters this year. They are Kathy Sullivan, Ph.D., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Wendy Schmidt, president of The Schmidt Family Foundation and the co-founder the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) at Stanford University.
In addition to being a distinguished scientist and oceanographer, Sullivan is the first American woman to walk in space and flew three shuttle missions during her 15-year tenure at NASA.
Schmidt works to advance the development of renewable energy, and wiser use of oceans and other natural resources. The foundation supports more than 150 nonprofit organizations in program areas including climate energy, ecological agriculture, human rights, and its maritime connection.
The theme of this year’s symposium is “New Horizons: Ocean Health, Research and Exploration.”
The Champion of the Ocean Award was established in 2005 to honor individuals who have undertaken actions and demonstrated sustained leadership in advancing a future in which coasts and oceans are clean, safe, sustainably managed, and preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. Previous winners of the National Ocean Champion Award include: Admiral Thad Allen; environmental scientist and advocate professor Jesse Huntley Ausubel, ocean scientist and advocate Jean-Michael Cousteau; ocean advocate Carl Safina, Ph.D.; the Honorable Leon Panetta and Admiral James Watkins, among others.
Monmouth University received the $5 million Challenge Grant from an anonymous donor who has committed $3 million to support UCI’s Marine Science & Policy Initiative. Monmouth University must secure commitments for an additional $2 million by Dec. 31. The challenge grant will increase scholarship and research opportunities for students, enhance UCI’s collaboration with local communities, and solidify critical partnerships.
The goal of the initiative is to significantly enhance the capacity of Monmouth University to conduct needed research and policy analysis, enhance student experience in and out of the classroom, and support community stewardship of coastal and ocean ecosystems.
To register for the symposium or purchase a ticket for the awards luncheon, contact Danica Simmons at dsimmons@monmouth.edu or register online at http://bit.ly/1ryAT6j.
Additional information about the Champions of the Ocean Awards Luncheon and Ocean Future Symposium is available by contacting Tony MacDonald, director of the Urban Coast Institute, at 732-263-5392 or amacdona@monmouth.edu. More information about the Marine Science and Policy Initiative Challenge Grant is available by contacting Beth Brody, director of leadership programs, at 732-571-3617 or bbrody@monmouth.edu.
