Gulf Oil Spill Lessons & Career Advice – Dr. Rita Colwell

Dec 20, 2016

Energy is the lifeblood of the economy. Where it we get it from matters, though. With several oil and gas folks set to take top posts in the new administration, it's important to talk with one of the top people who was a liaison between BP and the clean up, from a scientific side: Rita Colwell, Ph.D, with too many top scientific roles to list.

One of the first calls after the catastrophic BP Oil Spill blanketed the previously-pristine Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 20110 came in to Dr. Rita Colwell, renowned microbiologist and oceanographer, former head of the National Science, and now a leader at the University of Maryland. She was tasked with building the10-year BP-funded, independent initiative to study the spill’s impact, and no one was better suited.

In this enlightening interview with Green Connections Host Joan Michelson, Dr. Colwell explains:

• how independent the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative really is,
• the uniqueness of their business model, and
• what their extensive research by diverse teams of scientists is teaching us about:
  • how to clean up the spill,
  • the impact on marine ecosystem and marine life,
  • and other discoveries that are enhancing our understanding and management of marine life and/or climate change-related environmental consequences.

She also offers terrific career advice from her own experience – as a mentor, a mentee and a leader always pushing the boundaries of innovation via science.

Read my Hufington Post blog on this here, which includes the trailer of the new documentary about their work, ”Dispatches from the Gulf,” just released on the sixth anniversary of the spill.

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