Eric Sparks
Director
Eric serves as the Director of the Mississippi Sound Estuary Program as well as Coastal and Marine Extension for Mississippi State University and dually as the Assistant Director of Outreach and Coastal Ecology Specialist for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. In these roles he conducts a variety of research and extension activities across broad range of topics, but specializes in living shorelines, coastal ecology, marine debris, and environmental stewardship. In his spare time, he enjoys anything outdoors and spending time with his wife, son, and daughter.
Carley Zapfe
Community Engagement Coordinator
Carley dreamed of being a marine biologist after a snorkeling trip as a kid left her with a love of marine invertebrates. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Biological Science and certification in Marine Biology from Florida State University, Carley moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2010 to obtain her master’s degree in Coastal Sciences from the University of Southern Mississippi focusing on larval decapod taxonomy. She has worked on several projects along the northern Gulf of America including the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Most recently Carley was part of the opening crew of Mississippi Aquarium and served as the Assistant Manager of Visitor Programs where she worked to connect the public with the science world she knows and loves. Carley is excited to work with the community to protect our resources and grow engagement with the Mississippi Sound.
Evelyn McQueen
Education Coordinator
As a long-time resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Evelyn’s love for the area is rooted deeply. While earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Western Governors University, many of her research assignments explored natural living and the environment. This ultimately led her to the decision to earn her master’s degree in environmental science from Louisiana State University. She has five years of experience as a high school chemistry teacher and retains her education license. She completed her master’s thesis on Microplastic Abundance in the northern Gulf of America and looks forward to continuing her research with Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center.
Sara Martin
Science Coordinator
Sara became infatuated with coastal wetlands by spending time in the bayous surrounding New Orleans, LA while growing up. This led her to obtain a B.S. and M.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Alabama with a focus on wetland plant communities. Since completing her master’s thesis on a restored wetland in the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in coastal Alabama, Sara has helped to develop and lead the successful Living Shoreline Technical Assistance Program with the Coastal Conservation and Restoration group at Mississippi State University. She is excited to use this experience to coordinate the science program with the Mississippi Sound Estuary Program.
Affiliations: Program Manager, Mississippi State University; Wetland Specialist, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium
Erin Wallace
Communications Coordinator
Erin’s passion for nature and people was influenced by her upbringing in northern Mississippi, where she spent most of her time exploring the nature around her. This motivated her to pursue a degree in Public Relations at Mississippi State University, where she focused on environmental topics in her writing assignments. After graduation, she relocated to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where she gained a diverse set of skills by working with various businesses. Erin is enthusiastic about utilizing her website design, social media management, graphic design, and logo design skills to curate compelling content that educates the community on significant issues regarding the Mississippi Sound.
Kim Cressman
Water Quality Coordinator
Kim grew up outside St. Louis, MO. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biology and master’s degrees in Marine Biology and Applied Statistics. She has extensive experience with water quality monitoring in a variety of freshwater and coastal ecosystems in the southeastern US, and has also spent time working in environmental education and science communication. Kim is dedicated to ensuring the collection of high-quality, well-documented data, and turning that data into information to be used for effective coastal resource management. She is excited to work with a wide variety of people to understand and enhance Mississippi Sound water quality.
Qiyamah Williams
Community Resilience Coordinator
Qiyamah Williams is a Community Resilience Specialist with the Program for Local Adaptation to Climate Effects (PLACE) at Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research and Extension Center. Since 2022, Qiyamah has worked along the Gulf coast to build collaboration between researchers and coastal decision-makers to address environmental and climate hazards. Her work focuses on community relationship building and technical support for resilience planning and actions. Qiyamah received her bachelor’s degree in marine science from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and her master’s degree in Marine Biology from Northeastern University.
Andrew Medhurst
Civic Engagement Coordinator
Andrew is a Coastal Resilience Specialist with the Program for Local Adaptation to Changing Environments (PLACE) at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center. His work focuses on conducting extension and outreach activities related to the transition and translation of climate science and resilience policies for coastal decision making along the Gulf Coast. Andrew is originally from Southwest Florida, working in the ecotourism industry as a licensed captain before serving with the United States Peace Corps in the Philippines as a Coastal Resource Manager. After returning to the U.S. Andrew moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast where he worked as a coastal biologist with the National Audubon Society before joining Mississippi State University in 2022. He received a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Environmental Studies from Florida Gulf Coast University, an M.S. in Environmental Science from Florida Atlantic University, and a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University.
Mandy Rigsby
Wildlife Coordinator
Mandy Rigsby is an Environmental Stewardship Specialist and ecologist with Coastal Conservation and Restoration at the MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center. Mandy coordinates the Coastal Chapter of the Mississippi Master Naturalist Program and leads various community science projects pertaining to wildlife monitoring and conservation. She is on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Bat Working Group and she currently leads research efforts on bat ecology and monitoring across the Mississippi coast in an effort to enhance bat conservation. She received her B.S. in Marine Biology from Southeast Missouri State University, and her M.S. in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture from Mississippi State University.
Kaylin Bruening
Stewardship and Outreach Assistant
An alumna of the University of South Alabama, Kaylin Bruening is a biologist with deep roots on the Mississippi coast. At MSU’s CCR program, she supports coastal restoration efforts by growing marsh grasses through the Native Plant Producer Network and by promoting the use of native plants in home and community landscapes.
With previous experience under the National Audubon Society and the National Park Service, she now also serves as the state coordinator for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. Through her work in conservation, she enjoys documenting the beauty of the area to encourage others to get involved in its protection
Affiliate Staff
Alison Rellinger
Ali Rellinger is an extension instructor in the department of Human Sciences at Mississippi State University leading the PLACE:SLR coastal climate resilience program. She’s located at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, MS. Ali has a dual appointment with the coastal resilience team at the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. Since 2018 Ali has worked with the PLACE:SLR team in a variety of roles with a special focus on climate education and literacy for audiences of all ages before becoming program director in 2023.
Ali has B.A. in Biology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a M.S. in Marine Sciences from the University of South Alabama (USA) and is finishing a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences at USA in 2023. Her graduate research focused on the biogeochemistry of the polar regions, launching a broader interest in climate change related issues. She also taught biology, environmental science and oceanography at the Alabama School of Math and Science for 6.5 years. In addition to these rolls, she has a variety of experience in small non-profits and municipal government giving her broad knowledge into the needs of a variety of stakeholders.
Marcus Drymon
Associate Extension Professor, MSU
I am a fisheries ecologist whose research focuses on the ecological role of sharks in coastal ecosystems. Most of my work takes place in the northern Gulf of America, an ecosystem with an exciting diversity of sharks, skates and rays. I lead the Marine Fisheries Ecology group at Mississippi State University, a team focused on providing science-based solutions to common issues affecting commercial and recreational fishermen in the northern Gulf of America. Ultimately, we strive to work alongside stakeholders from all sectors to ensure the fishery resources we depend on are sustained for future generations.
Holley Muraco, PhD
Coastal ONE Health Assistant Research Professor
I’m excited to be building a multidisciplinary and collaborative Coastal ONE Health program in Mississippi. One of my primary objectives is to study mammals, such as bottlenose dolphins, as indicators for environmental health. Dolphins are frequently the first to show signs of poor water quality and catch many of the same diseases as humans. Understanding dolphin health and the environmental factors they face directly impacts human health and wellbeing. What I love most about One Health initiatives is the ability to help people understand how they are connected to wildlife and the importance of maintaining natural ecosystems. In my spare time I love spending time with my husband and two sons at our rural property in Kiln, Mississippi where we manage a small animal rescue including raising, rehabbing and releasing orphan North American Beavers.
Jonathan Pitchford
Assistant Extension Professor (Mississippi State University); Stewardship Coordinator (Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve)
Jonathan joined the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR) team in 2016 and Mississippi State University (MSU) Coastal Marine Extension Program in 2023. Jonathan is working at MSU to establish a program in Coastal Upland Restoration and Ecology to help restore imperiled pine savanna and flatwoods habitats that were historically very common across the southeastern U.S. He also works closely with Stewardship and Research staff at the GNDNERR to understand long-term changes in estuarine marsh and to restore and monitor the effects of restoration in aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Mark Woodrey
Assistant Research Professor/Avian & Coastal Ecologist
Mark Woodrey’s passion for nature and birds blossomed during his early years. By the age of 10, he was actively seeking out birds on foot or bicycle, exploring trails, and scaling rocks in state parks near his hometown. At just 12 years old, he started banding birds, igniting his interest in avian studies. His birdwatching adventures have taken him from his small Ohio town to Sweden. Residing in Mississippi for nearly 25 years, he is captivated by the wildlife and bird populations along the Gulf of America coast. In addition to spearheading a long-term bird ecology and conservation initiative for the Gulf region, Mark has researched various topics, including Neotropical landbird migration and Swallow-tailed Kite nesting habits. His current focus with the MSU Coastal Avian Ecology Lab is to gather scientific data to enhance our understanding of birdlife in the Gulf region, guide land management decisions, and support nationwide bird conservation efforts.
