Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen

Science Integrator
UMCES Annapolis Office

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429 4th Street
Annapolis, MD 21403

Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen

Science Integrator
UMCES Annapolis Office

Dr. Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen is a Science Integrator with the Integration and Application Network and an associate faculty of the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science Graduate Program. Her current interest is in transdisciplinary approaches, socio-environmental assessments, socio-environmental justice, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive environmental governance. Vanessa is originally from the Philippines and has extensive experience in molecular biology and marine science, specializing in microbial communities and molecular processes associated with Harmful Algal Blooms and shrimp, corals, and human diseases. She has since shifted her focus on how science can benefit society and was conferred with the first Ph.D. under the new Environment and Society foundation of the MEES graduate program. Her dissertation used ethnographic approaches to investigate the role of socio-environmental report cards in transdisciplinary collaboration and adaptive governance for a sustainable future. She received academic training from the University of the Philippines (BSc; MSc) and the University of Maryland (MSc; PhD). She is involved in developing holistic socio-environmental assessments for complex systems such as the Mississippi River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds and is coordinating a multi-year international transdisciplinary research consortium involving the US, Norway, Philippines, Japan, and India.


Education:

  • BS Molecular and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines
  • MS Marine Science, University of the Philippines
  • MS Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science - Environmental Biotechnology, University of Maryland
  • PhD Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science - Environment and Society, University of Maryland

Fellowship:

  • National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center Graduate Research Fellow

BROWSE ALL

2023

Tropical scorecard in central Philippines (MARCH)

2022

Online professional certificate in environmental management for sustainability (JANUARY)

2021

New online course available (NOVEMBER)

Developing a framework for an Environmental Justice Index in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (JULY)

Professional Certificate in Environmental Management for Sustainability courses (MAY)

Subscribe to the COAST Card Research Consortium newsletter (MAY)

Subscribe to the COAST Card Research Consortium newsletter (APRIL)

COAST Card Research Consortium releases first newsletter (MARCH)

Professional certificate opportunity and environmental management course now available online (MARCH)

COAST Card international partnership continues to grow (FEBRUARY)

Professional certificate opportunity and environmental management course now available online (FEBRUARY)

COAST Card project launched (JANUARY)

2020

Professional Certificate in Science for Environmental Management (DECEMBER)

Kicking off the COAST Card project (NOVEMBER)

RiverTalk by Dr Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen (SEPTEMBER)

RiverTalk by Dr Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen (AUGUST)

COMING SOON: online River Academy science communication training course (JULY)

The COAST Card project received a virtual kick-off (JULY)

IAN's staff continues to grow and evolve (JUNE)

Developing new international report cards (APRIL)

Developing new international report cards (MARCH)

Revamping the Chesapeake Bay Report Card (FEBRUARY)

2019

Belmont Forum Newsletters released (NOVEMBER)

Quezon City, Phillipines (AUGUST)

Portland, Oregon (APRIL)

BROWSE ALL

2022

Advancing the Patuxent River Watershed (PATUXENT RIVER - CHESAPEAKE BAY)

2021

Expanding the Texas Coast Ecosystem Health Report Card (TEXAS COAST - GULF OF MEXICO)

Coastal Ocean Assessment for Sustainability and Transformation (COAST Card) (CHESAPEAKE BAY, MANILA BAY, PHILIPPINES - ASIA, TOKYO BAY, JAPAN - ASIA, SEKISEI LAGOON, JAPAN - ASIA, GOA COAST, INDIA - ASIA)

2020

edX Professional Certificate in Environmental Management for Sustainability (WORLDWIDE)

Translating USGS Science Into Management Products (CHESAPEAKE BAY)

2018

UMCES Institutional Assessment (MARYLAND - CHESAPEAKE BAY)

2016

Belmont Forum workshop facilitation, support, and communication (WORLDWIDE)

2015

Upper Potomac Headwaters Report Card 2015 (POTOMAC RIVER - CHESAPEAKE BAY)

2014

WWF UMCES Partnership (ORINOCO RIVER - SOUTH AMERICA, RIO GRANDE - SOUTHWEST, KAFUE - AFRICA, TUUL RIVER - MONGOLIA)

MEES Courses (CHESAPEAKE BAY)

2013

Ecosystem Health Report Card for Laguna de Bay, Philippines (LAGUNA DE BAY - PHILIPPINES)

Development of the Mississippi River Watershed Report Card (MISSISSIPPI RIVER - GULF OF MEXICO)

2005

IAN Science Communication Courses (USA - NORTH AMERICA)