Interim director named for Michigan Sea Grant

ANN ARBOR—George R. Carignan, managing director of the Institute for Environmental Science, Engineering and Technology in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan, will serve as interim director for the Michigan Sea Grant College Program.

Michigan Sea Grant is one of 29 university-based programs in a national network that promotes greater knowledge and stewardship of the Great Lakes and ocean resources. In his role as Michigan Sea Grant interim director, Carignan will oversee a program which funds 16 research projects and numerous outreach activities related to such topics as sustainable coastal development, fisheries, coastal wetlands, Great Lakes education, trophic change, exotic species and marine engineering.

“His past administrative experience as associate dean for research, his leadership in the environmental thrusts of the College, and his familiarity with the Sea Grant program make George an ideal choice,” said Gary Was, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering. “We’re absolutely delighted. He has my full support to guide the program.”

Carignan served as the associate dean for graduate education and research in the College of Engineering in 1991-99, during which time he was also a member of the Michigan Sea Grant Policy Committee. In addition to managing the environmental programs in the College of Engineering, Carignan is a professor and research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences. He serves or has served on numerous national advisory panels in space research and engineering and has published more than 70 papers on experimental space and planetary science. In June 1997, Carignan received the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for his work on the Galileo Probe Planetary Mass Spectrometer.

Carignan succeeds Russell Moll, who is now director of California Sea Grant. Carignan
University officials have launched a national search for a permanent director of Michigan Sea Grant. The job posting is available on the Internet at http://www.umich.edu/~jobs/current/postings/T-00-12568-SO.html

Michigan Sea Grant is a joint program of the U-M and Michigan State University. Michigan Sea Grant is funded in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce.)

George R. CarignanGary WasDepartment of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Scienceshttp://www.umich.edu/~jobs/current/postings/T-00-12568-SO.htmlNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration