President

Amy Williams, PhD

Amy Williams, PhD is a marine science educator with research interests in coastal resiliency, living shorelines, natural and nature-based features, community outreach and stakeholder collaboration, public participation, ecological economics and GIS/LiDAR analysis.  Since 2019, Amy has taught marine biology and aquatic ecology at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science(MATES) in the Ocean County Vocational Technical School District.  She also serves as an adjunct professor at Rowan College at South Jersey, and previously taught at both Ocean County College and Burlington County College.  Amy has previously held a post-doctorate position at the Davidson Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology studying coastal ecology and simultaneously served as the Coastal Ecosystems extension agent at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium.  During her tenure at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, Amy engaged coastal communities and built partnerships that helped her reach thousands of NJ’s citizens to increase stewardship of marine and coastal resources.  She developed the popular Sharks vs. Rip Currents presentation and Jeopardy-style game that promoted safe ocean swimming practices while learning about a captivating marine species (sharks).

Amy is passionate about the ocean environment and serves on a number of community boards, including the New Jersey Marine Education Association and the New Jersey Resource Project. She is a volunteer for the New Jersey Organizing Project, a member of the science committee at Long Beach Island Foundation of Arts and Sciences and a past president of Alliance for a Living Ocean. She has also served as volunteer coordinator for American Shore & Beach Preservation Association’s annual Coastal Conference and secretary of Passport to LBI.

When she is not working or donating her time and expertise, Amy can be found at the beach or on the water paddle boarding with her beloved Golden Doodle, Taylor Ham.

SECRETARY - Jenny Shinn
Rutgers University, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory

Jenny Shinn earned a B.S. in Marine Science from Richard Stockton College and an M.S. in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University. She has been working at the Haskin Shellfish Research Lab (HSRL), Rutgers University in various capacities since 2009 and is currently a Field Researcher III. In that role, she coordinates field and community outreach K-12+ programs, leads habitat monitoring programs, assists with living shoreline projects, shellfish pathology research and promotes aquaculture literacy through workforce development projects. Outside of work, Jenny can be found enjoying the outdoors with her family.