Please join us in welcoming Rae Quadara (she/her) to the MS-CC as the assistant director for the Climate Science Program! Rae’s first day with the MS-CC was Monday, March 11, 2024.
Rae is responsible for continuing to develop the new MS-CC climate science-focused program (funded through a supplement to award NSF OAC #2234326). The program kicks off this summer with an undergraduate student internship at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and will include other programming and efforts focused on utilizing cyberinfrastructure for climate science research for HBCUs and TCUs.
Rae’s work is rooted in inclusive mentorship, mindful reflections, and creating a sense of belonging in STEAM fields. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Equity and Belonging Committee for the National Marine Educators Association and is the Steering Committee Community Director for the Society for Women in Marine Science. In 2023, she was selected as part of the Inaugural Cohort for the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Inclusive Leadership Program.
Rae is based in the Gulf Coast area of Mississippi with her spouse and their two dogs (Bibingka and Waffle). In her free time, Rae creates ocean-themed art, jewelry, and sewn gifts using secondhand, deadstock, or vintage finds. Rae attributes the transdisciplinary nature of work to her intersecting identities and experience as a biologist, artist, educator, woman of color, person living with chronic illnesses, and more! Rae can be reached at rquadara@internet2.edu. Please join us in welcoming Rae to our MS-CC community!
In her most recent role, she was a marine education project manager supporting the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute HBCU Partnership and developing the Ocean Explorers Internship Program at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Marine Education Center.
Rae studied at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, earning a degree in biological sciences with a marine biology and conservation concentration. After graduation, she received a specialized certificate in sustainability and behavior change from the University of California, San Diego Extended Studies.