USGS National Wetlands Research Center: NWRC Executive Management Team

NWRC Executive Management Team

Gregory J. Smith is Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wetlands Research Center, headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana. He leads a talented team of professionals who are responsible for personnel with a mix of scientific and technical skills.

Gaye S. Farris is the Information Branch Chief. As IB Chief, Farris is tasked with meeting the information needs of the Center by providing information technology and telecommunications services, publishing support, an education and outreach program, and a research library.

Dolores J. Richardson, Administrative Officer, manages NWRC’s administrative and facilities functions including acquisitions, contracts, budget, finance, facilities, fleet operations, human resources, and the Center’s laboratories.

Carroll L. Cordes is the Forest Ecology Branch Chief. Scientists and staff within this branch conduct research and monitoring studies to determine the ecological structure, functions, and values of forested wetlands and effective practices for their restoration.

Scott A. Wilson, Spatial Analysis Branch Chief, works with personnel focused on providing maps, remote-sensing research, and geographic information systems that show changes in habitat structure across many landscapes, why these habitats are changing, and what the future holds. NWRC has the largest geographic information systems in government dealing with the loss of coastal wetlands.

Thomas W. Doyle is the Wetlands Ecology Branch Chief. Scientists and staff conduct research related to restoration of coastal marshes and prairies, the ecological processes that drive loss and restoration of wetlands, the effects of large-scale storms such as hurricanes, and the effects of global change, particularly sea-level rise.

Jack B. Waide, Program Coordinator for Conservation Science, develops research programs with other Federal agencies. He works with NWRC partners in the USDA National Resources Conservation Service and the USEPA to develop programs for the lower Mississippi River Valley.

Virginia Van Sickle Burkett is the Chief Scientist for Global Change Research at the U.S. Geological Survey. Information on USGS Global Change Science is available on the USGS Web site.

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