After two decades as director of the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI), Tony MacDonald will step down on Nov. 1 and transition to a new role as a senior ocean policy fellow. UCI Associate Director Tom Herrington will serve as acting director while the University commences a national search for MacDonald’s replacement.
When the UCI was launched in 2005, MacDonald was hired as its inaugural director. At the time, the University sought to take advantage of the opportunity presented by Monmouth’s location just one mile from the ocean, establishing a degree in marine and environmental biology and policy and recognizing the potential for a new policy research center focused on interactions between humans and the coastal and ocean environment. The UCI has since grown into a national leader in areas including marine science and policy, ocean planning, and coastal resilience, and is well positioned to continue that work.
A native of New Jersey who spent summers in Avon-by-the-Sea, MacDonald returned to the Jersey Shore to launch the UCI after over three decades as a marine and environmental policy attorney in Washington. D.C., and New York City. In his new role, MacDonald will continue his ocean policy work while providing advice and support to UCI and the University.
MacDonald expanded what started as an organization with two employees into a team of a dozen dedicated professionals with expertise in marine science and policy areas, while expanding external collaboration and partnerships. The UCI has attracted extensive donor support and millions of dollars in research funding to Monmouth for projects that have made important impacts on coastal communities and provided opportunities for students to gather real-world field experience. Some of the initiatives started by MacDonald that will live on and sustain the UCI’s core work and mission include:
- The annual Future of the Ocean Symposium and Champion of the OceanAwards, that brings national and international leaders to campus.
- The Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars Program and other UCI funding streams that have provided 50 faculty enrichment grants and supported over 300 student research positions and 100 projects, helping launch careers and inspire the next generation of ocean leaders.
- The transfer, refurbishment and naming of the R/V Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe, which provides an essential platform to support student and faculty research
- Development of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal, a free and publicly accessible GIS platform containing over 6,000 maps depicting ocean uses and natural features at sea.
- Four UCI endowed student scholarships, including the MacDonald Family UCI Endowed Scholarship.
You can celebrate the UCI’s 20th anniversary and assure its continued growth by making an online contribution and joining us at the Future of the Ocean Symposium and Champion of the Ocean Awards Luncheon, which will be held at Monmouth University’s Great Hall on Oct. 9.