The Water Institute of the Gulf Welcomes New Team Members

Baton Rouge, La. — The Water Institute of the Gulf continues to show growth with the addition of five talented new professionals. Since January, the Institute has hired five new team members to support Institute programs and to build capacity within the organization. The addition of Andrea Jerabek, Man Liang, Ph.D., Katja Löffler, Chincie Mouton, and Sequoia Riley will strengthen the Institute’s efforts in providing independent research and technical support to ensure resilient coasts and sustainable water systems worldwide.

Andrea Jerabek is a research associate with the Institute’s Coastal Ecology program. Her research experience prior to joining the Institute involved developing a method for extended herbivore exclusion experiments in the Gulf of Mexico and analyzing lionfish distributions in long-term study sites in Biscayne National Park. Jerabek earned a master’s degree in Marine Biology from Northeastern University’s Three Seas Program and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from State University of New York at Geneseo.

Man Liang, Ph.D. works as a research scientist with the Institute’s Natural Systems Modeling program. Dr. Liang has nearly 10 years of experience in developing and applying numerical models for coastal morphodynamic systems. She received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities, and a bachelor’s degree in Information and Computing Sciences from Peking University in China.

Katja Löffler is a data manager with the Institute. Löffler previously worked at Louisiana State University (LSU), where she was responsible for administering a research database used by the coastal community. In addition to managing databases and web servers, she delivered real-time forecasts of Hurricane Gustav to the State Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness through her involvement with LSU's Coastal Emergency Risk Assessment Center. Löffler earned a master’s degree in Computer Science from Free University of Berlin, Germany and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Technical University of Chemnitz, Germany. 

Chincie Mouton is a communications associate with the Institute’s Planning, Coordination, and Outreach team. Mouton has nearly five years of experience in developing and implementing communications, marketing, and outreach strategies within the science and engineering industry. Prior to joining the Institute, she worked with HNTB Corporation and served as a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s Paths to Progress program. Mouton earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at LSU.

Sequoia Riley serves as a research associate with the Institute’s People, Resources, and Technology program. Riley’s experience prior to joining the Institute includes teaching and leading undergraduate chemistry lab courses at Texas A&M University-Galveston, where she also earned her master’s degree in Marine Resource Management. Her core study areas were coastal resilience planning, environmental administration, marine biological resources, and geographic information systems (GIS). Riley graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University.