Lake Champlain Sea Grant Welcomes Jessie Curl as Communications Lead & Program Specialist

By Gretchen Nareff
March 23, 2026

Lake Champlain Sea Grant is pleased to welcome Jessie Curl, who joined the team in February 2026 as our new Lead Communicator and Program Specialist. In this role, Jessie supports communications for Lake Champlain Sea Grant, ecoNEWS Vermont, the Vermont Water Resources and Lake Studies Center, and the Northeastern States Research Cooperative. Her work includes managing websites, producing outreach materials, coordinating social media and newsletters, responding to press inquiries, federal reporting, and overseeing both local and national fellowship programs. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Jessie Curl to the Lake Champlain Sea Grant team. Jessie brings fantastic professional experience with water-related communications, event planning, extension, and research, and we are lucky to have lured her north from Alabama. Lake Champlain Sea Grant is already benefiting from Jessie’s insights and new ideas,” noted Lake Champlain Sea Grant Director Anne Jefferson.

Jessie joins us from the Auburn University Water Resources Center, where she spent five years leading a statewide Extension program serving communities relying on private wells for drinking water. She also contributed to Center reporting and served as the lead organizer of the annual Alabama Water Resources Conference. 

Jessie earned her master’s degree studying the ecological history of the Weeks Bay Estuary in south Alabama. Using paleo‑environmental techniques, she explored how land management decisions shape aquatic ecosystems over time by analyzing estuarine and wetland sediment cores. 

“What I love about this work,” Jessie explains, “is how much you can uncover from just a few cores of mud. Each layer tells part of a story, and piecing it together feels a little like being an archaeologist. Ultimately, my goal is for this research to support more informed land management strategies and strengthen the long‑term resilience of aquatic systems.” She looks forward to bringing this perspective and learning more about Lake Champlain. 

“I am inspired by the work of Lake Champlain Sea Grant and am honored to help communicate the research and programs supported by such a remarkable team. I knew I was home as soon as I stepped into Vermont, and I look forward to learning all about this state (and the birds).” 

Outside of work, Jessie enjoys birding, road biking, crafting, and exploring the outdoors. She is excited to experience the natural beauty of Vermont and become part of the community. 

Jessie can be contacted at jncurl [at] uvm.edu.