Gretchen joined the Lake Champlain Sea Grant in February 2024 after two years managing grants within UVM’s College of Medicine. As the Financial and Research Coordinator, Gretchen oversees financial administration and monitoring for the Lake Champlain Sea Grant, the Vermont Water Resources and Lake Studies Center, and the Northeastern States Research Cooperative. Additionally, she develops and manages research competitions for work within the Lake Champlain basin. In addition to her previous grant management work, Gretchen has 20 years’ experience as a wildlife ecologist, working primarily with birds. She received her PhD from West Virginia University where she studied Cerulean Warblers, and her M.S. from the University of Georgia, where she studied wetland birds. Prior to that, Gretchen received her B.S. in 2002 from UVM’s School of Natural Resources—now Rubenstein. When she isn’t working, you can find Gretchen birding, gardening with her husband, and hanging out with their mastiff and four cats.