Chelsie A. Shaff
B.S. Environmental Management
MSc Coastal & Marine Environments
Phone: 540-***-****
Email: **************@*****.***
*** **** ****** *****, **********, VA 22603
Education
B.S. Environmental Management JANUARY 2016
Columbia Southern University
Major Incorporates: Environmental Law, Environmental Science, Environmental Assessment, Environmental Issues, Environmental Strategies, Air Quality, Waste Management, Hazardous Waste Management, Pollution Prevention, Interactions of Hazardous Materials, Toxicology, Risk Management
MSc Coastal and Marine Environments NOVEMBER 2017
National University of Ireland, Galway
Class Representative
Graduated with Honors
90 total credit hours
Major Incorporates: Coastal Processes and Landforms, Field and Laboratory Methods, Marine Spatial Policy and Planning, Coastal hazards, Coastal Risk and Resilience, Biodiversity in the Coastal Zone, Environment & Health, Reconstructing the Marine Environment, Quaternary Coastal Change, Personal Dissertation
Thesis: The ability of local ecological knowledge to identify suitable habitats for Salmo salar and Margaritifera margaritifera: A case study of the Owenriff River catchment system Key Skills
Excellent communication and problem solving
skills
High level of professionalism
Great research capabilities
Field and Laboratory experience
Impeccable organizational skills & Creative and
innovative thinking skills
Experience with basic accounting functions
Time management
Efficiency with Microsoft Office programs
Web design & Social Media development and use
(Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Hootsuite, Youtube,
etc.)
Ability to strive in an isolated setting or be a team player
GIS Mapping
Presentation stills and ease of speaking in front of others
Ability to create vibrant visual presentations and project aids
Training & Certifications
Certifications
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) (Seafood Safety Certified 2013), Seafood HACCP Alliance
CPR and First Aid Certified (2012), Blue Ridge Community College
Customer Service Certified (2010), NRF Foundation
Atlantic Ocean Climate Scholars Programme (2016), National University of Ireland Galway Training
Jellyfish Plant Inspection- Mar 2014- toured plant with Sandy Shepherd and Chad McCord to gain knowledge of the importance and firsthand visual of HACCP in place in the seafood industry
Chicken of the Sea Plant Inspection- Mar 2014- toured plant with Sandy Shepherd and Chad McCord to gain knowledge of the importance and firsthand visual of HACCP in place in the seafood industry
Marex-SG Time Management Skills- Apr 2014- workshop for faculty and staff that was geared to build time management skills, group cohesiveness and trust
Project and Development Workshop- May 2014- workshop designed to collaborate on the importance of feasibility studies, overall campaign donors, and campaign design in projects that require major funding
Atlantic Ocean Climate Scholars Programme- September 2016- week-long workshop aimed to bridge the gap between ocean sciences and climate change taught by renowned scientists from interdisciplinary subjects from all over Europe. The class consisted of in-class lectures, practical’s and field trips.
Coastal Methods Fieldwork Workshop- October 2016- Included introduction to GIS beach mapping, collection of sediment samples and in-lab analysis
RV Celtic Explorer Field and Laboratory Methods- October 2016- mapped route, collected samples and then created in-depth final reports of information we found while on our four-day research cruise
Advanced Lab Training- October 2016- introduction to the measurement of phytoplankton biomass using the fluorometric method, analysis of water nutrients collected while on a research cruise particularly the phosphate and nitrate using a flow injection analyzer
Video Editing – October 2016 – introduction to cutting clips from personal videos and how to compile them into constructive ways. This workshop was part of a series of workshops created specifically for graduate students moving into the professional world and giving new ideas for showcasing personal research.
Presenting with PowerPoint – October 2016 – introduction to presenting and PowerPoint design, content and edict. This workshop was part of a series of workshops created specifically for graduate students moving into the professional world and giving new ideas for showcasing personal research.
Creating a Research Poster – October 2016 – introduction to creating a well informed and professional research poster. This workshop was part of a series of workshops created specifically for graduate students moving into the professional world and giving new ideas for showcasing personal research.
Interview and Focus Group Skills – November 2016 – introduction on logistics associated with interviews in an academic setting. This workshop was part of a series of workshops created specifically for graduate students moving into the professional world and giving new ideas for showcasing personal research.
Basic Statistical Analysis – November 2016 – thorough analysis of data using SPSS & Excel
Core Opening Lab – October 2016 – opening of sediment cores taken while on board a research vessel training. Cores were brought into the lab where we cut, sorted and archived sediment cores while also taking thorough notes in description of the sediment taken at different stations via the cruise.
GIS (Geographic Information System) Training Workshops – November 2016 - general introduction to GIS and creating original maps as well as one-on-one guided training in creating specific maps for our own personal research projects.
Outreach Presentations & Publications
Conducted weekly public forums and meetings for my college club (SIFE); participated in local and national competitions which included rehearsed public speaking. Helped start and implement the BRIDGE Program which mentored women on welfare back into the college system by creating support groups, mentorships as well as other academic and financial “bridges” to make their transition easier.
During work with UGA Marine Extension we would visit various schools and festivals where we would speak about different environmental issues or programs being implemented by our branch. While working with the Jekyll Island Foundation we also attended festivals where we would speak about our missions to the public.
Currently working on first publications with the National University of Ireland Galway Work Experience
THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA MARINE EXTENSION SERVICE & GEORGIA SEA GRANT PROGRAM SPECIALIST II & STUDENT WORKER 2012-2014
Various activities range from helping with active grant initiatives and community outreach, as well as exploring new ways to incorporate science into real world situations; supervise interns; various administrative duties.
Outreach Coordinator
HACCP program facilitator and course teacher
Black Gill Research and Outreach – fisheries
“Cigarettes are litter too” water quality program
Administration
grant solicitation/ prepare and edit grant proposals
Supervise summer interns
Design materials and coordinate activities for small or large-scale public outreach events
Assist with Water Quality, Fisheries, Land Use, and Communications program needs
In charge of all archived film, photo, and publications at the Brunswick facility
Database management of several projects
Assist in the UGA Marex Seafood Program
Administrative Support
Building Renovation Grant- gathered information, quotes, and wrote a $100k grant to address the structural and maintenance needs of the facility
2013 Interns- supervised two college interns
Archive- collected over 40 years of film, pictures, equipment, posters, and publications and created a system to organize and enable effective use of these materials Database Management
Shark Database- created a usable database and entered over 3,400 entries
Marine Debris Education- input over 780 entries of survey results
River Sampling- entered 11 months of data from river sampling
Seafood Directory- updated contacts and business information for Georgia seafood suppliers Social Media & Outreach
Social Media- compiled stories to release on our social media streams; found a user-friendly interface to launch stories as well as check facts internally prior to distribution
Outreach Events- assisted in preparations for visiting speakers, or participations in festivals or outside events, to ensure smooth follow-through of the event
Live Species touch tanks and R/V Georgia Bulldog dock-side presentations
Darien Shrimp Annual Festival: April
Fernandina Shrimp Annual Festival: May
Spreading the Word of a TED (collaborative outreach)- visited over 20 different docks and businesses to show/explain new industry conservation gear; edited MAREX database providing up-to-date information on local seafood resources
Science Based Project Management Support
Large Scale Outreach- helped prepare all items for annual shrimp festivals and conducted outreach to teach the public about current and past fisheries projects
Marine Debris Education- helped prepare outreach items and learned about marine debris research
Lab Work- worked in lab assisted with maintenance preparation for field studies JEKYLL ISLAND FOUNDATION, INC. ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT 2013-2014
Accounting-preformed basic accounting for end of week and monthly reports
Daily Correspondence
Communications & Bi-monthly Newsletter- monitored websites and assisted with content update; wrote and edited stories; sent out bi-monthly newsletters to our donor database
Database Management- continually maintained our donor database which included financial entries and basic accounting
Write/ Review Major Documents
Outreach Events- oversaw compiling supplies or outreach materials for events
Preparation and Coordination of Meetings- prepared “Board Packets” (an accumulation of reports and projects every three months) and “Executive Committee Packets” (a less detailed monthly report of projects and financial records)
General Administration
Prepared meeting minutes, answered phone calls, handled donor relations, coordinated events, mail administration, document filing, creation of new filing systems, and audit follow-ups
Assisted with coordination of activities and events by organizing, scheduling, and communicating meetings, announcements, appointments, etc.
Composed letters, memorandums, and reports on own initiative or from dictation or notes as well as prepared documents for signature
Made travel arrangements to include itinerary, trip file, and supplies while also completing expense reports following travel
Grant Research- assisted in the research for the solicitation of grants
Reports- compiled information needed to generate reports as well as produce monthly and weekly donor and financial reports
FEMA “FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY”
ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT INTERN 2010-2011
General Administration- prepared meetings, created schedules, answered phone calls, created reports and data sheets, reorganized file rooms, compiled branch data, wrote emails for my supervisor, prepared secure information data folders, and served as the mailbox administrator
Archive- obtained a higher security clearance to take on the complete re-organization of our division’s archive
High Clearance Cases- worked on classified cases and projects with other interns at our branch as well as in D.C.
Mailbox Administrator- collated, sorted, and distributed all incoming mail