ENS Llian G. K. Breen grew up in Chicago having interests in science from a very early age. In high school his interest grew into the physical and environmental science fields. He graduated with honors in Physics and Engineering from Calvin College in Grand Rapids MI. For his senior project he helped build and design an Active Cavity Radeometer (ACR) to fly on a weather balloon to aid in global warming research. After working in theoretical physics research at Calvin College, ENS Breen decided to once again pursue his interests in Resource Management and Conservation by volunteering at Red Wood National Park. Working under the park forester cultivated his interest in conservation related fields and motivated him to apply to the NOAA Corps. After a short interlude working in a garden center he is now with NOAA and is very excited about his first assignment at sea.
Ensign Kyle ByersENS Kyle Byers is from the little town of Wimberley in the Texas Hill Country. She graduated cum laude from Texas A&M University- College Station in May 2005 with a degree in Zoology, specializing in Ecology and Evolution. During her last semester at college she interned at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a coral reef 100 miles off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico, south of the border of Texas and Louisiana. After graduation, she accepted an offer to stay on as research assistant. As part of her duties, she created a geo-referenced database of 8,300 images taken by remotely operated vehicle of the East and West Flower Garden, Stetson, and surrounding banks to identify the benthic organisms present on the continental shelves of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico and map out their locations and abundance. Many of these organisms appear to be newly catalogued species, and she hopes to continue researching them as a graduate student in the future. ENS Byers enjoys scuba divining and holds advanced open water, enriched air, DAN O2, and Emergency First Responder certifications. She was lucky enough to make over 60 of her 90 dives at the Flower Garden Banks and Stetson Bank as a participant in research cruises. She worked as a volunteer scientific diver conducting post-hurricane coral reef damage assessment, species identification, and benthic monitoring. ENS Byers is excited to continue her career with NOAA and hopes to be accepted into the NOAA Dive Program and work aboard a Fisheries vessel.
Ensign Paul ChamberlainENS Paul Chamberlain hails from Humboldt County, CA, where he was born and raised. He recently graduated from Humboldt State University with a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in Math. During college he was very active in the Humboldt Men’s Crew Team and developed a great appreciation for the beauty of the ocean while navigating the coastal waters of Humboldt Bay. ENS Chamberlain is an avid outdoorsman and has recently completed his first century on the bicycle. Always up for adventure, ENS Chamberlain readily signed on to the NOAA Corps and looks forward to serving his country from the far-flung regions of the world.
Ensign Andrew R. ColegroveENS Andrew R. Colegrove was born in Walnut Creek, California and currently lives in Marina Del Rey, CA. He graduated from the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, California in April of 2006. He obtained his Bachelors of Science in Marine Transportation as well as a “Third Mate’s, unlimited tonnage, any ocean” USCG License. While at Cal Maritime, he served as a Resident Assistant for two years and served within the Corps of Cadets as Company Executive Officer. He has spent a total of six months at sea, including four months onboard the Academy’s 500’ Training Ship Golden Bear and two months onboard the NOAA Ship KA’IMIMOANA. While on the Golden Bear, he served as Corps Commander and was in charge of the daily operations of over 200 deck and engine cadets. While on the KA, he served as a watch stander and deck hand and quickly became certain that he wanted join the NOAA Corps. He hopes to eventually be Commanding Officer of a NOAA vessel. He is very excited about his future with NOAA and is looking forward to what lies ahead.
Ensign Julie EarpENS Julie Earp is from Flagstaff, Arizona. She recently completed the required coursework for a Dual Masters Degree program in Natural Resources Sustainable Development at University for Peace and International Affairs at American University. Prior to attending graduate school, ENS Earp received a Bachelor’s degree from the School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University. After completion of her Bachelor’s degree, she gained an extensive amount of experience conducting biological field surveys and research in Southern Oregon, Hawaii, and West Africa. She also has four seasons experience as a wildland firefighter in the western region of the United States and spent two years in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania as a Peace Corps Volunteer. ENS Earp has always been interested and fascinated by marine issues. She is a former lifeguard, competitive swimmer, and certified scuba diver. During August of 2005, she gained valuable experience as an intern for Central Caribbean Marine Institute conducting coral reef research in the Cayman Islands. Her main career goal is to take on the challenges of becoming a steward of the ocean, and believes she can most effectively achieve this by dedicating her life to service and science as a part of the NOAA Corps.
Ensign Harold “Trey” EmmonsENS Harold “Trey” Emmons was born and raised on the southern Outer Banks of North Carolina in a port city named Morehead City. It was there that his interest and fondness of the water grew. With his family, he would regularly go boating and camping on the barrier islands around the "Crystal Coast" and also on Cape Lookout. His father taught him how to surf at a young age and his mother fostered his interest in local meteorology and oceanography; both hobbies continue today. ENS Emmons attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC and graduated in December of 2006, with honors, and a Bachelor of Science in both Meteorology and Marine Science. While in school he was involved with the AMS and pitched on the Club Baseball team all four years. ENS Emmons’ ultimate goal with the NOAA Corps is to become an in-flight meteorologist on NOAA's Hurricane Hunter aircraft. He hopes the NOAA Corps will bring him many new and unforgettable experiences, all while working for the science community on a ship in uniform.
Ensign Loren EvoryENS Evory grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia. From a young age, he was fascinated by science and exploration of all kinds. He attended Virginia Tech and graduated May 2006 with a B.S. in Physics and a minor in Astronomy. During his time at college, ENS Evory was president of both the astronomy club and the local Society of Physics Students chapter and played violin in the New River Valley Symphony. After deciding that grad school in Physics would be way too boring, Loren applied to the NOAA Corps in search of a much more exciting career. ENS Evory has not yet chosen any particular career path within the Corps but hopes to take advantage of the many opportunities that will come.
Ensign Laura GallantENS Laura Gallant is a New Englander at heart. Born in New Hampshire, raised in Massachusetts, she now considers Bradford, Vermont her home. ENS Gallant first became interested in the sea during childhood family vacations to the coast of Maine and watching “The Voyage of Mimi” on PBS. She graduated from Cornell University in 2003 where she double majored in Natural Resources and Science of Earth Systems with a concentration in Ocean Sciences and distinction in research. During this time she sailed with Sea Education Association aboard the SSV Westward and discovered her long latent love for life at sea. ENS Gallant also studied marine ecology for a summer at Shoals Marine Laboratory where she participated in a transect study of ecological succession in the inter-tidal zone. After graduation, she accepted an internship with the Marine Invasions Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center where she surveyed settling plates for invasive fouling organisms. She then briefly sailed as a deckhand aboard the educational tall ship S/V Denis Sullivan but left the sea again to attend Baylor University where she received her Masters in Biology in 2006. She is happy to have found a way to both serve her country and facilitate ocean research through the NOAA Corps. In her spare time ENS Gallant enjoys reading the Lord of the Rings, watching Star Trek, swimming, biking, gardening, hiking in the White Mountains, and spending time with her family and church.
Ensign Patrick JorgensenENS Patrick Jorgensen has always been in love with the ocean, and has spent much of his adult life trying to spend as much time under it as was possible. He was born and raised in Woodbridge, VA, where he graduated from Woodbridge Sr. High School. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy and went through the Navy's Nuclear Power Program. He served onboard the fast-attack submarine USS Charlotte (SSN 766) and was selected to be the Leading Petty Officer of Reactor Controls Division. ENS Jorgensen then attended Thomas Edison State College and was awarded a BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology. Following graduation, he went to work for Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution as a member of the Submersible Crew. While conducting deep science dives in the Gulf of Mexico, ENS Jorgensen was offered a post-graduate research position at the University of Southampton, UK, where he attended and was awarded a MS in Oceanography. Upon returning to the US, he was offered a position at Reef Explorer Submarines, as Lead Submersible Technician and Chief Submarine Pilot. ENS Jorgensen is a PADI Divemaster/Rescue Diver, and hopes to become a NOAA Diver during his first sea-tour.
Ensign Colin KliewerENS Colin Kliewer grew up in Duncanville, Texas, near Dallas. He received a BS in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University at Galveston in 2000. After working as a biologist at a nearby aquarium, he attended the main campus of Texas A&M University in College Station and completed a Masters of Natural Resource Development degree in 2006. As part of this degree, ENS Kliewer spent two summers working with the National Park Service’s Water Resource Division in Denver, Colorado, and is co-authoring watershed condition assessments for two National Parks in northwest Alaska. ENS Kliewer enjoys technical scuba diving and has had an array of research and work-related diving experience, including assisting with the excavation of the Civil War blockade runner Denbigh in zero-visibility water, and cave-diving for training and biological study projects in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Yucatan Peninsula. He hopes to incorporate diving in his career with the NOAA Corps.
Ensign Nicholas MorganENS Nicholas Morgan, from Waukesha, WI, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a B.S. Degree in Atmospheric Science and a minor in Mathematics in May of 2006. He discovered his fascination with weather when he was young and decided early that he wanted to be a meteorologist. ENS Morgan also holds an interest in sailing and tries to get out on his family’s 27 ft homemade catamaran as much as possible. Initially he was interested in going directly into graduate school upon graduation but came across the NOAA Corps and decided that that would be the best way to combine all of his interests and do some traveling. After his first tour, he would like to get involved in NOAA’s aviation program. When ENS Morgan isn’t keeping himself updated on the weather, you can find him golfing, sailing, and watching golf, baseball, and soccer. This past summer, he and his dad sailed their boat from Madeira Beach, FL, up the East Coast, and all the way to Milwaukee over a five week period. His parents still reside in Wisconsin, and he has a sister living in Illinois.
Ensign Michael O’NealENS Michael O'Neal hails from Monmouth, Illinois. He graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2006 with a Bachelor's of Science in Aeronautical Science with a minor in Aviation Weather. He is a licensed commercial pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings. While at Embry-Riddle ENS O'Neal served a term as vice president of the Mars Society, as well as participated in the Naval Aviation Club, ERAU's music groups, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He also worked as a research assistant at Embry-Riddle's Laboratory for Advanced Instrumentation Research. In spring of 2005 ENS O'Neal participated in a flight operations internship with World Airways in Peachtree City, Georgia. He is eager to pursue an exciting and challenging career in both the sea and the air with the NOAA Corps.
Ensign Andrew OstapenkoENS Andrew Ostapenko was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota. Growing up along the shores of Lake Superior, ENS Ostapenko developed a love for ships and the sea at an early age, and has a strong interest in Great Lakes history, shipping, and shipwrecks. Acting on this interest, ENS Ostapenko worked aboard the museum ship S.S. William A. Irvin, a retired iron ore freighter, as a tour guide during high school and college. ENS Ostapenko attended the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota for four years, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. Further, ENS Ostapenko has attended the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth for the past year, working towards a Master of Arts in Management with a concentration in Health Care Administration. Prior to joining the NOAA Corps, ENS Ostapenko served in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for six years, rising to the office of Flotilla Vice Commander, and has earned boat crew and vessel examiner qualifications. ENS Ostapenko is looking forward to his future as a NOAA Corps officer, and is excited for his first sea tour.
Ensign Jeffrey PereiraENS Jeffrey Pereira was born and raised in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelors of Science degree in both Aircraft Engineering Technology and in Applied Meteorology with a concentration in Research. He is a member of the professional aviation fraternity, Alpha Eta Rho, in which he served on the executive board as secretary. ENS Pereira is looking forward to incorporating his passion for both aviation and weather in all aspects of the NOAA Corps. He hopes to one day have the opportunity to fly into hurricanes with the NOAA Corps. ENS Pereira is blessed to have this opportunity of serving our country while putting his college education to use. He loves to travel and is anxious to report to his first sea assignment wherever that may be.
Ensign Patrick M. SweeneyENS Patrick Sweeney comes to the NOAA Corps from Narragansett, RI. Being from the Ocean State, ENS Sweeney has grown up on the water his entire life. He graduated from the College of Charleston, in Charleston, South Carolina with a BS in Marine Biology in 2005. While attending college, ENS Sweeney had the opportunity to volunteer in a Physical Oceanography lab, analyzing plankton from Artic waters. After graduating he returned to RI to be the Lifeguard Captain at a State Beach where he had worked for the past eight years. Needing a new chapter in his life ENS Sweeney discovered the NOAA Corps, and looks forward to the challenges that come with this new adventure.
Ensign Anna-Elizabeth Villard-HoweENS Anna-Liza Villard-Howe grew up on Chappaquiddick Island, off of Martha's Vineyard. Her mother is a local historian who captains the Chappaquiddick Ferry, her sister lives in South Boston and works as a paralegal, and her father is a retired Naval Reserve Officer and admiralty lawyer. In 2002, ENS Villard-Howe received her A.B. in Economics from Vassar College. She holds a 100 Ton Masters License as well as a Class B Commercial Drivers License. At first intending to be an actuary, she soon returned to the ocean for her career. For the last year, ENS Villard-Howe has been working as captain on both the Naushon and Chappaquiddick Ferries. She enjoys riding her motorcycle, sailing, ham radio, and diesel engines. She would like to work on hydrographic vessels and hopes to serve NOAA and the Corps for years to come.