USC Sea Grant welcomes Dane Lazarus and Rachel Darling

USC Sea Grant is thrilled to welcome two new extension agents to our Sea Grant team! This month, we welcomed Dane Lazarus and Rachel Darling, who will both be working on coastal resilience, sea level rise, and climate change science and adaptation.

Dane Lazarus, M.S.

Title: Science, Research, and Policy Specialist

Dane Lazarus, M.S., is a Science, Research, and Policy Specialist with USC Sea Grant serving to bridge current coastal research and community stakeholders. He applies his training in coastal science and engineering to support coastal community members, planners, and managers in Southern California through the facilitation, dissemination, and interpretation of Sea Grant research findings. Prior to joining Sea Grant, Dane worked on coastal dune and wetland restoration and monitoring projects at The Bay Foundation, and developed and implemented unmanned vehicle survey techniques for environmental consultants. Dane received a B.S. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of California Santa Barbara, and a M.S.E. in Civil-Environmental Engineering from Loyola Marymount University.

Rachel Darling, M.S.

Title: Science, Research, and Policy Specialist

Rachel Darling is a Science, Research, and Policy Specialist with USC Sea Grant. Her work focuses on connecting applicable science to decision-making for coastal resilience. Rachel received a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology with a minor in Climate Change Studies from UC San Diego, as well as a Master of Science degree in Marine Biology, also from UC San Diego. Throughout her education and professional career, Rachel has contributed to interdisciplinary projects spanning the topics of climate change, marine and freshwater biology, and public health. These projects have emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and skills in addressing contemporary environmental and community challenges. Rachel brings her passion for interdisciplinary solutions and rigorous science to her role at USC Sea Grant.