Karina Alvarez Joins USC Sea Grant as New Science, Research & Policy Specialist

Released: May 31, 2022
Media Contact: Leah Shore / lshore@usc.edu / (213)-740-1960

Los Angeles, CA – The University of Southern California Sea Grant Program is excited to announce that Karina Alvarez has joined the program as our new Science, Research and Policy Specialist.

Ms. Alvarez has a passion for marine and coastal management, especially relating to the intersection of coastal and climate change issues. She specializes in applying her scientific background, along with her broad skills in GIS and science communication, to work towards increasing coastal resiliency. Before joining USC Sea Grant, Ms. Alvarez worked as a Geospatial Analyst at the NASA DEVELOP program and as a GIS and Research Specialist at The Bay Foundation. She holds a Master of Science in Global Change Ecology from the University of Bayreuth in Germany and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Loyola Marymount University.

“I’m honored to work in this position and that I get to interact firsthand with local communities across Southern California and listen to their stories,” shares Ms. Alvarez. “I’m excited for the opportunity to work together with communities to brainstorm, create, and implement creative, robust solutions to reduce the impacts of coastal hazards amid a changing climate.”

As the new Science, Research, and Policy Specialist at USC Sea Grant, Ms. Alvarez serves as the program’s Coastal Extension Specialist leading efforts on coastal resilience. Karina plays an integral role in coordinating, interpreting, and disseminating Sea Grant research findings on coastal hazards and climate change with coastal managers, city planners, and community members in Southern California. She applies her training in coastal systems, GIS, and science communication to support municipalities in building capacity for coastal resilience and meeting the information needs of stakeholders.

“We are extremely impressed with Karina’s drive in working in coastal management and towards improving hazard resilience. She brings a range of experience in GIS, coastal science, and stakeholder engagement that effectively enhances her work in building resilience among coastal communities,” expresses Phyllis Grifman, USC Sea Grant’s Executive Director. “I am delighted to welcome Karina onboard and our program is excited to build upon our robust coastal resiliency efforts across the diverse Urban Ocean coastline.” 

View Ms. Alvarez’s bio here.  

About USC Sea Grant

USC Sea Grant’s mission is to contribute to solving the problems of the Urban Ocean while recognizing the opportunities for coastal commerce, recreation, and improving the quality of life in coastal regions such as Southern California. Our program is based at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. We are one of 34 programs within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Sea Grant Program.