USC Sea Grant is administered within the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability (WIES), housed in the Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences (USC Dornsife), the largest administrative unit at USC and the heart of teaching and research in the Natural Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
WIES is a leader in USC’s solutions-driven commitment to sustainability and environmental research, education, and real-world impact. USC Sea Grant and the academic degree-granting Environmental Studies Program (ENST) are major units within WIES. WIES also administers the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, a world-class research station and satellite campus.
The close relationship promotes collaborative efforts with WIES, such as position sharing and joint research, education, and workforce development efforts related to integrated research, marine science, policy, education, and outreach programs. WEIS and USC Sea Grant jointly support new fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students; moreover, Sea Grant partners in running the Wrigley National Science Foundation-supported summer 10-week Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program and multiple undergraduate and graduate student outreach and education programs.
WEIS’s strong commitment to marine science research and education, and formal affiliations with accomplished natural and social science faculty, provide important opportunities for strong interdisciplinary partnerships with USC Sea Grant in the pursuit of training and finding solutions to local and regional urban ocean challenges.
