{"id":4419,"date":"2025-05-07T21:54:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T21:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/?p=4419"},"modified":"2025-07-25T21:54:41","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T21:54:41","slug":"karla-heidelberg-environmental-science-and-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/2025\/05\/07\/karla-heidelberg-environmental-science-and-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing Science to the Statehouse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\n\n \n Karla Heidelberg’s decades of research experience now fuel her efforts to provide science-backed policy support to lawmakers and communities. (Photo: Gus Ruelas\/USC)\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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Bringing Science to the Statehouse<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
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\n\n \n Love of oceans drives Karla Heidelberg’s career in research and environmental policy\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n May 7, 2025<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Original story by Grayson Schmidt<\/p>\n

Few people have explored the world\u2019s oceans as extensively as Karla Heidelberg. Traveling everywhere from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States to the freezing waters of Antarctica\u2019s Southern Ocean, Heidelberg has spent her life trying to understand that which covers 70% of the Earth\u2019s surface. That\u2019s why leading USC Sea Grant \u2014 the Wrigley Institute’s coastal management research hub that is a partnership between USC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) \u2014 is such a perfect fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe value of what I get to do now with USC Sea Grant is doing real science that matters,\u201d Heidelberg says. \u201cIt\u2019s science that will feed into actual policy for the betterment of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In 2023, Heidelberg was selected to lead USC Sea Grant after former Director Linda Duguay retired. As USC Sea Grant director, Heidelberg leads the collaboration between the NOAA and USC, and builds stronger partnerships with California universities, the public sector and state natural resource managers. All these moving parts work together toward the common goal of promoting resilience in ocean and coastal communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe combine research, extension and education in addressing pressing needs,\u201d Heidelberg says. \u201cWe\u2019re a leader nationwide in how we manage dense populations of people and ocean ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the key aspects of USC Sea Grant is that the research has a direct impact on policy decisions. The USC program works in a national network of 34 total Sea Grant programs. USC Sea Grant serves the greater Los Angeles region and communities throughout the state, drawing expertise from other universities to effect positive change for all.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of the few programs that really helps get science into the hands of people and makes it relatable to people, and that\u2019s super important,\u201d Heidelberg says. \u201cWe\u2019re using science to help managers, government officials, stakeholders and partners understand what their communities will look like in 10, 20, 50 and 100 years, so they can make the right decisions now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about USC Sea Grant >><\/a><\/p>\n

Read the full story on USC Today >><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":4420,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[79,67,9,16,18],"class_list":["post-4419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-biological-sciences","tag-environmental-policy","tag-environmental-studies","tag-faculty","tag-usc-sea-grant"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBringing Science to the Statehouse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/2025\/05\/07\/karla-heidelberg-environmental-science-and-policy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bringing Science to the Statehouse - 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