Christopher B. Cogan

Goals

Academic excellence working with administrators, faculty, staff, and students promoting learning and research success.  Working from my academic backgrounds in Geography, Spatial Ecology, Biology, Environmental Science and Resource Management, I strive to advance research and learning integrating transdisciplinary science literacy, spatial literacy, and quantitative metrics for student self-assessment.  I have experience and interests in academic, professional, technical, emergency services and non-profit sectors.  

 

Resume Overview

• Ph.D. in Environmental Studies and Master’s degree in Geography

• Academic work in Physical Geography, IT, Environmental Science, Coastal Marine Science

• Strong background in interdisciplinary communication, problem-solving and teamwork

• Administration experience in prioritizing institutional and national science research

• Successful development, funding, and leadership of international marine science teams

• Award-winning teaching with excellent written and oral communication skills

• Peer-Review research on new approaches to STEM teaching and curriculum development

• Peer-Review research on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in university environments

• First Responder with Ventura County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) team 2013-2018

• Captain, Flight Crew Commander, and Senior Aerospace Officer with US Civil Air Patrol

• Desire to work in a creative and synergistic team environment

 

 

Professional Skills and Interests

• Teaching and research, including academic science literacy

• Quantification of biodiversity for ecosystem-based management and habitat classification

• Terrestrial – marine interface models for coastal assessment and geospatial analysis

• Scientific data and metadata management

• Interdisciplinary science teamwork and coordination of trans-disciplinary science objectives

 

Tools I use to accomplish my research include:

• Geographic Information Systems

• Remote sensing / digital image processing

• Metadata applications

• Knowledge surveys

 

As a teacher, mentor, or colleague, I strive to always employ high-quality interpersonal skills.

 

Education

Ph.D. Environmental Studies.  University of California, Santa Cruz, CA

M.A. Geography.  University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.

 

 

 

Work Experience (references available upon request)

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2021 – 2024.  Adjunct Professor, Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.  Appointed to a 3-year adjunct position with the Department, facilitating work with graduate students and strengthening the synergies between my teaching and departmental engagement.

 

2024. Ocean Sciences Instructor, Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University, St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada.  Instructor for team-taught OCSC 2500 (Introduction to Practical Ocean Sciences). This is a 10-day intensive course combining lectures, laboratory work, ship-based, and shore-based field exercises.  In May, 2024, this high-demand undergraduate class needed expansion to accommodate additional students.  I joined the faculty to provide additional curricula on both theory and field-based spatial sciences, including modules introducing students to digital data collector apps for spatial data and GIS data analysis of marine coastal data.

 

2023.  Research Assistant, Ocean Frontier Institute. This was a research position based at the Ocean Science Centre at Memorial University from June to December 2023. My role in the project was to develop drone technology and ocean mapping procedures to survey marine habitats associated with aquaculture sites in bays along the southern shores of Newfoundland.

 

2021 – 2024.  Adjunct Professor, Department of Geography, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.  Appointed to a 3-year adjunct position with the Department, facilitating work with graduate students and strengthening the synergies between my teaching and departmental engagement.

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2020 – 2022.  Member, Office of the Chief Risk Officer, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.  My work within the OCRO involved a combination of academic and emergency management strategic planning to promote the safety and well-being of the campus community.  Responsibilities included COVID-19 strategic planning, GIS spatial modeling for physical distancing, table-top exercises for emergency planning, and the development of guidelines for campus policies relating to the pandemic.

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2018 - Current.  Geography Instructor, Geography Department, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.  Instructor for Geography 1050 (Geographies of Global Change), Geography 2195 (Geographic Information Sciences), and Geography 3260 (Geographic Information Systems).  Courses cover broad geography, environmental science, resource management, and quantitative literacy topics for a range of undergraduate and graduate students from multiple academic majors.  In addition to my teaching, I have continued my work on research publications addressing teaching and learning, with emphasis on multiple ways of knowing, science literacy, the importance of student self-assessment skills, and the need to recognize inherent differences in curricula between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

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2017.  Scientific Database Consultant, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Warnemünde, Germany, June 2017 – August 2017.  Responsible for the review of existing scientific information management database systems, and the recommendations for improvements and strategies for both short-term and longer-term infrastructure developments.

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2015.  Geography, Environmental Science, and Resource Management Instructor, Geography Department, Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA (1/2015 – 5/2015).

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2007 – 2014.  Assistant Professor, GIS Laboratory Director, Environmental Science and Resource Management, California State University Channel Islands, 1 University Drive, Camarillo, California, USA  (8/2007 – 8/2014).  Courses taught: Intro GIS, Advanced GIS, Land Use Planning, Environmental Science, Geography.

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2000 – 2007.  Research Scientist and Lead Geographic Information Systems Specialist, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany.  Specializing in biogeographic and environmental studies with an emphasis on the coastal shelf and ocean management.  In this position, I was based in the IT department where I served as the lead GIS specialist for an 800 person institute responsible for project leadership, technical and training assistance to GIS users and users of remote sensing software. 

 

 

Service: Professional Organizations

1 January 2012 – 31 Aug 2018.  Full Team Member, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue (SAR) Team.  Certified as a First Responder and Disaster Worker.  Responsibilities included the development of real-time GIS for search operations and trainer for the use of map data in command post operations.

 

22 October 2014 – 1 October 2018.  Captain, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol.  As Flight Crew Commander and Senior Aerospace Education Officer, I promoted synergies between academic and applied Geography and spatial science.  Certifications include radio net operations and a pilot’s license.  For emergency response missions, responsibilities included leadership and organization of teams for SAR operations. 

 

 

Awards

2017  Citizen Medal of Merit.  For “…collective acts of heroism, performed at great personal risk while saving another’s life”.  Presented by the Peace Officers Association of Ventura County.  Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley CA, 7 October 2017.

 

2017  Meritorious Service Award.  For search and rescue service to the community.  Presented by Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean 3 May 2017.

 

 

Further Information:

A printable single-page version of this CV and the full 20-page version are both available here: