USGS Oceanographer Abby Sallenger recognized for Communications

The USGS Office of Communications and Outreach recognized USGS
Oceanographer Abby Sallenger for Lifetime Achievement in Communication.

The Shoemaker Awards for External Communications recognize USGS products that demonstrate extraordinary effectiveness in communicating and translating complex scientific concepts and discoveries into words and pictures that capture the interest and imagination of the American public. The judges are communicators, designers, and scientists from the public and private sector.

Abby was recognized for his, "substantial impact and national recognition of the USGS coastal program is widely recognized as a direct result of Sallenger's efforts—particularly his skills as a communicator. Whether it is a briefing on the Hill, a presentation to the research or local community, or an interview with the media, Sallenger knows how to communicate the value of USGS science and its relevance to the audience in question. He has become the voice of the USGS with respect to hurricanes and coastal change. With an unassuming, can-do manner, Sallenger attends to multiple demands in the face of a hurricane and its aftermath, and he has done so repeatedly—during a single season and year after year—responding to the surge of media requests for interviews, taking reporters into the field, and keeping managers and support personnel informed. His ability to communicate the value of the science reaches from the personal level, inspiring more than 10 of the technicians who have worked for him to continue their education through the doctorate level, to the national level, inspiring major media networks to return for additional, in-depth interviews."

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