A Class Assignment Turned into a Published Op-Ed
| by Angela Izi Nkusi
Environmental policy student McKenzie Ploen published a piece sharing her career journey from corporate supply chain management to ocean conservation in SEVENSEAS.
Megan McKenna
Adjunct Faculty
- Tel
- (970) 657-1861
- mckenna@middlebury.edu
Dr. Megan McKenna is a marine scientist, educator, and policy expert with extensive experience working at the intersection of ocean science, conservation, and public policy. Megan earned her Ph.D. from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and began her policy career in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission. She later served as a lead scientist with the U.S. National Park Service, where she worked to integrate remote sensing into natural resource management. Returning to California, she continued her research supporting ocean conservation and sustainability through big data analytics and by leading and contributing to cross-sector collaborations that drive sustainable ocean solutions from local to global levels.
At the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Megan teaches across several interdisciplinary programs, including the graduate Environmental Policy and Management program, online Master of Public Administration in Sustainability, and undergraduate California Coast and Climate Semester and the Middlebury School of the Environment. Her teaching emphasizes applied science, systems thinking, and the connection between local action and global change. In 2025, she received the Faculty Excellence Award at MIIS in recognition of her teaching.
Areas of Interest
My expertise and interests center on developing analytical tools and decision-support frameworks that inform policy to advance the blue economy, protect species and habitats, and enhance ocean resilience in a changing climate. This includes promoting sustainability in maritime shipping, creating collaborative frameworks to harness big data for policy innovation, and deepening our understanding of shifting ocean ecosystems. Throughout my career, my work has evolved to meet emerging ocean challenges, but my commitment to integrity, transparency, and providing timely, actionable information has remained constant.
Programs
Academic Degrees
- PhD in Biological Oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego | 2011
- MS in Evolutional Biology from San Diego State University | 2005
- BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from Wittenberg University | 2000
Professor McKenna started teaching at the Institute in Fall 2022
Publications
- McKenna MF, et al (2021) Advancing the interpretation of shallow water marine soundscapes. Frontiers in Marine Science. DOI:10.3389/fmars.2021.719258. Summary of research featured on NOAA website: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/sep21/artificial-intelligence-sanctso…
- McKenna MF, Brandon L. Southall, Chou E, Robards M, Rosenbaum HC (2021). An integrated underwater soundscape analysis in the Bering Strait region. Journal of Acoustical Society of America. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0006099
- McKenna MF (2020) The Sounds Around Us. Physics Today. https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/PT.3.4387
- Buxton RT†, McKenna MF†, Clapp M, Meyer E, Stabenau E, Angeloni L, Crooks K. Wittemyer GW (2018) Efficacy of extracting indices from large-scale acoustic recordings to monitor biodiversity. Conservation Biology. †Authors contributed equally to the study. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13119
- Buxton RT, McKenna MF, Mennitt D, Fristrup K, Crooks K, Angeloni L, Wittemyer G (2017) Noise pollution is pervasive in US protected areas. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.aah4783
- Story map describing vessel noise in marine sanctuaries: Listen up! Vessel Traffic in U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries
- Developed and designed Junior Ranger book, Sounds Explorer
- Developed content for story map on Soundscapes of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
- Featured scientist in National Park Service Careers in Science Series