Megan McKenna

Dr. Megan McKenna is a marine scientist and educator with more than a decade of experience working at the intersection of science and policy. Megan serves as the Academic Director for Study Away at Monterey, supporting undergraduates studying at the Monterey campus. Megan teaches for various programs offered through the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, including the California Coast and Climate Semester, graduate program in Environmental Policy and Management, and Middlebury School of the Environment.

McKenna earned her PhD from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and went on to work for the US Marine Mammal Commission in DC and then the US National Park Service based in Colorado. Returning to the California coast, Megan continues her research as a data scientist affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and collaborates with the US National Marine Sanctuary and California Ocean Alliance. Megan is a leader in ocean soundscape research and serves on national and international committees to develop standards and frameworks for a quieter future.