Cathy McNally
Natural Resources Science
vita
Cathy grew up on Grand Island New York, which is an island located in the Niagara River. Although surrounded by freshwater for most of her life, it was the annual visits to her Grandparents' home in Florida where she fell in love with the ocean. Cathy received a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Marine Sciences at Cornell University. During her senior year at Cornell, she had the opportunity to spend a semester at the School for Field Studies Center for Coastal Studies in Puerto San Carlos, Mexico and partake in a research project comparing the efficiency and selectivity of three trawling nets used by the local small-scale shrimp fishermen. It was this experience that affirmed her desire to work in applied coastal science and management.
After working for a couple of years at the South Florida Water Management District assisting in the development of minimum levels and flows for waterbodies in southern Florida, she returned to school and received a M.A. in Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island. Cathy is in the second year of her Ph.D. program in the Department of Natural Resources Science working with Dr. Art Gold, and her research interests include ecohydrology, the affects of anthropogenic nitrogen on coastal ecosystems, marine protected areas, and the integration of natural and social science into coastal policy. She is thrilled to be in the IGERT program because it presents an opportunity to study various natural and social science topics and environmental ethics in concert with one another, and learn how to effectively communicate with various types of stakeholders.
Cathy loves living in New England and enjoys spending time outside with her husband running, hiking, camping, and kayaking. Please feel free to contact her at cgmccarthy@mail.uri.edu if you have any questions or would just like to chat about URI or CIIP.