Gretchen joined the Lake Champlain Sea Grant in February 2024 after two years managing grants within UVM’s College of Medicine. As the Financial and Research Coordinator, Gretchen will oversee financial administration and monitoring for the Lake Champlain Sea Grant, the Vermont Water Resources and Lake Studies Center, and the Northeastern States Research Cooperative. Additionally, she will develop and manage research competitions for work within the Lake Champlain basin, supporting our mission to use science to benefit the associated environment and economies.

In addition to her previous grant management work, Gretchen has 20 years’ experience as a wildlife ecologist, working primarily with birds. She received her PhD from West Virginia University where she studied Cerulean Warblers, a species that has expanded its small breeding range in the Appalachian region to include forests along the length of Lake Champlain. Prior to that, Gretchen received her B.S. in 2002 from UVM’s School of Natural Resources—now Rubenstein—and is excited to be back in a new capacity, using her combination of professional experiences to support the three programs. When she isn’t working, you can find Gretchen birding, gardening with her husband, and hanging out with their mastiff and four cats.