Jessica Renee Henkel, PhD
Ecosystem Science Specialist
Dr. Jessica R. Henkel serves as an Ecosystem Science Specialist for the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council).
Prior to this position, Jessica served as a Science Policy Fellow with the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. In this position Jessica worked with the Gulf Research Program and the Council to advance coastal restoration and science coordination across several State and Federal agencies.
Prior to her federal government service, Jessica completed her B.A. at Stony Brook University and her M.S. at the University of New Orleans. She received her Ph.D. from Tulane University where she investigated how environmental changes and habitat degradation are impacting the coastal habitats of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the effects these changes are having on the bird populations that migrate through them.
Major Awards and Honors
EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellow
National Wildlife Federation Young Leader
James D. Watkins Student Award for Excellence in Research
Dee Saunders Dundee Memorial Graduate Student Scholarship Award
Best Student Presentation Awards (4)