Bridget Noreen Seegers

Dr. Seegers is a NASA lead on the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) project with the goal to validate a cyanobacteria algorithm for US inland waters. Cyanobacteria are an economic and human health problem impacting drinking water and recreational activities.

As an oceanographer she has worked much off the California coast on cruises and with research robots called gliders. She completed her PhD at the University of Southern California in 2015. While there, she combined in situ data with satellite remote sensing to better understand regional dynamics and events such as harmful algal blooms (HABs). Originally from Wisconsin Dr. Bridget Seegers grew up swimming and splashing in lakes and developed a love of being in, on, and around water. Dr. Seegers received her B.A in Biology from Carleton College with a concentration in Environmental Science and Technology. Then, she taught six years in a range of non-traditional classroom settings from the woods of Minnesota to inner city Boston as an AmeriCorps volunteer and at a charter high school in San Diego. She returned to school to earn a M.S. in Water Resources Science from the University of Minnesota as she was curious about the science and policy interface.

Dr. Seegers is passionate about outreach and education. She had a grant funded for a month long public outreach tour she created called Sippin' On Science. Sippin' on Science brought exciting NASA earth science and the CyAN project to people at restaurants, bars and breweries primarily in small towns in the lakes region of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The event included a range of engaging hands-on science activities, trivia, and an informal presentation on lakes, algae, research robots and satellite science. Sippin’ on Science broke down boundaries and created opportunities for the public to ask questions and talk to a scientist. Overall, Sippin’ on Science was an out of the ordinary event that was free and open to everyone, both adults and children.

Dr. Seegers is an avid surfer and sailor and when landlocked a cyclist.

Teaching Assistant, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Fall 2009 & Spring 2012
Taught Lab Section of General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution.  Taught Lab and Discussion Section of Humans and Their Environment.

High School Instructor, UROK Learning Institute, San Diego, CA, October 2005 –June 2006
Instructed a diverse group 9 th -12 th grade independent study students in a one-on- one alternative highschool setting. Taught science, math, English, and history.

Education Program Assistant, Urban Ecology Institute, Newton, MA, June 2004 -June 2005
AmeriCorps VISTA position. Instructed 6 th –12 th grade students from Boston public schools in urban ecology field studies focused on water quality and bird biodiversity. Developed curriculum on stormwater and macroinvertebrates. Organized and facilitated teacher professional development workshops. Assisted with biological rapid ecological assessments.

Education Fellow, Deep Portage Conservation Reserve, MN, 2001 –2004
Developed and taught lesson plans to students from grades 1 –12 from a variety, cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds. Curriculum included pond studies, orienteering, animal tracking, ecology hikes and outdoor skills. Lead staff enrichments. Promoted from environmental educator.

Teacher Assistant for Biology of Invertebrates, Winter 2001
Assisted college students with lab work. Assisted professor with lab report grading.

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, May 2015
• PhD in Marine Environmental Biology and Biological Oceanography. Research in an optics lab using gliders, moorings, ESPs, satellite remote sensing focused on coastal ocean dynamics and harmful algal blooms.
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, August 2009
• M.S. in Water Resources Science. Thesis on Lake Superior zooplankton grazing. Courses in Limnology, Environmental Chemistry, Science Policy, and Environmental Economics.
Carleton College, Northfield, MN, June 2001
• B.A. in Biology with Environmental and Technology Studies concentration. Graduated with honors: magna cum laude.
 

2021 Robert H. Goddard Honor Awards for the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) project.

September 2019 Ocean Obs ’19 conference. An invited ambassador at the “Breaking Waves, Breaking Barriers: Celebrating Women’s Instrumental Role in Ocean Science, Leadership, and Mentorship,” event.

August 2019 Dr. Seegers and the CyAN team were selected for the 2019 Hydrosphere, Biosphere and Geophysics (HBG) Annual Peer Award for Scientific Achievement at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.