Jo Ellen Hinck
Jo Ellen is the Disaster Supplemental Science Coordinator and Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Coordinator for the USGS.
Biography
Jo Ellen serves as the science coordinator of the Disaster Supplemental Oversight Team (SOT), under the Natural Hazards Mission Area. The SOT oversees USGS activities related to supplemental appropriations for disaster recovery, which includes hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Jo Ellen ensures accountability of supplemental activities and provides scientific knowledge, information, and tools to decision makers to increase USGS capability and capacity to respond to future disaster events.
Jo Ellen has also served as the USGS science coordinator for the DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program since 2014. She assists natural resource managers from federal, state, and tribal agencies in scientific problem formulation related to contamination from mining sites, industrial areas, and oil spills. Every NRDAR case is unique in terms of geographic setting, type of release, and natural resource injured; therefore, the science required is also unique. Jo Ellen helps to design experiments, recruit USGS expertise to conduct research studies, and interpret the results for the natural resource managers. Jo Ellen's also has active projects evaluating effective science communication strategies and incorporating indigenous knowledge with western science for decision makers.
Professional Experience
2018-present Supplemental Oversight Team Science Coordinator, U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Hazards Mission Area
2014-present USGS NRDAR Coordinator, U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO
2002-2014 Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO
2001-2002 Ecological Risk Assessor, Tetra Tech NUS, Pittsburgh, PA
1999-2001 Research and Teaching Assistant, Miami University, Department of Zoology, Oxford, OH
1998-1999 Research Assistant, University of Central Missouri, Department of Biology and Department of Earth Sciences, Warrensburg, MO
Education and Certifications
M.S. Zoology, Department of Zoology, Miami University, 2001
B.S. Biology, Department of Biology and Department of Earth Sciences, University of Central Missouri, 1999