Going Coastal

Marissa and Jon are joined today by Ben Komita, a Coastal Engineer with HDR who also serves as Treasurer for both ASBPA SNP and the Coasts, Oceans, and Ports Institute (COPRI) of ASCE. Listen in to learn about these two prominent professional organizations in the coastal space and some of the opportunities and benefits to being involved in each.

Jon and Marissa are back to host three of the co-chairs of this year’s very special ASBPA conference, coming up in Atlantic City, NJ. Grace Hanlon, Tom Herrington, and Eric Rosina join them to talk about the celebrations for the 100th year of ASBPA. Along with their personal history with the organization, they discuss the incredible value of attending conferences for personal and career development, and how students and new professionals can get the most out of the experience.

In this episode, Jon and Dane sit down with New Jersey state climatologist, Dr. John Krasting, and Professor Emeritus of Loyola Marymount University in L.A., Dr. John Dorsey, to talk about the looming super El Niño. John K. helps us define this event and read the tea leaves of how its effects will impact the East coast. John D. brings awareness to the potential ecological impacts on the West coast and how to prepare. You don’t want to miss this special episode of Going Coastal!

Is sand dirt? What is the difference between outwash and overwash? Find out in this episode of Going Coastal! Jon and Marissa host two recent PhD graduates from UNC Chapel Hill, Josh and Eve. They share some of their research on barrier islands and coastal geomorphology, as well as experience developing scientific outreach and communication plans for K-12 with the Scientific Research and Education Network (SciREN).

Have you ever heard of e-concrete? Me neither!

In this episode of Going Coastal, co-hosts Dane and Jon are back and joined by two current coastal policy students: Grace Towle, a Coastal Science and Policy (CSP) master’s student at UC Santa Cruz, and Jacquelyn Houle, UNC Wilmington’s ASBPA Student Chapter president and coastal engineering undergraduate. Together, they bring a refreshing and hopeful perspective to the field! Tune in this month for circular economies, the uses of e-concrete, and what coastal resilience might look like for industrial ports and harbors.

In this episode of Going Coastal, co-hosts Dane and Jon are joined by two recently retired heavy hitters in coastal policy: Phyllis Grifman, former Executive Director of USC Sea Grant, and Dr. Lesley Ewing, former Coastal Engineer for the CA State Coastal Commission. They have years of history working together on California’s coastal challenges and are sharing some of their stories with us! Tune in this month for sea otters, community engagement, and how drinking on the beach can be a career.

In this episode of Going Coastal, Jon Miller and Dane Lazarus invited Dr. Stephanie Patch, an Associate Professor of coastal engineering at the University of South Alabama, Dr. Karim Karam, a Teaching Associate Professor at Stevens, and Dr. Matthew Janssen, a Research Assistant Professor at Stevens, to discuss academic positions and what they look like on a day-to-day basis for coastal engineers. They explain the difference between tenure and non-tenure-track positions, the responsibilities of each role, how they are paid, and how academia differs from industry.

As always, the episode ends with great advice for students or new professionals who want to pursue an academic career, so make sure to tune in!

Welcome back to the Going Coastal Podcast. Jon Miller, Marissa Torres, and Deb Fernandes officially welcome Dane Lazarus as a new Going Coastal co-host.

Expect West Coast energy, Sea Grant insights, Dane’s not-so-linear path into coastal work (you will want to hear that!), what he’s excited to bring on the show, and the kind of “usable science” he is so passionate about. Also, yes, we get distracted by favourite beaches, bioluminescence, and kelp forests (as we should).

Thank you to our sponsor, the New Jersey SeaGrant.

The Student Research Spotlight Series is back for 2026, and we are welcoming a NEW HOST: Dane Lazarus!

For this episode, Dane Lazarus and Deb Fernandes chat with Liam McDermott (Virginia Tech) and Ruben Vruggink (UC Santa Cruz) about undergraduate research in probabilistic coastal hazard assessment (PCHA) and about an A-to-Z master's project on regional sediment management, bringing science, stakeholders, economics, and policy into the same conversation. Plus a lot of other cool stuff you’ll have to listen to find out ;)

Get involved:

• ASBPA SNP Mentor Program: join as a mentor or mentee via the ASBPA website

• California listeners: if you’re interested in building a stronger West Coast student / early professional network, reach out to Dane or Ruben, or email [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsor, the New Jersey Sea Grant.

Marissa Torres and Deb Fernandes sat down with Brad Pickel (SeaHaven Consulting; Managing Director, ASBPA) and Wendy Laurent (Taylor Engineering) to talk about conflict resolution: what to do when conversations get hard at work, especially for students and new professionals.

They cover quick, practical tools like grounding in the moment, the SBI method (Situation–Behavior–Impact), and how to prep for tough talks without making things worse.

All the personality tests:

RHETI Enneagram test:

• Free- https://www.9types.com/rheti/index.php

• Paid- https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/rheti/

People Map: https://www.peoplemapsystems.com/personality-types/

Clifton Strength: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253715/34-cliftonstrengths-themes.aspx

Myers-Briggs / 16 personalities: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test