Ambassador Program
The Ocean Frontier Institute ambassador promotes and shapes the future direction of the Institute.

About the OFI ambassador program

Ambassadors will promote and shape the Ocean Frontier Institute’s future direction, engage with other leaders, and mentor early-career OFI researchers. They will be chosen not only for their experience and reputation, but their ability to explain research in plain language. The program offers a way to recognize distinguished ocean researchers for their scientific contributions to OFI through formal long-term association. The OFI Ambassador program was approved by OFI’s Executive Council in July 2020.

The goal of this program is to harness the expertise of, and fully engage leading investigators to raise the OFI profile and partake in scientific dialogue in an outward facing capacity locally, nationally, and internationally.

Appointments will be considered for influential investigators/researchers associated with the OFI whose research closely reflects the Institute’s vision and mission.

OFI's inaugural ambassador

Dr. Boris Worm

OFI announces Dr. Boris Worm as our first ambassador. Dr. Worm will focus on Ocean Literacy.

Future ambassador topic areas under consideration

  • Ocean and climate
  • Ocean biodiversity
  • Ocean sensors and technology
  • Ocean and social science
  • Ocean and applied science
  • Other topics may be considered

Ambassador appointments

Appointments will be made through a nomination process, considering diversity of both the nominee and their proposed mentee, depth and breadth of the nominee’s expertise and whether it aligns with OFI strategy. The nominee must have the support of the Dean of the appropriate Faculty and the OFI Scientific Directorate.

OFI Ambassadors are expected to:

  • Engage with OFI leadership in high-level strategic discussions in an advisory capacity
  • Perform outreach and knowledge mobilization activities for OFI, within the ocean subject area of their appointment
  • Promote OFI at local, national, international conferences/meetings/events
Dr. Boris Worm

Dr. Boris Worm is a Killam Research Professor at Dalhousie's Biology Department and OFI's inaugural ambassador. His appointment focuses on helping to promote ocean literacy, which is defined as our awareness of both the ocean's role in sustaining us, and our role in sustaining a healthy ocean. He is also the Scientific Director of Ocean School, OFI's leading ocean literacy program.

Anya Waite
Dalhousie University
anya.waite@dal.ca

Paul Snelgrove
Memorial University
psnelgrove@mun.ca