BRI Announces New Staff Appointments

Portland, ME – Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) announces the appointment of John Schmerfeld as the new director of science operations. In this position, he will be responsible for the development and oversight of both short- and long-term strategic goals of the Institute’s four research centers and 17 science programs.

“This is a much-needed position as we continue to grow and expand our project portfolio,” says David Evers, Ph.D., BRI’s executive director and chief scientist. “We are excited to tap into John’s extensive experience to lead our multidisciplinary teams in the pursuit of scientific discovery and innovation in key focal areas such as toxicology, renewable energy, biodiversity, carbon projects, and other issue-driven topics.”

Schmerfeld recently retired from 34 years of federal service. His portfolio of experience has included several executive-level positions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), most recently serving as the senior climate advisor for the agency. His leadership work focused primarily on the development of policy and guidance that provided direction to Department of Interior priorities on climate science, landscape conservation, Nature-based Solutions, adaptive management, and Indigenous knowledge.

Schmerfeld joins BRI at a pivotal moment in the organization’s 26-year history as critical environmental issues are at the forefront of the world’s consciousness.

“I have admired BRI’s work for more than two decades,” says Schmerfeld. “They have a high trust factor in the industry, they engage in high quality research partnerships and collaborations, and they value a cultural climate based on integrity, collaboration, and professional growth. I look forward to helping BRI evolve further in their commitment to helping mitigate major environmental issues.”

BRI has added staff scientists in the Center for Research on Offshore Wind and the Environment including:Michael Wethington, Ph.D. will be an integral part of the multidisciplined team working on a major project in collaboration with the USFWS to estimate avian collision risk related to offshore wind energy development; and Mary McElroy, Ph.D. joins BRI to work on regional projects with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) related to wildlife and offshore wind energy development.

BRI’s Center for Mercury Studies has worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for nearly two decades to quantify environmental damages caused by contaminants (mostly oil and mercury pollution) through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process. These projects have developed into BRI’s new NRDA Consulting Group, which is focused on providing expertise in environmental toxicology, transport and fate analysis, hydrologic and geologic sciences, ecosystem services, and ecological restoration. New staff for this Group include: Jeff Morris, Ph.D., senior scientist and co-director; Jamie Holmes, M.S., senior scientist and co-director; and Michelle Krasnec, Ph.D., senior ecologist.

“This is an exciting period in BRI’s evolution,” says Evers. “The goal is to build capacity and ensure the long-term stability and sustainability of BRI by diversifying and building upon our core capabilities as research scientists and science communicators.”

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Biodiversity Research Institute, headquartered in Portland, Maine, is a nonprofit ecological research group whose mission is to assess emerging threats to wildlife and ecosystems through collaborative research, and to use scientific findings to advance environmental awareness and inform decision makers.