Maeghan is a Collaborative Research Manager at the University of Michigan Water Center, where she serves as a program manager engaging multi-disciplinary, multi-sector teams to develop and implement user driven collaborative science projects. For the past ten years, she has helped to lead NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative which is managed by the Water Center and supports research designed to address critical coastal management needs identified by the reserves. She oversees the day-to-day administration of the program, coordinates regular requests for proposals, works closely with collaborative science teams, and contributes to social science research that answers critical questions for both the practice and field of collaborative science. Maeghan joined the Water Center in February 2013 with a multidisciplinary background in conservation science and policy and experience bringing these two worlds together to effectively promote natural resource protection and restoration. Previously, Maeghan worked in the government relations department for New Jersey Audubon where she served as the bridge between on-the-ground research and restoration and policymaking. She also worked for a variety of nonprofit organizations in the DC-metro area where she focused on a range of wildlife and habitat issues. Maeghan earned an M.S. in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology and M.P.P. in Environmental Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Indiana University, Bloomington. In her free time, Maeghan enjoys running, baking, and exploring natural areas with her husband and three young kids.