Dr. Theresa L. Goedeke earned a doctoral degree from the Department of Rural Sociology at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2003. Her expertise is environmental and natural resource sociology. In 2003, she was a National Academies Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow, placed with the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. She was a post-doctoral research associate from 2004-2007 at Florida A&M University, managing a research project focused on coastal communities and climate change. She has conducted research on a range of topics including: natural resource use; wildlife management; offshore wind energy; endangered and protected species; climate change; and science policy. She has experience using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Dr. Goedeke joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2007 as a contractor and was recruited to federal service in 2009. Presently, she is the Team Leader for social, economic, and behavioral research in NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. She oversees a multidisciplinary team of six researchers with portfolios focusing on the natural resource valuation, human use of marine and coastal environments, and the social vulnerability of coastal communities. In 2016, she completed the US Department of Commerce Executive Leadership Development Program. In 2021, she graduated from the NOAA Leadership Competencies Development Program (LCDP). During her federal career, she has engaged in multiple rotational assignments, including rotations with the National Park Service (2016), US DOC Undersecretary for Economic Affairs (2019), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (2021). In her leisure time, Dr. Goedeke enjoys landscaping for wildlife, birding, hiking, and painting. She most admires the legacy and courage of Rachel Carson.
