Moderator

Stefan Leslie, Chief Executive Officer, Research Nova Scotia

Stefan Leslie is the Chief Executive Officer of Research Nova Scotia. Research Nova Scotia is a not-for-profit corporation established to facilitate research and development contributing to economic growth for the province and the wellbeing of Nova Scotians. RNS invests in academic and clinical research across Nova Scotian universities, colleges and healthcare centers. Leslie holds degrees in international development (University of King's College and Dalhousie University) and marine management (Dalhousie University). He comes to Research Nova Scotia from the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response (MEOPAR) Network where he served as Executive Director. During his tenure with the not-for-profit, he successfully led MEOPAR to renewed funding, increased the organization's influence with partners and stakeholders nationwide, and launched the Fathom Fund, an initiative embracing crowdfunding and innovative methods to support scientific research. Prior to MEOPAR, Leslie held leadership roles with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and spent several years with the New Zealand fisheries ministry. His experiences there involved regular collaboration with industry, researchers, and community to achieve largescale projects such as the protection of 1.25 million square kilometers of New Zealand seabed.

Speaker

Dr. Anya Waite, Chief Executive Officer & Scientific Director, Ocean Frontier Institute

Dr. Waite is the chief executive officer and scientific director of the Ocean Frontier Institute. Her previous roles include the associate vice-president research (ocean) at Dalhousie University from 2018-2024, section head of Polar Biological Oceanography at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, and professor of oceanography at the University of Bremen. After completing a Bachelor of Science in biology in 1985 at Dalhousie, she obtained her PhD in 1992 in biological oceanography at the University of British Columbia. She then held postdoctoral positions at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Victoria University in New Zealand. In 1997, Dr. Waite took a professorship at the University of Western Australia in Perth and was there for 17 years as a biological oceanographer. She was a research group leader in the Oceans Institute in addition to teaching students in the Environmental Engineering program. Dr. Waite's early work included participation in the first Southern Ocean Iron Fertilization Experiment (SOIREE). After this, Dr. Waite's work in the East Indian Ocean explored the dynamics of mesoscale eddies, the nitrogen cycle in oligotrophic systems, and the biology of the spiny lobster larvae in Australian waters. Her current interests include nitrogen fluxes in polar oceans and particle dynamics in mesoscale eddies. Previously, Dr. Waite co-chaired the prestigious Global Ocean Observing System steering committee from 2020-2024 – the first woman at the head of this body since its creation in 2011. She was Canada's representative on the World Meteorological Organization's Greenhouse Gas Study Group, and she co-chaired the Working Group on biological observation systems for the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (Integration of Plankton-Observing Sensor Systems to Existing Global Sampling Programs) from 2018-2022. Dr. Waite was also on the board of the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction, and Response Network (MEOPAR) from 2018-2024 and the editorial board of the international journal Limnology and Oceanography. Earlier commitments included the Board of Directors of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre in Hobart, Australia, the Norwegian Research Council Advisory Board, the Programme Advisory Group for the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Changing Arctic Ocean Research Programme, the Steering Committee of the Southern Ocean Observation System (SOOS), and the board of directors for the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. Dr. Waite won teaching excellence awards in Australia and Germany and has recently been awarded the Japanese Oceanographic Society's Yoshida Award for her oceanographic research on biological physical coupling. She currently sits on the board of Canada's Ocean Supercluster.

Speaker

Dr. Kate Moran, President & Chief Executive Officer, Ocean Networks Canada

Dr. Kate Moran is the President & CEO of Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), a position she has held since 2012. She first joined the University of Victoria in September 2011 as a professor in the Faculty of Science and as Director of NEPTUNE Canada. Her previous appointment was Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Rhode Island. From 2009 to 2011, Moran was seconded to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where she served as an Assistant Director and focused on Arctic, polar, ocean, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and climate policy issues. She is active in public outreach on topics related to the Arctic, ocean observing, and climate change. Professor Moran co-led the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program's Arctic Coring Expedition which successfully recovered the first paleoclimate record from the Arctic Ocean. She also led one of the first offshore expeditions to investigate the seafloor following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Professor Moran is a registered professional engineer, an Officer of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Canadian Society of Senior Engineers, and was selected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow for the class of 2022. Dr. Moran completed a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She spent some time working at Procter and Gamble before joining a new program in Ocean Engineering at the University of Rhode Island. After receiving a job offer from the Atlantic Geoscience Centre, she moved to Nova Scotia. She received her PhD in 1995 from Dalhousie University.

Speaker

Leslie-Ann McGee, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI)

Leslie-Ann McGee is a highly accomplished professional with over two decades of experience in marine science, coastal management, and environmental policy, exemplifying the synergy between academia and marine technology development. As a certified Project Management Professional, she has successfully linked global environmental challenges to breakthrough advancements in marine technology. In her role as the Assistant Director of the Consortium for Marine Robotics at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) from 2015 to 2021, she cultivated industrial relations that significantly increased private funding for research and innovation. Leslie-Ann provided business development education to staff, fostering entrepreneurship opportunities with small marine robotics companies and facilitating connections with WHOI scientists. Currently, as the Director of Special Projects and Senior Program Manager at WHOI, she oversees major projects, including a $130 million waterfront redevelopment and climate resiliency initiatives. Her expertise spans ocean and coastal solutions, marine spatial planning, and environmental policy implementation. Leslie-Ann holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a B.A. in Geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is also pursuing an MBA at the Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst. Known for her ability to navigate complex political and policy situations, Leslie-Ann is a connector who excels at organizing information and facilitating dialogue among stakeholders. Her leadership style is characterized by thoughtfulness and an outgoing personality, enabling her to bring together diverse perspectives to form cohesive management strategies. Throughout her career, she has actively promoted the integration of academic research with technological advancements in marine settings, fostering collaborations that enhance both scientific inquiry and practical applications in marine technology.