Background
Brosnan, Deborah Mary was born on July 29, in Limerick, Ireland. Came to the United States, 1982. Daughter of Thomas Joseph and Creina (O'Mahony) Brosnan.
entrepreneur marine scientist speaker underwater photographer disaster risk expert
Brosnan, Deborah Mary was born on July 29, in Limerick, Ireland. Came to the United States, 1982. Daughter of Thomas Joseph and Creina (O'Mahony) Brosnan.
Bachelor of Science with Honors Zoology and Botany University College Galway, Ireland, at age 20. Master of Fisheries Science University College Galway, Ireland, and her Doctor of Philosophy, Oregon State University, 1994.
Accomplished academic and entrepreneur career spanning Private and Civic Sector
President and Founder Deborah Brosnan & Associates
A company that finds smart solutions to environmental risks globally, with special expertise in disaster risk reduction and climate change, endangered species, land/sea use regulations and policies, sustainable development. Science based and strategically focused. present.
Founder, CEO, Sustainable Ecosystems Institute
A non-profit organization that integrated science and carried out scientific research to address environmental problems throughout the USA 1994-2011. Established and grew organization, focused on endangered species, forestry, oceans, laws and policies & held several multi-million IDIQ government contracts.
Academic Appointments
Full Professor of Biology Virginia Tech adjunct and Affiliate Professor Global Change Institute and the Global Forum for Urban and Regional Resilience. - Present.
Environment and Policy Faculty. One Health Institute, University of California Davis, - Present.
Senior Visiting Researcher, Smithsonian Institution 2013-2016.
Visiting Scholar, Stanford University, Dept. of Biology 2009-2010 and 2002-2003.
Visiting Professor Northwestern School of Law. Developed and co-taught marine science and law, and curriculum on ecological science and law. 1999- 2002 and on occasional basis.
Assistant Professor of Biology Lewis and Clark College Portland Oregon. 1992-1995
Visiting Lecturer, University of Oregon 1987-1992.
Public Sector
Principle and Lead Scientist for NOAA and Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York. 1982-1986 Led the development of multi-disciplinary indicators of marine pollution. Convened 12 different teams to craft workable indices for identifying healthy and polluted systems. 1982-1986.
Pioneered peer review for environmental decisions, engaging science in disasters response, and has been active in disaster mitigation including tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes globally.
Hero's award for saving lives in 747- plane crash.
Returned to Asia to assist with economic, scientific assistance in aftermath of tsunami.
Inducted into Irish 100 for services to higher education.
Recruited to several international Boards of Directors including UC Davis Wildlife Health SeaDoc, Wild Geese Network of Irish Scientists (chair), Project AWARE global conservation diving organization offices 8 regions and others.
Professional Societies- Member American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Geophysical Union,
Known as an energetic, passionate, pragmatic and deeply humanitarian scientist driven to find innovative solutions that sustain nature and people. Most at home in the ocean. Adventurer and explorer of the planet and things intellectual. Her experiences in surviving natural and human-caused disasters around the world have led others to call her "the real life female Indiana Jones".
