Biography

Dr. Colleen Mouw is the Associate Dean for Diversity and Academic Affairs in the Graduate School, an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, and is a mentoring, professional development, and personal growth enthusiast. Her academic research focuses on utilizing optical tools to investigate phytoplankton community structure, carbon cycling, and the physical drivers of these in marine and freshwater systems. Her personal and professional interests lie are in mentoring, coaching, and inspiring others to discover and achieve inner excellence to thrive in their professional lives. She aims to create a community of belonging where everyone feels free to bring their whole unique selves to their life’s endeavors. She believes that professional skills in communication and leadership are just as important, if not more important, as technical skills and knowledge in career success, impact, and satisfaction. She has taught graduate courses on ocean remote sensing and optics and scholarly writing and co-leads a national program aimed at retaining women in science.