Megan Cochran, Great Lakes outreach coordinator with the New York Sea Grant’s Western New York office at UB, was named a recipient of the 2026 Great Lakes Sea Grant Network's Early Career Award. Cochran was recognized for excellence in her work across multiple programming and communication platforms.

New York Sea Grant is an extension collaboration of Cornell University and the State University of New York, connecting research, outreach and education to the needs of New York's coastal communities, environments, and economies.

Cochran was hired in June 2021 as New York Sea Grant's first Great Lakes outreach coordinator. Her focus includes social media and communicating information on New York Sea Grant programming, workshops, events and resources. By 2023, she became training leader for new Sea Grant staff in New York. She now assists new staff throughout the Sea Grant Great Lakes region states.

Cochran works with other New York Sea Grant specialists to develop resources related to Great Lakes literacy, coastal community development and resilience, coastal processes and hazards, and fisheries and Great Lakes ecosystem health.

As coordinator of the New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants program in collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Cochran has enhanced outreach to engage more communities in applying for funding available to advance local projects that fit the goals of New York's Great Lakes Action Agenda.

DEC grant

In other Sea Grant news, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has awarded a $32,017 grant to UB for Hydrology Academy workforce training.

This project will address critical hydrologic data gaps identified in the Great Lakes Action Agenda by expanding regional capacity for collecting hydrologic data. The academy will provide targeted workforce training for environmental scientists, local municipal planners, watershed groups and university students through a four-day workshop and a series of instructional videos.

Curriculum will provide hands-on experience and train regional practitioners to support watershed management plans.