Nancy N. Rabalais is Executive Director and Professor of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Cocodrie, Louisiana, USA. Dr. Rabalais' research interests include the dynamics of hypoxic waters, interactions of large rivers with the coastal ocean, eutrophication, and science policy. Dr. Rabalais is an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, an Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellow, a Past President of the Estuarine Research Federation, a National Associate of the National Academies of Science, a Vice Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee of LOICZ/IGBP, and a Past Chair of the Ocean Studies Board. She is currently on external advisory panels for the National Sea Grant Program, the National Research Council and the NSF Environmental Biology and Education directorate, and is a member of SCOR WG 28 on coastal hypoxia. She has authored 3 books, 26 book chapters, and over 80 peer-reviewed publications. She received the 2002 Bostwick H. Ketchum Award for coastal research from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Her Ph.D. is in zoology from the University of Texas.