Jill is the Executive Director of MATE with the Marine Technology Society. Prior to the MTS/MATE II integration, Jill served as the President/Executive Director of MATE Inspiration for Innovation and the Associate Director of the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center. Highlights of her 25 years with MATE include working with the Marine Technology Society (MTS) ROV Committee to establish the global聽student ROV competition and coordinating the development of MATE鈥檚聽Underwater Robotics:聽Science, Design & Fabrication聽textbook.聽Both involved cultivating and maintaining partnerships with industry, professional societies, academic institutions, and STEM professionals.
Jill is a聽. She served on the MTS Board as the Vice President of Education and Research for 6 years. She currently serves as the Underwater Intervention (UI) Technical Program Committee Workforce Development for the Blue Economy Track Chair and is a member of the MTS ROV and Committees.
Jill is a 2020 recipient of an MTS Fellows Award, one of the society鈥檚 most distinguished achievements.聽 In 2018, she was listed as one of the top ten 鈥淥cean Influencers鈥� by聽Marine Technology Reporter听尘补驳补锄颈苍别.
Jill has a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Biology from Penn State University and a Master鈥檚 degree in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences from Louisiana State University (LSU).聽 During her Master鈥檚 degree program at LSU, Jill participated in research cruises that investigated hydrocarbon seep communities in the Gulf of Mexico using the Johnson Sea-Link and Alvin submersibles, which gave her an appreciation of how underwater technologies can be used to support science and exploration.