Lenore P. Tedesco, PhD

Dr. Lenore P. Tedesco has a PhD from the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine &
Atmospheric Science, Coral Gables, Florida in 1991. She received a BA in Geology from Boston
University, in Boston, Massachusetts in 1984.

She is the Executive Director of the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, NJ. The Wetlands Institute is a
non-profit research, conservation, and education organization studying, preserving and protecting
wetlands and coastal ecosystems.

Prior to joining the Wetlands Institute, Dr. Tedesco was a Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences
at Indiana University /Purdue University (IUPUI) for 20 years. She was also the Director of the Center
for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES) at IUPUI.

Her research interests are in water resources, wetland, estuarine and stream restoration, and environmental
education. She is the recipient of research grants from federal, state, local, corporate and philanthropic
funding sources in excess of $5.5 million and education grants totaling more than 3.6 million. Topics
include: Ecosystem Restoration, Water Resources Research, Watershed Planning and Management, Flood
Erosion Hazard Mitigation, Wetland and Stream Restoration and Dynamics, Climate Change, Coastal
Ecosystem Development and Stability, and K-12 Science and Environmental Science Education.

Since coming to The Wetlands Institute in fall, 2011, Dr. Tedesco has focused her research and
conservation activities on coastal and wetland ecosystem dynamics and restoration. She was part of a
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funded team working to restore critical shorebird and horseshoe
crab habitat on the Delaware Bayshore following Hurricane Sandy. Current projects include restoring
critical habitat for beach nesting and migratory shorebirds, and evaluating the impact of sea level rise on
wetland and coastal ecosystems. She is also working to restore the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary and
manage invasive plant species for habitat enhancement.

As the Director of the Center for Earth and Environmental Science, she was instrumental in elevating the
center to Signature Center status in the Indiana University system and developed an international
corporate research and development partnership in water resources management that is a model program
for public-private partnerships. She built strong community collaborations with over 30 active
community partnerships in research, education and public service including development of an ecosystem
restoration research and education site network, participatory action research sites, urban ecological
restoration sites in Indianapolis, and a social marketing campaign focused on behavior change to improve
water resources (ClearChioceCleanWater.org).

While a professor, she focused her scholarship on a host of environmental issues and mentored students
of all ages, including more than 40 graduate theses and dissertations. She is the recipient of several
environmental leadership and teaching awards, was nominated for a National Wetlands Award, received a
regional Emmy Award for outstanding education programs, and received an Indiana Governor’s Award
for Environmental Excellence for her work in education and outreach.