Linda C. Schaffner

Education

• B.A., Drew University
• M.A., Ph.D., College of William and Mary

I retired at the end of 2024 and for that reason I am no longer serving as a major advisor or on student committees.  I continue to offer Writing Boot Camp and offer, or support, other professional development opportunities for VIMS graduate students.

As an associate dean and member of the leadership team of William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science and School of Marine Science for 12 years, I gained considerable experience with graduate program administration, university accreditation (SACSCOC) and strategic planning.  I am available and remain interested in participating in program reviews.

About

As a broadly trained marine and estuarine ecologist, I studied continental shelf and estuarine ecosystems in the U.S., Asia, and Europe over a 25-year+ research career. I was especially interested in how physical processes, dead zones, and climate change regulate biodiversity and productivity of marine and estuarine communities, marine food webs, and processes such as nutrient cycling, sediment transport and the fate of pollutants. My amazing graduate students, staff and colleagues undoubtedly improved the research.  We always had fun while learning, whether in the field or the lab. My former advisees have gone on to have interesting lives and successful careers in academia, government and the private sector.

As a VIMS associate dean, I provided stewardship of VIMS' broad educational mission and administrative oversight of the School of Marine Science graduate program. I remain dedicated to maintaining an inclusive education environment where we recognize potential and cultivate students as individuals, and to providing VIMS students with the education and skills they need to keep the ocean science workforce strong.