About
Marie is a science communicator for the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Program in Superior, WI. In her career, she has worked as a newspaper reporter, a photojournalist, a wildland firefighter and a fire information officer. She has provided public affairs expertise for organizations such as the Superior National Forest, Minnesota Sea Grant, Mayo Clinic, and the St. Louis River Alliance. Maria was appointed as communications advisor to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Board of Scientific Counselors (2010-2013). She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers and served as chair of the National Sea Grant Communications Steering Committee and the Great Lakes Sea Grant Communications Network.
In her spare time, Marie writes fiction and poetry. Her poems have appeared in several anthologies and community projects, and she’s written two eco-mystic romance novels set in northern Minnesota and published by North Star Press: “Eye of the Wolf” (2011) and “Plover Landing” (2014). “Plover Landing” was nominated for a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award. Her most recent work is “Going Coastal: An Anthology of Lake Superior Short Stories,” which she edited and co-authored. She is the current chair of Lake Superior Writers, a group that provides support and programming for local writers.
Awards
- 2018 – Writers Read Nonfiction Essay Contest Winner, Northland College
- 2018 – Northeastern Minnesota Book Award Nomination
- 2016 – Lake Superior Writers Short Story Contest Winner
- 2015 – Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Outstanding Programming Award
- 2015 – Council for the Advancement and Support of Education Bronze Award
- 2015 – Northeastern Minnesota Book Award Nomination
Education
- 2005 – Master of Arts (M.A.) – Public Health Journalism, University of Minnesota
- 1986 – Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) – Science Journalism, University of Minnesota