2011 Video Contest – Judges


Miranda Kerr	Miranda Kerr sparked her career in ocean sciences during a high school marine biology program at Shedd Aquarium. She continued working with Shedd Aquarium as an intern in the education department throughout high school and college. She graduated with university and departmental honors from Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH with a bachelor’s of science degree in biology, with minors in chemistry and marine science. During her undergraduate career, Miranda conducted research projects with Duke University, University of Maryland, and Wittenberg University faculty. Miranda earned her master’s of science degree in biology at Florida Atlantic University, with thesis work on zooplankton under her research adviser Dr. Edith Widder. After completing her master’s degree, Miranda joined the staff of Florida Oceanographic Society as an education specialist. In August of 2010, Miranda returned to Shedd Aquarium, working in the Student and Teacher Programs section of the Education Department as a Science Educator. She develops and implements innovative and immersive programs that equip learners with the knowledge and skills to investigate science.

Gail Krueger	Gail Krueger is the outreach & communication coordinator for Gray’s Reef. She has been the director and coordinator of the Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival, an annual event in Savannah, Geogia, for eight years. As a child, she spent many, many hours in the Shed Aquarium in Chicago and came to the conclusion that fish were pretty cool. Gail had a long career as an environmental journalist covering fresh water and marine issues among many other topics before joining the staff of Gray’s Reef. She still thinks fish are pretty cool.

Chris Palmer	Chris Palmer is an environmental and wildlife film producer who has swum with dolphins and whales, confronted sharks, come face-to-face with Kodiak bears, camped with wolf packs, and waded hip-deep through an Everglades swamp. In 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Media at the International Wildlife Film Festival, and recently he received the Environmental Film Educator of the Decade Award at the Green Globe Film Awards in LA. His book, Shooting in the Wild: An Insider’s Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom, was published in May by Sierra Club Books and has been widely praised. Jane Goodall called it “a very important and much-needed book.” Chris has spent 25 years leading the production of more than 300 hours of original programming for prime time television and the giant screen (IMAX) film industry. His films have been broadcast on the Disney Channel, TBS Superstation, Animal Planet, Home and Garden Television, The Travel Channel, The Outdoor Life Network, the Public Broadcasting System, and in the global system of IMAX theaters. His IMAX films include Whales, Wolves, Dolphins, Bears, India: Kingdom of the Tiger, Coral Reef Adventure, and Grand Canyon Adventure. [Click here for full bio]

Katie Snider	Katie Snider is the Executive Producer of Ocean Today. Ocean Today is a multimedia exhibit where visitors can learn about the ocean’s influence on them and their influence on the ocean. The exhibit is located at the Smithsonian’s Sant Ocean Hall and at 26 aquariums and learning centers around the country. Prior to Ocean Today, Katie worked in television production on shows for The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, HGTV, and The Smithsonian Network. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband Scott, daughter Lily, and their dog Parker. She enjoys kayaking, letterpress art, and traveling.

Sarah Wilson	Sarah Wilson: Sarah’s family had a sailboat in southern California when she was growing up so her summers were spent fishing and snorkeling, spending hours in the water. These ocean experiences sparked her passion for the sea and its creatures and she knew since she was 6 years old that she wanted to be a marine biologist. She studied marine science at UC Santa Cruz and received a BA in Biology and then a MA in Science Education from San Diego State University. Sarah is the Ocean Education Manager at the National Geographic Society and recently traveled the world by private yacht teaching all school topics, scuba diving, and marine biology for 5th, 7th, and 9th grade students. Sarah has a history with NOSB from 2000-2004 as a previous Regional Coordinator, Nationals Coordinator, and NOSB Diversity Initiative program creator while at Birch Aquarium at Scripps. She has worked for over 16 years in education management, teacher education, animal care and training, exhibit creation, instruction, curriculum creation and program development at top institutions including National Geographic Society, Birch Aquarium at Scripps and the Ocean Institute. Sarah’s love and knowledge of animals has given her opportunities to work in animal care, training, and education with San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and Dolphin Research Center. In addition, Sarah’s work as a science and education specialist includes publishing books, websites, and teaching guides for Scholastic, IMAX Films, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the multi-agency marine portal website Thank You Ocean (www.thankyouocean.org). Sarah also have extensive marine field research experience ranging from being a NAUI Scientific Master Diver in kelp forests and coral reefs to a sea turtle and marine mammal observer around the world. She has spent years working as a Naturalist on various ships introducing the wonders of whales in Alaska, Baja Mexico, and Hawaii as well as teaching snorkeling and diving around the globe.

Miranda Kerr sparked her career in ocean sciences during a high school marine biology program at Shedd Aquarium. She continued working with Shedd Aquarium as an intern in the education department throughout high school and college. She graduated with university and departmental honors from Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH with a bachelor’s of science degree in biology, with minors in chemistry and marine science. During her undergraduate career, Miranda conducted research projects with Duke University, University of Maryland, and Wittenberg University faculty. Miranda earned her master’s of science degree in biology at Florida Atlantic University, with thesis work on zooplankton under her research adviser Dr. Edith Widder. After completing her master’s degree, Miranda joined the staff of Florida Oceanographic Society as an education specialist. In August of 2010, Miranda returned to Shedd Aquarium, working in the Student and Teacher Programs section of the Education Department as a Science Educator. She develops and implements innovative and immersive programs that equip learners with the knowledge and skills to investigate science.