Brief Biographical Sketch for Evan B. Forde



Evan B. Forde was born in Miami, Florida and received his primary education in the local public school system. He is an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, Florida. Evan has degrees in Geology and Marine Geology and Geophysics (B.A. & M.A.) from Columbia University in New York City. Forde is a recognized authority on the formation, evolution and sedimentary processes of U..S. east coast submarine canyons. As the first African American scientist to participate in research dives aboard a submersible, he has completed successful submersible dive expeditions in several submarine canyons utilizing ALVIN, the JOHNSON SEA LINK and NEKTON GAMMA. Forde has conducted research in a number of oceanographic and meteorological disciplines and his current research includes using satellite sensors to observe and analyze atmospheric conditions related to hurricane formation and intensification.

Evan has also worked extensively in the area of science education. He developed and taught graduate level courses on Tropical Meteorology targeted towards K-12 teachers for 7 years, developed and teaches an oceanography course named OCEANS for middle school students created and authored a science section for a children's magazine for three years, and created a Severe Weather Poster for NOAA that was distributed nationally to 50,000 teachers by the National Science Teacher Association that is seen by an estimated 10,000,000 children per day. Forde, a Toastmaster International certified communicator has spoken to greater than 30,000 school children through presentations about his oceanographic and academic careers. He has been the subject of museum exhibits, including a display in the Great Explorations section of the Staten Island Children's Museum, been featured in a number of periodical articles, numerous science text books and a multitude of other books and publications on prominent African American scientists.

In addition to his scientific career, Forde has served as a PTA President, a church trustee, Scoutmaster, youth basketball coach, church webmaster, Sunday School and youth ministry teacher, neighborhood Crime Watch chairman and in numerous other roles that have fostered youth and improved his community. He has a host of career and community awards that include being named NOAA's Environmental Research Laboratories EEO Outstanding Employee, South Florida's Federal Employee of the Year (Service to the Community category), a Congressional Commendation, NOAA Research Employee of the Year, and had February 10, 2009 named in his honor by the City of North Miami, and April 21, 2009 proclaimed Evan B. Forde Day by Miami-Dade County, Florida. In 2010, the Miami-Dade County School Board issued a proclamation honoring Forde's contributions to Dade students citing his ongoing efforts to enhance public education throughout the community. Forde was recently named as the recipient of the NOAA Administrator (Under Secretary of Commerce) Administrator Award for 2011 for "...outstanding communication of NOAA science, sharing the joy of science with students, and helping to foster a science-literate societyā€¯.


CONTACT INFORMATION:
Evan B. Forde
NOAA/AOML
4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, FL 33149
Telephone : 305.361.4327
Fax: 305-361-4421
evan.forde@.noaa.gov