Dr. Camille Gaynus
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Chief Science Officer
Originally from Philadelphia, Camille established a love of the water at an early age. She grew up as a competitive swimmer, but it was not until she entered Hampton University as a Marine and Environmental Science major that she realized she could turn her passion for water and the ocean into a career. Upon graduating from Hampton University, she started a PhD in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at UCLA. She spent the majority of her PhD research examining the factors that promote algal proliferation in coral reefs. She spent two years as a postdoc at the University of Penn in the Biology Department, where she uses molecular techniques to assess how the taxonomic composition of algal communities changes when there are changes in herbivory and nutrients. Currently she works in the Biology department at Penn State Brandywine. There are two things Camille loves about being a marine scientist. First is the sheer amount of knowledge the ocean holds. It gives her countless opportunities to learn and explore. Second, she physically enjoy being underwater. There is something about being totally submerged in water that is calming for Camille. She got involved in #BlackinMarineScientist because she loves being Black and she believes it is important that we highlight Black stories as a way to combat anti-Blackness. As Chief Science Officer, Camille works to advance the research of BIMS members, which in turns changes the narrative around who we consider scientist.
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