Dr. David LaDon Swann
- Natural and Man-Made Hazard Mitigation
- Environmental Science
- Coastal Development
- Ecotourism
- Habitat Loss
- Overfishing and Bycatch
- Public Health
- Restoration
- Sustainable Development
- Decision, Risk and Management Science
- Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics
- Sociology
- Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction - Agriculture and Extension Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.A., 1999
- M.S. in Fisheries Biology, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.A., 1985
- B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.A., 1982
As the leader of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and Auburn University Marine Programs, Dr. LaDon Swann is responsible for implementing practical solutions to coastal issues in Alabama and Mississippi through competitive research, graduate student training, extension, outreach and K-12 education. He conducts research on shellfish aquaculture and habitat restoration and has more than 25 years of experience designing, delivering and evaluating adult education programs. Dr. Swann has been the director of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium since 2002.
During his tenure, he has demonstrated exceptional and sustained contributions that allowed NOAA, NOAA Research and Sea Grant to accomplish their shared mission. His accomplishments and activities have been recognized locally, regionally and nationally. The Tennessee native worked 10 years with the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program at Purdue University, where he earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction for adults. He also has served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa. In the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Dr. Swann was selected to serve on the Governor’s Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama and the Mississippi Governor’s GoCoast 2020. In addition, he has helped lead large-scale, regional research to address Gulf-wide priorities with NOAA and other federal partners.
A leader in the Gulf region, he is an advisory group member for National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program and is part of the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team. Dr. Swann also serves on the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Management Team. He serves as president of the Sea Grant Association.