March 31, 2025
SOLOMONS, MD—The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) has named Dr. Beth Polidoro, a renowned expert in marine science and environmental chemistry, the new Director of its Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL). Dr. Polidoro will begin her appointment on August 1, 2025.
As Director of CBL, Dr. Polidoro will oversee the laboratory’s research programs, which address critical environmental issues facing the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal ecosystems. She will also foster collaborations with other research institutions, government agencies, and stakeholders to translate scientific findings into effective environmental management strategies.
“I am excited to have Dr. Beth Polidoro join us as our new Director of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory at UMCES,” UMCES president Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm said. “She brings to CBL a distinguished record as a scientist and leader of international renown, which fits very well with our shared vision for UMCES’s maiden laboratory. I really look forward to working with Beth as we build our institution forward for years to come”.
Dr. Polidoro joins UMCES from Arizona State University, where she was the Deputy Director of the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes and the Assistant Director of the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. She also recently served as the Director of Research for the Marine Stewardship Council.
She holds several voluntary positions with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In this capacity, she serves as the Co-Chair of the IUCN Marine Fishes Red List Authority and holds leadership positions in the IUCN Coral Specialist Group, the IUCN Tuna and Billfishes Specialist Group, and the IUCN Marine Conservation Committee.
Her research focuses on different methods and approaches to assess ecological and environmental risk within the context of marine and freshwater biodiversity conservation, sustainable fisheries, and applied toxicology. With more than 80 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and cited nearly 15,000 times, Dr. Polidoro’s research is globally recognized and will help UMCES continue to work on behalf of Maryland’s natural resources.
"UMCES and CBL have consistently been at the forefront of groundbreaking research, quality education, and impactful outreach,” Dr. Polidoro said. “I am honored to join the leadership team and look forward to collaborating with the exceptional faculty, staff, and students at CBL, and in engaging with the wider community to continue strengthening and expanding the local and global impact of UMCES institutions.”
Dr. Polidoro has twice received the prestigious Excellence in Faculty Research award at Arizona State University's New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. For her work on global marine fish conservation, she has also received outreach and engagement awards from the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
Dr. Polidoro earned her Ph.D. in soil and water resources from the University of Idaho and Centro Agronómico de Investigación y Enseñanza, a M.S. in environmental science from Washington State University, a B.S. in geology from Portland State University, and a B.A. in communications from Rutgers University.
The Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, located in Solomons, Maryland, is the oldest publicly supported marine laboratory on the East Coast of the United States. It is a part of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, a leading research institution dedicated to advancing our understanding of the environment.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science leads the way toward better management of Maryland’s natural resources and the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. From a network of laboratories located across the state, our scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. To learn more about UMCES, visit www.umces.edu.