Shakila Merchant

Dr. Shakila Merchant worked as an Environmental Scientist at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India for more than 10 years before moving to the United States and joined NOAA Cooperative Science Center, The City College of New York, NY 2002.

Dr. Merchant has extensive knowledge and experience in Project Management, Planning, Assessment. Her research areas of Interest are – Environment Impact and Ecosystem Health Assessment.

Dr. Merchant, in partnership with NOAA JPSS Program, developed NOAA JPSS Students Professional and Academic Readiness with Knowledge in Satellites (SPARKS) program to provide pre-workforce experiential and professional training to students in NOAA JPSS mission sciences by creating synergistic partnership with federal (NOAA) agency, academia, and private sectors. She has also been an instrumental and a key member in designing the Individualized Students Development Plan (ISDP) and Professional Advancement and Career Engagement (PACE) best practices at the Center and published several research and educational articles. She served on the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Education Symposium Committee in 2020-2021, and leads the K12 informal learning initiatives at CCNY since 2010. She presented at several national conferences and has been invited to lead and/or serve on several panels including women leaders in STEM fields, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and STEM Education and Workforce Development Panels. Dr. Merchant has served as a program and career advisor and mentor for more than seven hundred (700) post-secondary students since 2002

• Human-based Impacts on Climate Change and Marine Ecosystems (Marine Debris, Coral Reefs, and Ecosystems)
• Climate and Weather-related impacts on Vulnerable Communities, Social and Environmental Justice.
• Flood and Drought impacts on Food Security