Tanya Vance joined the Unidata Program Center as Community Services Manager on May 31, 2022. She comes to Unidata from the New Zealand Department of Conservation/Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) where she served as the manager of the National Freshwater Ecosystems & Threats Team. While at DOC, she co-lead national and cross-agency strategy development, provided oversight and advising on climate and ecological programs, and the development of national-scale watershed restoration projects co-designed and co-led with Indigenous Tribal Partners and in collaboration with a wide variety of community stakeholders.
After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (with a Chemistry minor) from Metropolitan State University of Denver, Tanya followed her passion for conservation and got her Master of Science degree in Marine Resource Management, Oceanography with graduate certification in GIS from Oregon State University's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. Having worked on projects from local to continental scales and with community stakeholders, government agencies, and research institutes, including USGS, NOAA, and NEON, Tanya discovered she enjoys leading multidisciplinary collaborations and building partnerships to tackle complex challenges that support thriving systems and communities.
In her very first days with Unidata, Tanya has immersed herself in community interactions. She attended her first Unidata governing committee meeting during her first week on the job, and is gearing up to work closely with community members and staff on the development of Unidata’s next strategic plan. Tanya notes that with her “background and passion in all things Earth System Science, data, education, and people, Unidata’s mission really resonated. I’m looking forward to better serving the needs of the diverse geoscience research and education community and working towards removing barriers to advance Earth System science through innovative services and tools.”
When Tanya is not in the office, she enjoys adventuring with family and friends. She’s happy to return to the Boulder area and Colorado’s abundance of outdoor playgrounds, and looks forward to concerts at Red Rocks, early morning climbs up Mt. Sanitas, hikes up the Flatirons, pedaling with the family, and getting on the water at the local reservoir.
Please help us welcome Tanya to the Unidata Program Center Team!
