Anna Linhoss, Associate Director of NGI and GRI. Photo by Megan Bean.
Anna Linhoss, an esteemed researcher with interests in hydrology, ecology, watershed management, climate change, and computational modeling and simulation of the aforementioned has been named the assistant director of the Northern Gulf Institute and the Geosystems Research Institute. Both research institutes are under the Vice President for the Office of Research and Economic Development organizational umbrella.
Before joining MSU’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in 2013 as an assistant professor, Linhoss worked as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Florida where she also earned her Ph.D. She earned a master’s degree at the University of Georgia and an undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Linhoss’ role will include collaboration with a multitude of research project teams where she will help provide new approaches to help offer solutions to complex problems. In fact, Linhoss’ work has been recognized by The National Academies of Science, The National Fish and Wildlife Federation and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These organizations and others have granted Linhoss 18 competitive research grants totaling $4 million.
“Dr. Linhoss brings a wide range of experiences and insight into this position due to her successful work in hydrologic and ecological modeling,” Robert Moorhead, director of NGI and GRI said. “Her skills in creating and analyzing models of water flow, water quality and sediment erosion that simulate the impacts on ecological bio systems is a natural fit to help scientists collaborate to find novel solutions to address environmental concerns that impact our world.”
Linhoss’s extensive background includes research projects in the Gulf of Mexico that concentrate on areas like oyster reef restoration and examining the rate of sand erosion at Deer Island by mapping the flow of currents to prevent the Island from eroding into the Gulf. In Florida’s Biscayne Bay, she studies how water quality affects algal blooms and the resulting environmental impacts to the ecosystem.
“I am extremely excited to be named assistant director of NGI and GRI,” Linhoss said. “One of my passions is working with multidisciplinary teams to tackle complex and integrative research questions. In this position, I look forward to working with faculty across MSU and throughout the Gulf of Mexico to extend our research and promote our work.”
This past spring Linhoss chaired the organizing committee for the SEC academic conference “The Future of Water: Regional Collaboration on Shared Climate, Coastlines and Watersheds,” held at Mississippi State. As a result of Linhoss’ reputation as a researcher, over 60 academic, corporate and governmental researchers participated as speakers and panelists. Governmental organizations, included the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition Linhoss landed best-selling author John M. Barry, former National Geographic executive environment editor Dennis Dimick, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory senior water scientist Jay Famiglietti to engage top scientists on a variety of water resource topics.
“We are confident that through her leadership Dr. Linhoss will contribute innovative ideas and design research programs that address increasingly complex environmental science challenges,” said David Shaw, vice president for research and economic development at MSU.
NGI, is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cooperative Institute, a partnership of six complementary academic institutions and NOAA addressing important national strategic research and education goals. Mississippi State University leads this collaboration, partnering with the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Florida State University, Alabama’s Dauphin Island Sea Lab, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and NOAA scientists at various laboratories and operational centers in the Gulf of Mexico region. For more information, please visit
www.ngi.msstate.edu.
GRI is provides capabilities in remote sensing computational technologies, visualization techniques, agriculture and natural resource management and the transition of these into operational agency research, planning and decision-support programs. GRI has developed nationally recognized research strengths with strong relationships and inherent respect from state, regional and national agencies and business entities. For more information, please visit
www.gri.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at
www.msstate.edu.