Madgellen Cleary is a Coastal Resilience Specialist with Texas Sea Grant at Texas A&M University, where she develops and implements research, education, outreach, and technical assistance programs that strengthen the resilience of Texas coastal communities. She collaborates with local governments, industry, nonprofit organizations, universities, and state and federal agencies to address coastal hazards, water quality, disaster preparedness, nature-based solutions, and sustainable resource management. Madgellen currently leads a U.S. Coastal Research Program examining the resilience of critical energy and water infrastructure to coastal flooding, coordinates the Gulf Resilience Community of Practice, supports Clean Coast Texas initiatives to improve water quality and coastal stewardship, and conducts research on public perceptions of offshore wind development in Texas. She also develops outreach programs that translate scientific research into practical tools and resources for communities and decision-makers.
Madgellen earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology with a minor in Diving Technology and Methods and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Marine Resource Management and a GIS Certificate at Texas A&M University. Her professional experience includes natural resource management with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, offshore environmental monitoring in the Gulf of Mexico as a Protected Species Observer, FEMA disaster recovery support, and community-based resilience research. Passionate about connecting science with communities, she is committed to advancing environmental stewardship, strengthening coastal resilience, and fostering collaborative solutions that support healthy ecosystems and sustainable coastal communities.
