Dionne Hoskins-Brown, Ph.D

Dionne Hoskins-Brown, Ph.D., is a change maker. When she was approached about a need for a summer pre-college experience for students interested in marine sciences, she created Coast Camp. When she saw that Savannah-area students weren’t as prepared as they could be when entering college, she sought a position on the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) Board. And most recently, when she realized how strong the connection was between her beloved field of marine sciences and local coastal African-American communities, she joined the National Park Service’s Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.

“What I would like for my journey to illustrate for students is that you can have a myriad of interests that can converge,” says Hoskins-Brown, director of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sponsored Programs at Savannah State University and an associate professor in the marine and environmental sciences department.

Hoskins-Brown’s interest in marine life began as a child in a cove of the Forest River on Savannah’s south side.

“I was always fascinated with what we would pull up (from the river),” Hoskins-Brown reminisces. “We pulled up pipefish, (which) blew my mind, (and also) crabs and shrimp and all kinds of fish that I had never seen before.”

This article appeared in "Arising: The Research Journal of Savannah State University." Story by Amy Pine.

https://www.savannahstate.edu/News/2018/06/05/Faculty-Spotlight-Dionne-Hoskins-Brown-PhD