Ali Whitmer is Assistant Dean at Georgetown College, Georgetown University, in Washington, DC. She previously served as Director of Education and Outreach at the Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara. Her education work included outreach initiatives with the Santa Barbara Coastal and Moorea Coral Reef LTER sites. In 2006, Dr. Whitmer was a member of the NSF-convened Conceptual Design Review Panel of NEON. In 2007, she served on the NEON Education Tiger Team.