During her doctoral dissertation at the University of Delaware, Joy McCusker worked with the Bowers Beach, Delaware, community to help them prepare for potential sea-level rise scenarios. Her project included virtual reality simulations, environmental education, and resiliency planning for community members.

Through that work, McCusker learned about Delaware Sea Grant. She was able to collaborate with the organization on the project, and make local connections while discovering her passion for community outreach.

Now, McCusker has joined Delaware Sea Grant in a professional capacity, serving as a Workforce Development Coordinator.

“Delaware Sea Grant does a lot of community education and outreach work, so I was excited about that, and I've always wanted to work for a nonprofit,” said McCusker. “I want the work I do to feel positive and to feel like it's influencing society in a good way. Working for Delaware Sea Grant allows me that opportunity.”

An avid rock climber who also enjoys hiking, McCusker earned her bachelor’s degree in agriculture and natural resources at UD and her master’s degree in public garden leadership from Cornell. She then went on to work as a horticulturist at Stoneleigh, a natural garden in Villanova, Pennsylvania. After Stoneleigh, she returned to UD to pursue her doctorate in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.  

She studied with Jules Bruck, who was a UD professor at the time and is now the Dean of the University of Georgia’s College of Environment and Design, and Eric Bardenhagen, associate professor of Landscape Architecture, with her dissertation focused on climate change engagement and outreach.

McCusker created a virtual reality simulation of future sea-level rise projections for the town of Bowers Beach and conducted pre-surveys to gauge residents’ opinions on the urgency and severity of sea-level rise. After those residents participated in an immersive virtual reality sea-level rise experience, she had them complete an identical post-survey to see whether their opinions on the urgency and severity of sea-level rise had changed.

“It was a wonderful experience. Everyone there was so kind and involved,” said McCusker. “A lot of the participants had never used virtual reality before and so it was their first time using virtual reality goggles and it was fun to get to experience that for the first time with them.”

As a workforce development coordinator for Delaware Sea Grant, McCusker is focused on growing the Delaware Sea Grant alumni network to encourage more mentorship and collaboration from industry professionals for current Delaware Sea Grant interns. She is also looking to work with graduate students as well as help with the new professional mariner training program Delaware Sea Grant is launching in the Fall of 2026.

“We're helping people get their merchant mariner credential, which will help them get placed in jobs on vessels such as tugboats, ferries, and cargo ships,” said McCusker. “I think it's a great opportunity because to work on these ships, you don't need a four-year degree, and the salaries are good. I think we could reach a lot of people across the state of Delaware who maybe don't have the same opportunities as the graduate students that we traditionally work with.”

McCusker said the professional and academic experiences that led her to this point have prepared her for a career with Delaware Sea Grant.

“This job offered me this perfect balance of getting to teach and engage with people, while also helping people to get jobs,” said McCusker. “I never thought I would have the title ‘workforce development coordinator,’ but after doing my dissertation in Delaware, I have so many connections and it made me realize that this is kind of the perfect position for me. I'm really prepared in this unexpected way.”