Mark Risse has served as the director of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant since 2013. In his role he oversees the unit’s research, education and extension programs and manages budgets, personnel, and policy issues related to the unit. Prior to this, he spent 18 years with UGA Cooperative Extension as a water resources specialist in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. His expertise is in non-point source pollution management, stormwater management, and soil and water conservation.

Risse is a double dawg, having received his bachelor and master’s degrees at UGA in agricultural engineering and his Ph.D. in biological and agricultural engineering at Purdue University. At UGA, Risse has received recognition as a Fellow in the International Soil and Water Conservation Society. He is a Walter Bernard Hill Fellow, the university’s highest honor for public service and outreach and is a life member of the UGA Rugby Club. Risse lives on a small beef cattle farm outside of Athens with his wife, Chris, and enjoys fishing, gardening, visiting his daughters and watching Georgia football games.