Shelly Battyanyi joined Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in 2026 as an administrative assistant. She works with the administrative team to schedule school and public programs, manages guest services for the UGA Aquarium and helps keep overall operations running smoothly.

A proud University of Georgia alumna, Battyanyi holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, Latin, and classical culture. Before joining the Marine Education Center and Aquarium, she taught Latin at Benedictine Military School in Savannah for more than 13 years, serving as department chair of world languages for 10 years. She then went on to work at Savannah College of Art and Design for three years as an academic administrative assistant and as an academic operations manager.

Born and raised in Savannah, Shelly continues to enjoy her hometown by finding new hidden treasures throughout the city, along with running and birdwatching around Lake Mayer. She also enjoys reading, discussing pop culture, and spending time with her husband and their cat.