Michael Savarese is a Distinguished Professor of Coastal Geology, Climate Resilience, & Preparation within the Department of Marine and Earth Sciences within Florida Gulf Coast University’s Water School. He has degrees in geoscience with background in coastal geology, paleontology, and sedimentology & stratigraphy. He has been a faculty member at FGCU since the University's opening in the fall of 1997. Mike’s teaching and research interests concern the history of environmental change in coastal settings, particularly in response to human development, climate change, and sea-level rise. Throughout his years at FGCU, he has served as a liaison between scientists and managers/decision-makers, serving in the past as the Chairperson of the Big Cypress and the Southwest Florida Restoration Coordination Teams. More recently, he has served as a community liaison to foster coastal resilience and climate-change preparedness efforts throughout Southwest Florida and beyond, working closely with natural, urban, and cultural resource managers and elected officials within local, state, and federal government.