Vanessa Mintzer, Ph.D.

Vanessa began her career with the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) from 2006 to 2009 before leaving to pursue a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology at the University of Florida. She reengaged with GBF in 2014 as a consultant, when she co-founded the Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program (GDRP) in partnership with the Environmental Institute of Houston. In 2023, she officially returned to GBF as an employee and now serves as the Director of Dolphin Research and Conservation, leading the GDRP’s ongoing scientific studies of bottlenose dolphins in Galveston Bay. Vanessa holds a Ph.D., a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Florida. Outside of her work in dolphin research and conservation, she enjoys gardening, traveling, hiking, and spending time on outdoor adventures with her husband, two children, and their Shepsky.