Three years ago, the Island Alliance and National Park Service honored a friend and colleague, Dr. James Allen, with the creation of an education and research fund. Jim was a dedicated scientist who supported the National Park Service through his research of the complex and dynamic nature of coastal processes in our national parks.

With the support of Jim’s colleagues, his wife Marlene, and his children, Julie and Fletcher, the fund was established to encourage the study of coastal systems in the Boston Harbor Islands national park area. This past summer, the National Park Service and Island Alliance worked together to use those funds to hire two post-graduate interns.

Ali Giese and Nick Howes’ researched coastal geomorphology on the Boston Harbor islands with Drs. Duncan Fitzgerald, Zoe Hughes, and Peter Rosen. Ali focused on quantifying bluff erosion and Nick’s work centered on mapping the geomorphology of the island shorelines. This work builds on Jim’s professional mission and will serve as a fitting legacy for one of the national parks’ most dedicated scientists.

For more information on the Fund, please contact Laurie Jackson at ljackson@islandalliance.org