Ohio Sea Grant is pleased to announce Jill Bartolotta as the new Education Specialist for the Ohio Sea Grant Extension Program.
Jill Bartolotta, Education and Outreach Program Coordinator, Ohio
In her new position, Bartolotta will lead, develop, promote and evaluate education and outreach initiatives for Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab. She will play a crucial role in guiding education programming and leading Ohio Sea Grant’s partnership with the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL).
Bartolotta is a Lake County native and has spent her career working to support and develop science education. From 2015 to 2024, she worked at Ohio Sea Grant as a Sea Grant Extension Educator for Ashtabula and Lake Counties. In that position, she engaged with communities and scientists to manage Lake Erie and its resources through her expertise in ecology, nutrient loading, harmful algal blooms, limnology and coastal processes. In that role, she successfully developed several projects to raise awareness about marine debris prevention.
Until returning to Ohio Sea Grant Extension in her new position, she worked as the City of Lakewood’s Climate Action and Sustainability Coordinator, using her knowledge to engage in community outreach, implement Lakewood’s Climate Action Plan, and provide sustainability expertise for the City of Lakewood and its community members.
Bartolotta operates BeBot, one of Ohio Sea Grant’s trash-trapping robots, on a Cleveland beach.
In 2023, Bartolotta received the Mid-Career Award from the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network (GLSGN) in recognition of her career excellence and impact. She is also a co-founder of Plastic Free Cleveland.
A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Bartolotta received bachelor’s degrees in Wildlife Conservation Biology and Outdoor Education in 2012. She continued her education, receiving a master’s degree in Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Science, Policy, and Management at UNH in 2015.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Jill back to the Ohio Sea Grant team,” said Tory Gabriel, Ohio Sea Grant Extension Program Manager. “Her new role as Education Specialist has a different focus than her previous Extension role, but her hard work and innovation will be just as valuable. She is serving as our Ohio lead for the Center for Great Lakes Literacy, and will be working with teachers, informal educators, and more to develop education initiatives that increase awareness of Lake Erie and solutions to challenges facing the region.”
Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nation-wide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education, and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.