SeaDoc Society is thrilled to welcome two new members to our Scientific Advisory Committee, which plays a vital role in our mission to fund and conduct impactful science here in the Salish Sea. Our newest members are Tim Ragen and Noelani Villa, both of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team.
A lifelong marine scientist and conservation leader, Tim Ragen has spent decades advancing the protection of ocean wildlife. Meanwhile Noelani Villa is blending science, culture and community to help shape a more resilient future for Tribal nations and coastal ecosystems. Learn more about Tim and Noelani below! Welcome to the team!
TIM RAGEN
Tim Ragen earned a Ph.D. in oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego in 1990. His dissertation focused on the life history and demography of northern fur seals. He then completed a National Research Council Associateship at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory and, in 1991, joined the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Program at the Honolulu Laboratory, NOAA Fisheries. From 1998 to 2000 he was the Steller Sea Lion Recovery Coordinator for the Alaska Region, NOAA Fisheries, where he focused on indirect interactions between endangered Steller sea lions and Alaska’s groundfish fisheries.
From 2000 to 2006 he was the Marine Mammal Commission’s Scientific Program Director and from 2006 to 2013 its Executive Director. He retired in June 2013 but has continued his conservation work on a variety of species including the Florida manatee, Mexico’s vaquita, Pacific walrus, Sakhalin Island beluga whale, Hawaiian monk seal, southern resident killer whale, and New Zealand’s Māui dolphin. He also has served on committees or task forces focused on risk assessment by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and management of pinniped-salmon interactions in the Columbia and Williamette Rivers. From January 2022 to January 2025 he served as a member of the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission.
NOELANI VILLA
Noelani Villa, a proud member of the Kaw Nation, is the Tribal Climate Adaptation Specialist with the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington. She is deeply committed to supporting Tribal resilience efforts in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on building equitable partnerships that directly benefit Tribal communities.
Noelani is also a Ph.D. candidate in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Mexico, where her research focuses on salt marsh restoration in Skagit Bay. Her academic journey began with an associate degree in Natural Science from Haskell Indian Nations University, followed by a B.S. in Native Environmental Science from Northwest Indian College and a Masters in Water Resource Management from the University of New Mexico.
Her professional experience includes working with Tribal governments on projects such as methylmercury analysis to inform fish consumption guidelines and developing post-fire watershed recovery plans. As an ORISE intern with the U.S. EPA’s Puget Sound National Estuary Program, she examined tribal participation in regional restoration efforts and how these initiatives intersect with treaty rights.
From 2022 to 2023, Noelani completed a Fulbright research fellowship in the Netherlands, where she immersed herself in hydrodynamic modeling techniques. This international experience enriched her ability to address complex coastal restoration challenges and reinforced her commitment to incorporating community values into restoration planning and design.
Outside of her academic and professional work, Noelani embraces her identity as a typical PNW granola girl. She enjoys spending time outdoors and is grateful to be a visitor on Coast Salish territory.