Charisa Morris, National Science Advisor

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee for more than 20 years, Charisa is an enthusiastic STEM supporter and diversity champion.  
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and Wildlife from Virginia Tech, she first worked as a recovery and consultation biologist at the USFWS Chesapeake Bay Field Office before returning to Virginia Tech for a Fisheries and Wildlife Masters of Science degrees on the then-endangered (now recovered) Delmarva fox squirrel. In 2006, Charisa joined Headquarters as an endangered species biologist and introduced the concept of stressor management to the Service, directly facilitating the agency’s development and adoption of conservation frameworks, effects pathways, and a system called IPaC, a tool to streamline the USFWS environmental review process. In this role, she provided national level coordination and consultation support to regions. When she joined the Migratory Bird Program as Chief of Migratory Bird Conservation, she continued her focus by empowering partners, the public, and the federal family, to make sound conservation decisions to protect and conserve landscapes and species. Charisa served in the Director’s Office as the FWS Chief of Staff across two administrations from 2015-2020, and then as the Deputy Assistant Director for Science Applications. She was named the National Science Advisor for the Service in October 2021.