Chad English is the Science program officer at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. He supports grantmaking for the Foundation’s work to protect and restore the ocean, specifically focused on science. Chad has spent the last decade working at the intersection of science, policy, and communications.
Prior to joining the Foundation, he was the Director of Science Policy Outreach at COMPASS, a nonprofit grantee of the Foundation that coaches and connects scientists for them to more effectively share their knowledge and insights with decision-makers involved in natural resource issues. Chad directed COMPASS’ work to bring scientists and policymakers together in collaborations that drove new thinking and approaches to natural resource policy and management.
Trained as a scientist, Chad received his Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, studying how the coastal ocean responds to winds. He moved to Washington, DC to serve in a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Following his fellowship, Chad worked for the House Committee on Science on oceans, natural resource management, and other science and technology policy issues. He also worked at the U.S. Geological Survey where he supported operational models of the San Francisco Bay to aid navigation, commerce, and recreation.