2026 CW CESU Renewal Information
2026 CW CESU Renewal Information
Background
Agreements for Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) are executed for five-year terms. The CW CESU’s agreement was most recently renewed in August 2021. The CESU renewal requires a three-part application:
- The host institution submits an internal review that includes project data, details of partnership-building activities, and other data related to the unit’s performance, growth, and sustainability over the past five years, as well as its plans for the future. As part of the process, the CW conducted a survey of partners in late 2025 to verify our existing project and partner data and to collect new data.
- Â Federal partners in the CW CESUÂ draft an assessment report related to the performance of the CESU over the previous five-year term.
- A team of external reviewers also submits a similar assessment.
Please see below for the application, reviewers’ comments and other materials from our most recent renewal. Contact Dan Filer at danny_filer@nps.gov or Rhonda Schwinabart at rschwinabart@umces.edu with any questions related to this renewal.
Rolling 5-Year Project Summary
Following is a rolling summary report from our projects database for the past five years from the CW CESU.  You can open a full screen version in a separate browser window of the database by clicking the view larger version of any of the embedded views:
CESU Partner Contact Roles
Up-to-date technical and administrative contacts are provided for each partner. Summaries of those roles are provided below:
Technical Representative Responsibilities
- Serves as the representative of the network among Faculty and researchers with your organization.
- Responsible for disseminating opportunities and information (such as RSOI emails) among your colleagues.
- Serves as the resident expert on the CESU Network and communicate with the CW CESU Coordinator.
Administrative Representative Responsibilities
- Serves as the representative of the network within the Office of Sponsored Programs/Grants Office of the institution.
- Be familiar with the CESU overhead and rate and the necessary forms (SF-424s for example) to complete a budget for a CESU award.
- Serves as the point-of-contact for the CW CESU Coordinator for any agreement requests or award issues.
Partner Contacts
Expires: 06/11/2029
Partner Contacts
David A. Wiedenfeld, Ph.D.
Sr. Conservation Scientist
P.O. Box 249
The Plains, VA 20198
Office Phone: 540-260-5596
Expires: 04/02/2029
Partner Contacts
John Phillips
Land Grant Programs Director
121 Oronoco Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Office Phone: 703-838-0400
Expires: 04/30/2028
Partner Contacts
Dr. Kim Blankenship
Professor, Department of Sociology
Associate Dean of Research, College of Arts and Sciences
G-15 Watkins Building
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
Office Phone: 202-885-6211
Susana Birdsong
Partner Contacts
Dr. Tammy Domanski
Director, Environmental Center
101 College Parkway
Arnold, MD 21012
Office Phone: 410-777-2274
Susan Gallagher
Director, Office of Sponsored Programs
101 College Parkway
Arnold, MD 21012
Office Phone: 410-777-2124
Partner Contacts
Dr. Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead
ASALH National President
301 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Suite 1508
Washington, DC 20001
Office Phone: 202-238-5910
Sylvia Cyrus
Executive Director
301 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Suite 2204
Washington, DC 20001
Office Phone: 202-238-5918
Expires: 05/18/2027
Partner Contacts
LaNesha DeBardelaben
Executive Director
Northwest African American Museum
2300 South Massachusetts Street
Seattle, WA 98144
Office Phone: 206-518-6000
Vedet Coleman-Robinson
President and CEO
PO Box 23698
Washington, DC 20026
Office Phone: 202-828-3398
Expires: 07/06/2028
Partner Contacts
Stefan Woltmann
Professor of Biology
Sundquist Science Complex Room SSC D105
P.O. Box 4718
Clarksville, TN 37044
Office Phone: 931-221-7772
Dwayne Estes, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Southeastern Grasslands Institute
P.O. Box 4718
Clarksville, TN 37044
Office Phone: 931-221-6372
Dr. Chad Brooks
Associate Provost for Research
P.O. Box 4517
Clarksville, TN 37044
Office Phone: 931-221-7415
Expires: 08/16/2028
Partner Contacts
Carl Lipo, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research and Programs, Harpur College
Director, Environmental Studies Program
Professor, Department of Anthropology
PO Box 6000
Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
Office Phone: 562-225-3684
Office of Sponsored Programs
Expires: 06/21/2027
Partner Contacts
Dustin Meattey
Waterfowl Program Director, CESU Project Manager
Biodiversity Research Institute
276 Canco Road
Portland, ME 04103
Office Phone: (207) 839-7600 ext. 207
Sharon Oehmig
Billing & Budget Manager
Biodiversity Research Institute
276 Canco Road
Portland, ME 04103
Office Phone: (207) 839-7600 ext. 237
Expires: 05/07/2029
Partner Contacts
Gina M. Lewis
Associate Professor, Art
Program Coordinator, Studio Art
Program Coordinator, Studio Art
Department of Fine and Performing Arts
14000 Jericho Park Rd
Bowie, MD 20715
Office Phone: 301-860-3715
Jhovita Williams
Grants Program Associate
14000 Jericho Park Rd
Bowie, MD 20715
Office Phone: (301) 860-4394