Classmates to Collaborators

Almost 20 years ago, Florida State University students Mona Behl and Allison Miller bonded over their shared interest in physical oceanography and being the only women in their department.

The year was 2006, and each had begun graduate study in what was then known as Florida State University’s Department of Oceanography, now part of the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science.

Behl, who had grown up in landlocked Panjab, India, earned her bachelor’s in 2002 and master’s in 2004 in physics from Panjab University, but had never seen the ocean before coming to the U.S. to pursue her doctorate. Miller completed a bachelor’s in marine science with a minor in environmental science in 2005 at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina prior to her arrival in Tallahassee.

Their friendship, forged in after-class discussions and fieldwork, has withstood time and geographic distance to evolve into a fruitful scientific collaboration that is advancing knowledge about the Earth’s oceans.

“Our shared history at FSU laid the groundwork for a relationship that has been continually reinforced through professional circles,” Behl said. “Our recent committee work has been the catalyst that solidified our strong professional bond and friendship.”

Following their graduations — Miller in 2008 and Behl in 2012 — the pair first worked together at The Oceanography Society, a nonprofit supporting the oceanography community through publications, conferences and other resources. Miller has served as the nonprofit’s secretary since 2018, and Behl served on the rotating council from 2022 to 2024.

“Working with Mona is really rewarding; we lift each other up and help each other in our own work,” Miller said.

Currently, Behl and Miller serve on the External Advisory Committee for community programs for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a nonprofit consortium of more than 130 North American colleges and universities focused on research, training, and applications in Earth system science. They are the only oceanographers on their committee, for which Behl also serves as vice chair.

“UCAR administers community programs supported by agencies like NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy,” Behl said. “We collaborate closely with the UCAR Community Programs’ director on initiatives across earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences to ensure UCAR’s research delivers tangible societal benefits.”

The two also worked together as committee members on a National Academies 2025-2035 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences, published in March 2025, that provides advice on research investments, infrastructure, and workforce development to understand how changes in the Earth’s oceans, such as their ability to absorb heat and carbon, will affect the planet’s systems and economies over the next decade.

“Distilling 18 months of research on the directions and research priorities proposed in oceanography research and by coastal communities was difficult, but our committee worked hard to assure both community members’ and scientists’ viewpoints and expertise were reflected in our recommendations,” Miller said.

Aside from this collaborative work, Behl has worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program since 2014, most recently as a senior public service associate and associate director at the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. In 2026, Behl will take a new position as director of Virginia Sea Grant at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences in Gloucester Point, Virginia.

“Sea Grant’s mission is to translate community needs into actionable science that serves the public and protects our coastal ecosystems’ health,” said Behl, who was recently elected a fellow of the American Meteorological Society. “My work here has always felt less like a chosen profession and more like a profound duty to serve a greater good.”

Miller currently works as a research portfolio senior manager at Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit advancing the frontiers of global marine research. She previously worked for the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, which became part of UCAR in 2022, as a program specialist and educational coordinator from 2008 to 2013.

“Schmidt Ocean Institute owns and operates a state-of-the-art oceanographic research vessel,” Miller said. “Through a competitive process, we award scientists from all around the world with ship time so they can conduct their research. We also catalyze ocean discovery by requiring open sharing of scientific data and knowledge.”

Behl’s and Miller’s individual experiences enable their efficacy as a team, a strength that Kelly Oskvig, senior program officer of the National Academies Ocean Studies Board, observed while overseeing the decadal committee.

“Mona and Allison consistently brought fresh, thoughtful perspectives and weren’t afraid to respectfully challenge ideas to encourage deeper thinking,” Oskvig said. “Their confidence, humility, and steadying presence fostered a sense of trust and collegiality.”

Carly Nelson is an FSU alumna who earned a bachelor's degree in advertising in 2025. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in strategic communications with plans to graduate in Summer 2026.