Dr. Lisa Ballance, Director of the Marine Mammal Institute (MMI) at Oregon State University, will speak to our January 20 membership meeting about the Marine Mammal Institute. As stated on the MMI website: “The OSU Marine Mammal Institute integrates research, education, and outreach to advance our knowledge of marine mammals, train the next generation of professionals, and engage with stakeholders to ensure that these animals and their ecosystems are always healthy. Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Program was formed in 1982 to conduct original research to better understand marine mammal management issues such as population numbers, critical habitats, migrations, behavior, and interactions with human activities (e.g., fishing, oil and gas development, and shipping).” Dr. Bruce Mate led the program until he retired in 2019. Dr. Ballance joined MMI in fall 2019 as its new Director.