Three UCAR | CPAESS staff members have been honored with 2025 awards from the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), recognizing their outstanding contributions in technical innovation, customer service, and stakeholder engagement.

Natasha McCracken, CPAESS Web Developer III supporting NOAA Ocean Exploration, received recognition in the Administrative and Technical Support category for her leadership as technical lead on the NOAA Ocean Exploration website rebuild. Her work transformed the site into a modern, high-performing platform that supports NOAA’s mission and reaches millions of users worldwide. Serving as technical lead and web developer, Natasha guided a contracted development team through a complex migration from a static HTML framework to a dynamic WordPress platform. This transformation marked a significant step forward in NOAA Ocean Exploration’s digital evolution, enabling greater flexibility, improved performance, and enhanced user experience. 

NOAA Ocean Team honorees

Left to Right, Award winning CPAESS Staff at NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration: Ashley Marranzino, Scientist; Natasha McCracken, Web Developer; and Nicole Miller, Program Specialist.

Ashley Marranzino, CPAESS Scientist IV at NOAA Ocean Exploration, was recognized in the Customer Service category for her leadership in fostering new partnerships and advancing tools, data analysis, and video annotation capabilities. She “is a benthic biologist with NOAA Ocean Exploration…Ashley’s research has primarily focused on the sensory biology, morphology, and evolution of deep-sea fishes (NOAA).” Her efforts have strengthened NOAA’s benthic ocean exploration work and enhanced the accessibility and utility of scientific data.

Nicole Miller, CPAESS Program Specialist III at NOAA Ocean Exploration, received recognition in the Stakeholder Engagement category for her dedication to NOAA OAR Omics and her role in advancing collaboration across OAR programs. “Nicole organizes agency-wide efforts for increased impact and optimization of omics data. In addition, she supports NOAA Ocean Exploration efforts in strategic implementation of omics technologies and data to meet mission priorities (NOAA).” Her work has helped build stronger connections and coordination within the scientific community.

These awards highlight the depth of expertise and commitment within CPAESS and its partnerships with NOAA, showcasing the critical role staff play in advancing ocean science, innovation, and collaboration.