Gulnihal Ozbay

Gulnihal Ozbay is a Professor of Natural Resources and Associate Dean of Cooperative Extension & Applied Research at Delaware State University (DSU). She holds leadership roles as Director of the Integrative Ph.D. Program in Agriculture, Food, & Environmental Sciences and Director of the ONE Health Laboratory. Her academic journey includes a PhD from Auburn University (2002) and additional graduate studies at Dalhousie University (2002), with research focused on water quality, aquaculture, and marine ecology.

Her research emphasizes habitat restoration, aquatic health, and sustainable aquaculture, particularly focusing on oyster population recovery and ecosystem dynamics in Delaware’s inland bays. Collaborative projects include oyster gardening restoration, diatom monitoring, and climate change impacts on coastal wetlands. She has received awards such as the 2009 Coastal America Partnership Award and the Morrison-Evans Outstanding Scientist Award.

Dr. Ozbay teaches courses like Climatology and Environmental Science, and her work extends to community engagement through extension programs on water quality and sustainable land use. She advises numerous graduate students and actively contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives, including nanotechnology applications in agriculture and CRISPR-based genomic engineering.