The IEP Lead Scientist position provides strategic direction for, and oversight of, IEP science efforts; acts as the chief science advisor to the Coordinators and Directors; chairs the Science Management Team; and serves as the primary voice of IEP to all groups. See the IEP Governance Framework, 2017 (PDF) for more information on the role of the IEP Lead Scientist.
Dr. Steven Culberson was the preceding IEP Lead Scientist who served from 2016 to 2024. He is an estuarine ecologist, trained with an emphasis in tidal marsh biogeomorphology. He has worked in the San Francisco Estuary since 1990, and has held positions at several IEP agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Department of Water Resources, the CalFed Science Program, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Delta Stewardship Council. Dr. Culberson's professional experience is detailed further in his resume (PDF).
IEP and the Delta Stewardship Council
The preceding IEP lead scientist was housed within the Delta Stewardship Council and regularly worked with the Delta Science Program to identify, track, and explain the status and needs of Bay-Delta science. Co-localizing the IEP lead scientist within the Delta Stewardship Council allowed for stronger collaboration and communication between data collectors and data users while working towards the vision of One Delta, One Science.