Feb. 16, 2026 | Emily Reier ’28
For Kerri Allen ’11 ’13M, the coast isn’t just where she works — it's who she is.
“My world is the ocean,” said Allen. “It’s my values, my beliefs, my compass.”
As Coastal Management Program Director for the North Carolina Coastal Federation, Allen has built a career at the intersection of science, policy and community, translating science into meaningful policy and conservation action across North Carolina’s coast.
This year, that sustained civic impact has earned her UNCW’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year award — an honor awarded to individuals who demonstrate exemplary service to the university and broader community, and a lasting commitment to civic engagement.
A North Carolina native and two-time UNCW graduate, Allen has dedicated her career to protecting coastal ecosystems and connecting research, policy and community collaboration.
At the Coastal Federation, she leads statewide and regional initiatives addressing water quality, marine debris, oyster habitat restoration, emerging contaminants and the expansion of living shorelines. Her work frequently brings together lawmakers, scientists, businesses and local residents to develop practical solutions for environmental challenges.
One of her most notable policy achievements helped make North Carolina the first state in the nation to ban unencapsulated polystyrene in floating docks — a major step toward reducing plastic pollution in coastal waters.
Allen has also played key roles in large-scale conservation projects such as the Lower Cape Fear River Blueprint and the Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve.
Her commitment to public engagement is equally central to her work. Allen founded “We the Water,” an outrigger canoe initiative led by the Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club (WBOCC). The 340-mile journey is designed to connect communities across the region with their waterways and advocate for clean water. The effort has engaged hundreds of participants and raised more than $50,000 to support conservation efforts.
Allen’s leadership has been recognized widely, including honors such as the Pelican Award, the Bill Petit Award and Wilmington’s 40 Under 40. Yet she consistently traces the roots of her career back to her time at UNCW.
Allen earned her bachelor’s degree in geosciences with honors and later completed a master’s degree in coastal geology. During her time at the university, she received a Center for Marine Sciences Fellowship Award and conducted research through programs such as the Coastal Hydrology and Sedimentology Lab and the Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program. She was also selected as a NOAA Hollings Scholar and conducted research in the Hawai’ian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
But Allen didn’t begin her college career in the sciences.
She arrived on campus as an art major – an “idealist” who “always wanted to save the world,” Allen shared with a laugh. “But, you know, that’s not really a major.”
Science felt intimidating at first, but what changed her path was the relationships and hands-on field experiences she found at UNCW.
“What’s so special about UNCW is how professors engage with their students and really connect it to the real world,” said Allen. Through field courses, internships and close mentorship from faculty like Dr. Lynn Leonard and Dr. Roger Shew, Allen began to see herself differently.
“I had that shiny moment of, ‘I can do this, and this matters,’” she said. “And it’s worth the struggle.”
Today, Allen remains closely connected to the university as a member of the UNCW Earth and Ocean Sciences Advisory Board, guest lecturer and mentor. Giving back, she says, is natural.
“It just feels full circle,” Allen said. “It honestly gives me hope that we can do this.”
Long-term conservation work can be slow and at times discouraging. Allen balances urgency with patience by focusing on community, celebrating incremental wins and staying grounded in the resource she works to protect.
She starts most mornings on the water, paddling in an outrigger canoe, swimming or watching the sunrise. “I paddle to burn off the crazy,” she jokes.
The ocean, Allen says, is a constant teacher. “As soon as you think you’ve got it figured out, a giant wave will come and knock you down.”
That humility, curiosity and dedication to public service are precisely the qualities the Distinguished Citizen of the Year award seeks to recognize — and the reason Allen’s work continues to shape the future of North Carolina’s coast.