Through COSEE SouthEast Dr. Thomas collaborates with a portfolio of partners to support capacity building, outreach, and program delivery. Her collaborative work focuses on diversity initiatives, developing programs designed to address the fact that certain groups are underrepresented in the ocean sciences relative to the proportions of those groups in the general population.

"When you are in the lab 12 hours a day, sometimes it's just refreshing to be around people and remember that there's a whole world out there."

Carrie's involvement in the annual Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) program provides a direct way for her to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce development, and by working with NC State's Science House she is able to provide direction for scientists who are developing broader impacts for their research. The on-campus Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) living and learning community gives Carrie opportunity for advising and mentoring undergraduates, while her research activities provide interaction and collaboration with graduate students.

Carrie's Education and Outreach Collaborations

• COSEE SouthEast, one of 12 Centers in the COSEE National Network, serving North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia
• Expanding Your Horizons, held at North Carolina State each year, a program to introduce middle school girls to science, math and technology
• Diversity Initiatives, COSEE SouthEast's focus on programs and projects addressing underrepresented groups in the ocean sciences
• Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), a living and learning community for undergraduates housed at North Carolina State
• Science House, North Carolina State University's acclaimed facility, working with scientists, educators and students from around the state to provide K-12 outreach