Oceanographer Evan B. Forde was born in Miami, Florida and received his early education in the Miami-Dade Public School System. Forde earned both his Bachelor’s degree in geology (oceanography specialty) [1974] and his Master’s degree in marine geology and geophysics [1976] from Columbia University in the City of New York.
In 1973, Evan became an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, Florida. He was the first African American scientist to participate in research dives aboard a submersible and completed numerous dives during 3 successful research expeditions. During his early career, Evan was a distinguished ocean floor map maker and was nationally recognized as an expert on the formation and evolution of submarine canyons as well as oceanic sedimentary processes. He has been a versatile researcher who conducted investigations in marine geology and geophysics, atmospheric chemistry, marine biology and tropical meteorology. His most recent research was using satellite sensor data to analyze several decades of atmospheric conditions with the goal of improving hurricane intensity prediction forecasts. Forde remains one of only a handful of African American oceanographers in the United States.
Forde has also worked extensively in the area of science education. He created and taught a graduate level course on tropical meteorology for the University of Miami’s INSTAR program for seven years. Evan also created and taught a nationally recognized and publicized oceanography course for under-performing middle school students called Oceanographic Curriculum Empowering Achievement in Natural Sciences (OCEANS). Forde originated and authored the “Science Corner” in Ebony Jr! magazine for three years. After serving as NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) education committee chair for several years, he developed and produced a Severe Weather Poster that was supported and distributed nationally (by NSTA) to fifty thousand teachers and is estimated to have been seen daily by 8-10 million school children.
Evan has spoken to more than one hundred thousand students during career days and other motivating presentations relating to his life and career. Forde has also been the subject of 6 museum exhibits, including one at the Great Explorations exhibit in the Staten Island Children’s Museum, and has been featured in hundreds of periodicals, text books and publications recognizing prominent African American scientists. Evan also recently served as president of the local Miami chapter of the American Meteorology Society for several years.
Forde has also served as a PTA President, Scoutmaster, youth basketball coach, Sunday School and youth church teacher and webmaster, board member of the Harold Reitman Boys and girls club, neighborhood Crime Watch chairman, official photographer for the South Florida Special Olympics (for 12 years) and in numerous other roles that have fostered youth and improved his community.
Evan B. Forde has received a host of career and civic awards that include being named NOAA’s Environmental Research Laboratories (ERL) EEO Outstanding Employee, South Florida’s Federal Employee of the Year (in the Service to the Community category), a United States Congressional Commendation, NOAA Research Employee of the Year and had days named in his honor by the cities of North Miami and North Miami Beach as well as Miami-Dade County, Florida. The Miami-Dade County School Board has also issued a proclamation honoring Evan’s contributions to students citing his ongoing efforts to enhance public education. He has also been the recipient of the NOAA Administrator (Under Secretary of Commerce) Award for his “outstanding communication of NOAA science, sharing the joy of science with students, and helping to foster a science-literate society”.
“I’ve often thought that an important part of my mission is to help inspire the next generation of scientists!” – Evan B. Forde