Virginia is a North Carolina (USA) native and graduate of Davidson College (’22) where she earned her B.S. Biology. While at Davidson she was a four-year scholar athlete for their NCAA Division I Women’s Swim Team. As a Hollings Scholar with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), she studied artificial reefs, which contributed to her senior thesis and informed state management decisions. She also collaborated with the East Carolina University Gittman coastal ecology lab and examined impacts of non-native submerged aquatic vegetation on native nekton.

Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship by the U.S. Department of State, Virginia is currently completing her master’s with the Marine Ecology Group. She applies cutting edge remote sensing technologies to better inform marine management and conservation of fishes on the Great Barrier Reef. She is passionate about outreach and engaging members in issues relevant to their community. When not watching the fish, you can find her enjoying the beaches or getting in a few laps while exploring the rock pools in Sydney.

Grants and Awards

• Macquarie University International Research Training Program (iRTP) Scholarship (2024)

• United States Department of State Fulbright Future Scholarship, funded by the Kinghorn Foundation (2022 – 2024)

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hollings Scholarship (2020 - 2022)

• Davidson College Kemp Scholarship

• Atlantic-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2019 – 2022)

PURE Profile: Virginia Gilliland Google Scholar: Virginia Gilliland ResearchGate: Virginia Gilliland Twitter: @va_gilliland