(L-R): New York Sea Grant (NYSG) Great Lakes Coastal Community Development Specialist Mary Austerman, NYSG Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist Roy Widrig, and Sodus Point resident Laurie Hayden with their NYS Assembly Citations for work on The Dune Project in the Sodus Point community. Credit: NYS Assembly
Contact:
Katherine Bunting-Howarth, Ph.D., J.D., NYSG Associate Director, Cornell University, E: keb264@cornell.edu, P: 607-255-2832
Roy Widrig, NYSG Great Lakes Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist, E: rlw294@cornell.edu, P: (315) 234-1916
Mary Austerman, NYSG Great Lakes Coastal Community Specialist, E: mp357@cornell.edu, P: (315) 234-1160
Kara Lynn Dunn, NY Sea Grant Great Lakes Publicist, E: karalynn@gisco.net, P: 315-465-7578
Project reduces flood risks along Sodus Point village streets
Oswego, NY, October 29, 2025 - New York State Assemblyman Brian Manktelow, 130th District, Lyons, NY, recently issued Citations recognizing New York Sea Grant Great Lakes Coastal Community Development Specialist Mary Austerman and Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist Roy Widrig, along with Sodus Point resident Laurie Hayden. They were honored for their work to assist local government with planning and management of the Sodus Point dune along Lake Ontario in Wayne County.
Sodus Point resident Laurie Hayden being interviewed in October 2023 for resilience case study videos that NYSG produced in 2024.
Assemblyman Manktelow, a member of the NYS Assembly Committee on the Environment, said, “One of my favorite aspects of being a New York State Assemblyman is the ability to recognize individuals and groups in our community. Without people like Mary and Roy capable of leading through expertise and providing accurate science-based information, projects like ‘The Dune Project’ often face significant setbacks. The work that Mary Austerman and Roy Widrig did was instrumental in seeing it through. I thank them, as well as all stakeholders, New York Sea Grant and Cornell Cooperative Extension, for working together to protect our residents.”
New York Sea Grant Associate Director and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Assistant Director Katherine Bunting-Howarth, Ph.D., J.D., said, “New York Sea Grant ‘brings science to the shore’ working alongside local governments and stakeholders to encourage protection and preservation of the region’s natural resources. We thank Assemblyman Manktelow for recognizing the work of New York Sea Grant’s Great Lakes Coastal Community Development Specialist Mary Austerman and Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist Roy Widrig.”
The dune project’s protective dune area at Sodus Point, October 2023. Credit: NY Sea Grant
Austerman and Widrig assisted “The Dune Project” that created a man-made dune to reduce future flood risks along the numbered streets in Sodus Point, NY. The project was conducted as part of New York State’s Lake Ontario Resilient Economic Development Initiative (REDI). The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association recognized the result as one of four Best Restored Beaches in the U.S.
The New York Sea Grant specialists facilitated meetings and communications between residents, the village, and county entities; collected input from residents; held a public information session, and provided vital data to support local decision-making regarding the unique dune resource.
NYS Assembly Citations for work by NYSG's specialists on The Dune Project in the Sodus Point community.
The Citation from Assemblyman Manktelow recognizes Austerman for her technical expertise and steadfast leadership in advancing “The Dune Project.” The honor commends Austerman for her dedication and consistent, reliable presence supporting the Sodus Point community through daily collaboration and informed coastal resilience planning.
The Citation for Widrig notes that he provided accurate and science-based information to guide community planning efforts, improving the quality of decisions being made and fostering a greater appreciation for sustainable solutions as part of the collaborative team working to enhance the Sodus Point shoreline.
The dune project’s protective dune area at Sodus Point, March 2025. Credit: NY Sea Grant
More Info: New York Sea Grant
Established in 1966, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Sea Grant College Program promotes the informed stewardship of coastal resources in 34 joint federal/state university-based programs in every U.S. coastal state (marine and Great Lakes) and Puerto Rico. The Sea Grant model has also inspired similar projects in the Pacific region, Korea and Indonesia.
Since 1971, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.
NYSG historically leverages on average a 3 to 6-fold return on each invested federal dollar, annually. We benefit from this, as these resources are invested in Sea Grant staff and their work in communities right here in New York.
Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.
New York Sea Grant, one of the largest of the state Sea Grant programs, is a cooperative program of the State University of New York (SUNY) and Cornell University. The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Oswego, the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark, and in Watertown. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County on Long Island, in Queens, at Brooklyn College, with Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC, in Bronx, with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County in Kingston, and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County in Elmsford.
For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org, follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and YouTube). NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which it publishes 2-3 times a year.