J. Evan Ward (Ph.D. University of Delaware) has studied environmental physiology of marine invertebrates for over 30 years, and is a recognized world authority on feeding processes of bivalve molluscs. His research has focused on capture, ingestion, and elimination of microplastics and nanomaterials by shellfish, and the impacts of these particles on feeding and digestive processes. He was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Career Award and two Fulbright Foreign Scholarships, and was a visiting scholar at the University of Panama and University of Exeter (UK). He served as the lead Principal Investigator and Director of the NOAA Oceans and Human Health training consortium in Connecticut focused on interdisciplinary research and training in coastal-ecosystems & human Health. Ward is a Past-President of the National Shellfisheries Association, and has authored over 100 research papers, book chapters, and reviews. He is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and is currently professor and Head of the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut.