# Allison Fundis

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**Allison Fundis** is a [marine geologist](/source/Marine_geology), ocean explorer and [chief operating officer](/source/Chief_operating_officer) for the Ocean Exploration Trust. She has led or participated in over 50 expeditions at sea across the world, and in 2021 was named as an Emerging Explorer by the [National Geographic Society](/source/National_Geographic_Society).[1][2][3]

## Early life and education

Fundis holds a MS in [Marine Geology](/source/Marine_geology) from the [University of Florida](/source/University_of_Florida) and a BA in [Human Ecology](/source/Human_ecology) from the [College of the Atlantic](/source/College_of_the_Atlantic). Prior to earning her master's degree, Fundis was a high school chemistry and biology teacher at the [University School of Nashville](/source/University_School_of_Nashville) in Tennessee.[2][4]

## Career

In 2010, Fundis worked for the [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation)-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative at the [University of Washington](/source/University_of_Washington). During this time, she helped plan and install the largest cabled seafloor observatory in the US.[2][4]

Fundis joined the Ocean Exploration Trust in 2013 and currently acts as the chief operating officer. Alongside a team of scientists, educators and engineers, Fundis leads annual missions aboard the trust's exploration vessel [*Nautilus*](/source/EV_Nautilus)*.[2][3]* The vessel's telepresence systems enable expeditions to be live-streamed so as to engage the public and the scientific community.[1][2][5]

In 2019, Fundis co-led a three-week expedition with [Robert Ballard](/source/Robert_Ballard) to solve the mystery of [Amelia Earhart's](/source/Amelia_Earhart) disappearance. A common theory posits that Earhart crash-landed on [Nikumaroro Island](/source/Nikumaroro) in the Pacific Ocean. In response, Fundis and her team conducted an exhaustive search for any evidence of a plane in the water surrounding the island. Although no such evidence was found, the complete exploration of this area was an important step in furthering the conclusion of this mystery.[6][7][8]

## Awards

Fundis was recognized in 2019 as an Innovation & Technology delegate for the [Academy of Achievement](/source/Academy_of_Achievement) and as an IF/THEN ambassador by the [American Association for the Advancement of Science](/source/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science). In 2020, she was induced as a Fellow National of the Explorers Club and is a member of [National Geographic Society's](/source/National_Geographic_Society) 2021 class of Emerging Explorers.[2][3]

## References

1. ["| IF/THEN® Collection"](https://www.ifthencollection.org/allison). *www.ifthencollection.org*. Retrieved 2022-11-17.

1. ["Allison Fundis | Nautilus Live"](https://nautiluslive.org/people/allison-fundis). *nautiluslive.org*. 2011-10-24. Retrieved 2022-11-17.

1. ["Allison Fundis - National Geographic Society"](https://explorer-directory.nationalgeographic.org/ED0033p00002dInBDAA0). *explorer-directory.nationalgeographic.org*. Retrieved 2022-11-17.

1. ["Allison Fundis"](http://ooicruises.ocean.washington.edu/visions11/story/Allison+Fundis). *ooicruises.ocean.washington.edu*. Retrieved 2022-11-17.

1. ["Telepresence | Nautilus Live"](https://nautiluslive.org/tech/telepresence). *nautiluslive.org*. 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2022-11-17.

1. News, The Lily. ["He found the Titanic. Now this explorer is on a mission to solve Amelia Earhart's disappearance."](https://www.thelily.com/he-found-the-titanic-now-this-explorer-is-on-a-mission-to-solve-amelia-earharts-disappearance/). *www.thelily.com*. Retrieved 2022-11-17.

1. ["This Ocean Explorer Is Close to Solving the Mystery of Amelia Earhart"](https://www.cntraveler.com/story/this-ocean-explorer-is-close-to-solving-the-mystery-of-amelia-earhart). *Condé Nast Traveler*. 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2022-11-17.

1. Pattillo, Ali. ["Allison Fundis is America's best hope for protecting our oceans"](https://www.inverse.com/science/60241-allison-fundis-amelia-earhart). *Inverse*. Retrieved 2022-11-18.

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