Jill Zande is the associate director and co-principal investigator for the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center in Monterey, California. In addition, she is president and executive director of MATE Inspiration for Innovation (MATE II), a nonprofit corporation dedicated to supporting the MATE ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicles) competition and its other programs that inspire and challenge students to learn and creatively apply science, technology, art, engineering, and math (STEAM) to solving real-world problems in a way that strengthens critical thinking, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

She is a member of the Marine Technology Society (MTS), having served the MTS board as vice president of education and research for six years. She currently serves as the chair for the MTS-Monterey Bay section and as the Underwater Intervention (UI) Technical Program Committee Marine Education Track chair.  Jill has a bachelor’s degree in biology (with a minor in marine science) from Penn State University and a master’s degree in oceanography and coastal sciences from Louisiana State University (LSU). Prior to joining  MATE, she worked as a research associate at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama.

When she’s not running MATE ROV competitions or half marathons, Jill enjoys spending time with her aviator husband and aspiring thespian daughter Addison, who is in middle school, and cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles.