Dr. Ira A. Levine, PhD is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern Maine and the CEO of the Algae Foundation. He has previously been awarded a 2009–2010 US State Department, Fulbright New Century Scholar and the 2016–2017 Fulbright Distinguished Chair Fellowship. He combines 40 years of applied and basic research in the physiological ecology and cultivation of algae, aquatic and farming management. His farming experience includes open-ocean and pond cultivation in Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, and the United States. As the CEO of the Algae Foundation, he is currently focused on algal-based workforce development, education, and training in the United States and 100 other countries.