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Who We Are
The Pod Beneath the Surface
Our Mission
From its inception, our mission for the Kula Nai`a Foundation included both public education and marine conservation. During the first decade of its existence, the majority of our efforts focused on the study of marine mammals and marine bioacoustics in Hawai‘i. By combining a deep understanding of the behavior and ecology of marine species (based on our research) with many years of experience working in education and local, community-based marine resource management, the Kula Nai'a Foundation is uniquely suited to provide information, resources and workshops on marine conservation. We strive to foster a better understanding of the impacts of human activities on the marine environment and its inhabitants.
Meet The Team
​Jan Östman-Lind
President and Co-founder
Jan Östman-Lind earned his Ph.D. through University of California, Santa Cruz, by studying the social behavior of Hawaiian spinner dolphins using an innovative underwater viewing boat that he helped design and build. It provided a new perspective on spinner dolphin behavior as it allowed for focal animal follows and determining the sex of individual animals. Jan holds two undergraduate degrees in animal physiology (cod fish) from Gothenburg University in Sweden, and animal behavior (river otter) from Stockholm University in Sweden, and an MA in animal physiology and behavioral biology (social behavior of bottlenose dolphins in captivity) from San Francisco State University. He also holds a MA.Sci.Ed. in Upper Secondary Education, from University of Lindköping, Sweden.
Ania Driscoll-Lind
Co-founder, Researcher, Educator
During her career, Ania has been both a teacher and a research scientist. She did her graduate research (MS) on the bioacoustics of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins and then moved to focus on K-12 education. Starting 25 years ago, her focus shifted to enhancing and adapting science education in local K-8 schools to include more native Hawaiian species and ecosystems. She then spent most of the last 15 years teaching elementary science and environmental science at an International School in London, UK . Ania holds two undergraduate degrees - in Biology and Environmental Studies - and a MS in Marine Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She holds an MA in Education Assessment from the Institute of Education, University College London. She now devotes a large portion of her time to developing and writing informational books for children.
Randall S. Wells
Co-founder and Scientific Advisor
In addition to his role with KNF, Randall serves as Vice President of Marine Mammal Conservation at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and as the Director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, which he also co-founded.
The SDRP is the world’s longest-running dolphin conservation research program, initiated in 1970. Wells completed his PhD at the University of California, Santa Cruz, before joining Brookfield Zoo in 1989. He has worked internationally on whale, dolphin, porpoise, and manatee conservation; mentored 77 graduate students; and led or co-authored more than 335 publications and 825 presentations. He also serves on the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission’s Committee of Scientific Advisors and the IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group.
Christian Rohrer
Co-founder
Christian is a Design Executive with over 20 years experience leading design and research teams at top tech companies. He holds a BA in Computer Science from UC Santa Cruz and a PhD in Cognitive Science from Stanford University. Since 2004, he has been affiliated with the Nielsen Norman Group as a guest author and invited industry instructor. In this capacity, he has taught over 1000 students in Experience Strategy, Research, and User Experience Assessment methods, and authored a popular framework for understanding user research methods.
Robert Macadaeg
Writer and Book Designer
Robert has degrees in Communications (BA) from the University of Michigan and Playwriting (MFA) from Brandeis University. He is a writer and book designer living in Maryland, USA.
Elizabeth Franklin
Board Member at Large
Elizabeth holds Physical Therapy degrees from University of Puget Sound (BS) and Shenandoah University (Masters’ in Performing Arts Medicine). She has 41 years of experience working in healthcare, including hospitals, private clinics, and self-employed concierge health care service. Her focus for the KNF has been to help with fund-raising and finding greater support for the education projects of the foundation. Her love of movement, both in nature and the human body, has led her to various forms of movement practices -both in dance and martial arts.
Elizabeth 'Miz' Roche
Board Member at Large
Miz holds a BA in Linguistics and Language from Occidental College. She has several decades of experience in Human Resources Management, including senior VP-level responsibilities (running a team and achieving KPI’s) with a 2,000+ employee nationwide organization. For the last 17 years prior to her retirement in 2023, she ran her own HR consulting business. Her work also included adult education through California State University and other opportunities to educate, train, and mentor other HR professionals, front line managers, and executives. She supports KNF with her experience in entrepreneurship; her solid business acumen; and her long history of support for the organization and its mission.