Title: Physical Scientist; Retired Lieutenant Commander
Company: Naval Oceanographic Office; U.S. Navy
Location: Carriere, Mississippi, United States
Deborah J. Callender, Retired Lieutenant Commander of the U.S. Navy and Physical Scientist of the Naval Oceanographic Office of the U.S. Navy, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Oceanography.
Ms. Callender has reached her position as a scientist of the U.S. Navy by being tenacious and not giving up, as well as always looking to improve. Intrigued by Earth’s physical elements, she was afforded the opportunity to analyze the ocean depths and collect vital data, even now an inspiring highlight of her career. Ms. Callender has been featured in the Marquis Magazine and Who’s Who of American Women, and is a recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. She was recognized as a Top Female by Worldwide Branding.
An alumnus of the University of Utah, Ms. Callender earned a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1985 through the U.S. Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP), which led to her commission and appointment as a naval intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy. During her assignment with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Helicopter Squadron 10, she earned a Master of Arts in management from the University of Redlands in 1988. During her tour in Iceland, she earned an Associate of Arts in computer systems management from the University of Maryland’s European Division (now Global Campus) in 1991. Ms. Callender also completed a Master of Science in science technology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2002, specializing in 3D visualization and animation. After positions as a geographic information systems (GIS) manager and spatial information management director in Mississippi and Montana, Ms. Callender attained a position as a physical scientist in 2008 with the Naval Oceanographic Office at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
Looking to the future, Ms. Callender’s goals are to provide program management support to oceanographic research, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) operations, and GIS analysis. She continually seeks to advance her education in oceanography and other associated sciences. Ms. Callender has been a national and regional competition moderator for the National Ocean Science Bowl since 2008 and a judge for national and regional SeaPerch robotic competitions since 2014. She is a member of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA), Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), American Association of Geographers (AAG), and the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Ms. Callender has volunteered as a dance instructor assistant and office manager with the Maureen Bersuder Academy of Dance Arts since 2007. In her free time, she enjoys old movies, reading (mysteries and adventure), puzzles, and riding with her husband on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
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