BIDDEFORD — Susan Farady will join the University of New England’s Department of Marine Sciences and the Marine Science Center to lead its new Ocean Studies and Marine Affairs program.

Farady will assume the position of assistant professor of Ocean Studies and Marine Affairs in the Department of Marine Sciences and will also work in the university’s Center of Excellence in the Marine Sciences. She will develop innovative courses, collaborative research and service programs in ocean governance, ocean ecosystems based management, marine spatial planning, and marine law and policy, with a focus on Maine and its 3,500 miles of coastal ecosystems, livelihoods and heritage.

Farady comes to UNE from the Roger Williams University School of Law, where she served as the director of the university’s Marine Affairs Institute and the Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program. She has been responsible for the leadership of the education, research and outreach programs of the institute and legal program and also the leadership of a unique joint degree program with the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Marine Affairs.

Farady is a widely known national, regional and Maine expert on marine management, policy and law topics. Prior to joining Roger Williams University, she directed the New England office of The Ocean Conservancy, based in Portland, where she worked on marine ecosystem conservation initiatives and ocean governance reform.

She has been published widely on marine protected areas, fisheries, the National Marine Sanctuary Act and marine governance reform, and is co-author of the top textbook in her field, “Marine and Coastal Law.” She has been an advisor to several government, nonprofit, and academic bodies engaged in marine and environmental issues.

Farady’s diverse experiences also include having held various positions in marine biology research, four years spent as professional crew aboard sail training vessels and yachts, and five years as a practicing attorney. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Colorado and a law degree from Vermont Law School.