Before Winter Storm Fern descended on a wide swath of the United States, a Grand Canyon University doctoral student was trying to figure out how to preserve beaches in the wake of the kind of extreme weather that has hampered those communities in recent years.
Scott Wahl, an administrator with the American Coastal Coalition, spent nearly six hours with officials from the U.S. Senate, Congress and the Army Corps of Engineers on Jan. 14, emphasizing the need to further protect coastal communities and their environments.
“Not only do I think the meetings will bring awareness, but I believe that the meetings will result in a long-term sustainable solution to shoreline civilization efforts in the United States,” said Wahl, who earned a master’s degree in public administration from GCU and is working toward a doctorate in organizational leadership.
“The discussions we had were with the right people with different parties in the Senate and Congressional Appropriations Committee, and everybody has the same goal in mind, but separate interests. Our job during that trip was to try to bring mutual interests together, recognizing the differences to workable solutions.”
As a business administrator and public information officer for the borough of Avalon, New Jersey, Wahl has an up-close view of how essential shoreline sustainability is to beachfront communities.
Avalon, for instance, has a population of less than 1,200. But its location on the Jersey Shore can attract up to 45,000 during the summer months.
Tourism suffered a major hit during the latter part of last summer when Hurricane Erin struck in late August, causing the removal of 40 feet of sand and severe flooding. And a nor’easter in mid-October caused more than 10 feet of vertical dune scarping.
The damage impacted the entire community, from electricians to drywall workers, restaurant servers, customer service workers and those who work at offshore home improvement and hardware stores.
That’s why Wahl, informed by his education at GCU, sought meetings with government officials to address the seriousness of this issue and gain bipartisan support to fund more stabilization projects. Wahl cited research that showed the federal government saved $8 billion in rebuilding infrastructure in New York and New Jersey as beach projects absorbed storms and saved lives and properties.
“Tourism is a huge economic driver for the United States and in New Jersey,” Wahl said. “Without sand on the beach, the federal, state and local governments will all be paying a steep price because that money will dry up and go away and go someplace else.”
And tourists might find their options dwindling on the West Coast. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that California could lose three-quarters of its beaches by 2100 because of erosion.
In preparing for his talks with officials, Wahl cited a 2024 abstract by Dr. James R. Houston, the first director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (2000-2009), that revealed that taxes generated by beach tourists each year are four times greater than what has been spent on beach nourishment over the last century.”
Tourism is a huge economic driver for the United States and in New Jersey. Without sand on the beach, the federal, state and local governments will all be paying a steep price because that money will dry up and go someplace else.
Scott Wahl, GCU doctoral student and an administrator with the American Coastal Coalition
Wahl applied some of the things he learned at GCU, such as systems thinking, evidence-based research and executive communication, in his talks with politicians and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the United States Army Corps of Engineers headquarters, the Capitol, and the Hart Building (where senators and staffers work).
“Also, it’s the stakeholder engagement and the collaboration and leadership empathy for which we know what we need along the shore,” Wahl said. “But we also realize agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers and political parties who could not be farther apart also need to have a solution that is workable for them and explainable for people in their district.
“... I’m excited because I’m simply the conduit between the knowledge and the applicability to solve problems. I strongly believe a national problem will have a solution based on the education I’m receiving from GCU.”
Dr. Karen Lackey-Wince, Wahl’s dissertation chair, has been impressed with his diligence in his preparation.
“He relies on evidence rather than opinion and demonstrates the ability to synthesize complex research into clear, professional communication, a skill he shared was central to his engagement with policymakers,” Lackey-Wince said. “Through his doctoral dissertation work at GCU, Scott has developed the research discipline and confidence to engage senior government and military officials thoughtfully and effectively, drawing on scholarship rather than advocacy alone.”
GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
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