Marianne Molchan

Areas of Expertise

Ship, Port and Company Maritime Security

Underwater Operations

Technology Transfer

Marine Transportation Safety

Education & Certification

M.S. Engineering and Science Management, University of Alaska, Anchorage

B.S. Mathematics, (w/ Honors) California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, California

U.S. Navy Basic Dive Officer, MK 16 (Re-Breather) Qualified, Hyperbaric Chamber Operator, Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center

Demolition Qualified, EOD School Eglin AFB Florida

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Officer Candidate School, Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy, New York

Professional Experience

Marianne Molchan has been the President of Molchan Marine Sciences for over a decade and is a Commander in the Naval Reserves. In the course of her military and civilian careers she has performed ship, and port security and vulnerability assessments for companies servicing tankers, container ship, passenger ferries and bulk carriers in the United States, Canada and Europe. She has written ship and port facility security plans, operations manuals and facility response plans in support of national and international maritime regulations. She has taught Ship Security Officer, Company Security Officer and Port Facility Security Officer courses worldwide. She has served as an Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection Officer for Military Sealift Command Europe during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. She is currently working with Navy special operations forces administering new navigational technologies in the area of Mine Countermeasures.

Prior to her role as President of Molchan Marine Sciences she served as a Diving Supervisor for Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit, and Officer in Charge of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Mobile Unit 17, Ordnance Clearance Detachment and Area Search Detachment. Prior to these assignments she served as an Operations Research Analyst for Office of Naval Research. These assignments provided a unique blend of above and below water operational experience.

Marianne has an extensive background in Marine Transportation Safety, including 7 years of active duty with NOAA as a Deck Officer, Dive Supervisor and Hydrographer aboard a NOAA Ship RAINIER. She served as an Oceanographer, Real-Time Water-level Gauge Expert and Ocean Services Program Coordinator to NOAA throughout the Pacific Ocean. As the Manager of the Safe Marine Transportation Forum of Puget Sound, she gained international attention forming collaborations and initiating workshops on navigation safety and security among competing maritime entities of Puget Sound.

She has current knowledge of and has consulted on projects including littoral combat ship joint littoral mobility, augmented reality, mine countermeasures, use of unmanned vehicles, contaminated water diving, tethered vehicles and mission modules in maritime security, as well as the use of new navigational technologies in special operations. She is a requested speaker and recognized expert on the Maritime Security Threat.