Fellowships announced by Alaska Sea Grant

May 15, 2018

Six graduate students selected by Alaska Sea Grant will spend a year working with state and federal agencies to support healthy coastal communities and the marine environment.

Alaska Sea Grant chose the students to participate in its State Fellowship program. The fellowships strengthen Alaska’s workforce by cultivating future professionals working in marine science and policy, fisheries, and related disciplines.

“I’m thrilled to welcome this new cohort of Alaska Sea Grant State Fellows. This is a highly competitive program and these students are promising future leaders in their chosen fields,” said Ginny Eckert, interim director of Alaska Sea Grant. “We are building capacity in Alaska and providing career opportunities for young professionals.”

The 2018-19 State Fellows are:

Nyssa Baechler, a master of marine affairs student at University of Washington, will be hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey in Anchorage. She will work on projects including hazard-mitigation modeling and Arctic flora and fauna conservation.

Diana Perry, a master of marine affairs student at the University of Washington, will spend her fellowship at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Juneau working on the development of marine aquaculture in Alaska.

Kayla Schommer, a master of marine affairs student from the University of Washington, will write feature stories and develop social media about Alaska Sea Grant’s research, education and outreach initiatives with Alaska Sea Grant’s communications team in Anchorage.

Ali Schüler, pursuing a master’s in fisheries at University of Alaska Fairbanks, will work on addressing the management needs associated with humpback whales and Steller sea lions at NOAA’s Protected Resource Division in Juneau.

Shea Steingass, a doctoral student in wildlife science at Oregon State University, will work for the Alaska Ocean Observing System in Anchorage, where she will serve as the inaugural coordinator for the Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom Network.

Marguerite Tibbles, a University of Alaska Fairbanks fisheries master's student, will spend her fellowship with the North Pacific Research Board in Anchorage working on multiple projects, including tracking how NPRB research is used by a range of stakeholders and an analysis of coastal community research.

The Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship program, now in its fourth year, is modeled after the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, which places highly motivated young professionals in federal agencies in Washington, D.C., or in Congress. Both fellowships provide experience and networking opportunities that help recipients transition from academic study to the working world.

Alaska Sea Grant is a partnership between the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and NOAA. Sea Grant is a national network of 33 university-based programs across the country. For over 50 years, Sea Grant has supported coastal and Great Lakes communities through research, extension and education.

ON THE WEB: alaskaseagrant.org

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Tara Borland, program manager, tara.borland@alaska.edu, 907-474-7014