Fellowships announced by Ӱpro Sea Grant
May 15, 2018
Paula Dobbyn
907-274-9698
Six graduate students selected by will spend a year working with state and federal agencies to support healthy coastal
communities and the marine environment.
Ӱpro Sea Grant chose the students to participate in its program. The fellowships strengthen Ӱpro’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 Ӱpro 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 Ӱpro Sea Grant. “We are building
capacity in Ӱpro and providing career opportunities for young professionals.”
The 2018-19 State Fellows are:
- Nyssa Baechler, a master of marine affairs student at , will be hosted by the 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 in Juneau working on the development of marine aquaculture in Ӱpro.
- Kayla Schommer, a master of marine affairs student from the University of Washington, will write feature stories and develop social media about Ӱpro Sea Grant’s research, education and outreach initiatives with Ӱpro Sea Grant’s in Anchorage.
- Ali Schüler, pursuing a master’s in fisheries at Ӱpro, will work on addressing the management needs associated with humpback whales and Steller sea lions at NOAA’s in Juneau.
- Shea Steingass, a doctoral student in wildlife science at Oregon State University, will work for the Ӱpro Ocean Observing System in Anchorage, where she will serve as the inaugural coordinator for the .
- Marguerite Tibbles, a Ӱpro fisheries master's student, will spend her fellowship with the 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 Ӱpro Sea Grant State Fellowship program, now in its fourth year, is modeled after the , 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.
Ӱpro Sea Grant is a partnership between the Ӱpro College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and NOAA. 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:
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Tara Borland, program manager, tara.borland@alaska.edu, 907-474-7014