By Katharine Sucher, Science Writing Intern
The Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program places qualified graduate students with host offices in legislative or executive branches of government for a one-year, paid fellowship in the Washington, DC area. Fellows learn about national policy decisions that affect ocean, coastal, and Great Lake resources. Virginia’s 2015 Knauss Fellows are Allison Colden, Yvonne Baker, and Scott Van Der Hyde.
Allison Colden
As a legislative finalist in the Knauss class of 2015, Allison Colden has a chance to help solve the puzzle of environmental policy. Navigating the diverse and sometimes competing interests of policymakers, stakeholders, and relevant agencies is never easy. But as Allison says, “science does not exist in a vacuum.” She hopes to balance her scientific expertise with clear communication skills to make connections and drive legislative change. “Developing policies that support healthy, sustainable oceans requires cooperation between all parties,” Allison says. Allison graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Virginia in 2009 and expects to graduate from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science with a PhD in fisheries science in 2015.
Yvonne Baker
Yvonne Baker knows marine policy. As a resident of a coastal community off of the Elizabeth River, she’s lived with it. Now a legislative finalist for the Knauss class of 2015, Yvonne has the chance to impact future legislation and protect communities like her own. “I have a personal connection to the marine policy issues that plague coastal communities across the nation,” Yvonne says. “My goal is to affect change for people like the residents in my neighborhood so that I can always return to my childhood home.” Yvonne graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business management from Hampton University in 2011. She graduated with a JD from William and Mary Law School in 2014 where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the William and Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review.
Scott Van Der Hyde
Growing up in a rural community and providing disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina taught Scott Van Der Hyde the importance of strong environmental policy. Now as an executive finalist for the Knauss class of 2015, Scott hopes to work on natural resource management policy as it relates to community resilience. “Policymaking has a real, tangible impact on people’s lives and is not merely an academic exercise,” Scott says. After witnessing the consequences of poor coastal planning in New Orleans and working on coastal resource issues with William and Mary’s Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic, Scott is especially interested in marine resource management. Scott graduated from Radford University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and received a JD from William and Mary Law School in 2014.
