Above left to right: Ali Burgos, Clayton Cope, Sophie Godfrey-McKee, Chase Long, Kelley Uhlig, and Marla Valentine.
2022 Knauss Fellowship Finalists Announced
Virginia Sea Grant is pleased to announce the six 2019 finalists for the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. Four students from Virginian institutions and two from Washington, D.C. institutions have been chosen for this prestigious fellowship, named for one of Sea Grant’s founders and former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administrator. Each class of Knauss fellows is an impressive group with diverse backgrounds and interests. This year’s class of 66 talented early-career professionals, represent 30 of the 33 Sea Grant programs, and will be the 40th class since the program began in 1979, taking the number of Knauss fellows to over 1,300.
“The Knauss Fellowship is an incredible educational and professional experience for graduate students who are interested in the interface of science and policy. Virginia Sea Grant is proud to be able to support talented and highly-motivated applicants from across the Commonwealth each year. All six of the 2019 finalists have a strong passion for coastal communities and ecosystems and are eager to learn first-hand how science can inform policy. The opportunities and experiences they have as Knauss Fellows will help prepare them to be future leaders in our communities, and we are looking forward to seeing where they are in the years to come and the impact they will have.” says Virginia Sea Grant’s Fellowship and Research Program Coordinator, Dr. Sam Lake.
Knauss finalists are chosen through a competitive process that includes several rounds of review. If applicants are successful at the state Sea Grant program level, their applications are then reviewed by a national panel of experts. This fall, the 2019 finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. to interview with several executive or legislative offices. Following placement, they will begin their fellowship in February 2019. The John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is a unique opportunity for exceptional graduate students to expand their educational and professional experience with national marine policy in the District of Columbia.