By Chris Patrick, staff writer
As a graduate student studying the impacts of Hurricane Isabel, Alex Renaud found that he enjoys translating science into political action through public speaking and digital media. Now, as a Knauss Fellow, he’ll put his research and communication skills to use working as a navigation R&D advisor for the U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center.
“I’m extremely excited to embark on this next leg of my career,” Renaud says. “By working with coastal policy involving the direct implementation of projects and infrastructure that support American’s day-to-day use of our coasts, the position seems like a natural fit to follow up my graduate research on coastal vulnerability.”
Renaud will help create and manage the national research and development agenda for marine transportation and related Army Corps programs. This includes supporting technical decision-making, integrating federal, academic, and industry teams, and participating in research projects.
Renaud sees this fellowship as a stepping stone to his future vocation: “I believe that the lessons learned here should translate well to a career managing the risks associated with changing coastal conditions, such as sea level rise.”
Renaud received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 2009. He is currently completing a master’s degree in marine science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Center for Coastal Resources Management.
Renaud and five other Virginia graduate students will begin their yearlong Knauss Fellowships in February.
The Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program places students with host offices in the legislative or executive branches of government in Washington, DC. Fellows learn about the national policy decisions that affect ocean, coastal, and the Great Lakes resources while getting the opportunity to contribute their knowledge to current issues facing the nation. The National Sea Grant College Program established the program in 1979.
