WSG welcomes new student assistants
Washington Sea Grant is excited to welcome three new student assistants: Jane Holiday, Walker Hobson, and Jack Brown; as well as our new NASA Space Grant/WSG Summer Undergraduate Researcher Kamila Nagle!
JANE HOLIDAY
Jane is eager to contribute her experience to WSG Crab Team and help strengthen early detection and prevention efforts for invasive species in the Salish Sea. Originally from the East Coast, Jane earned her undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire, where she discovered her passion for community science while interning at a science center in the Gulf of Maine. There, she studied the invasive European green crab and the species’ impact on coastal ecosystems. Since then, Jane has expanded her interests in marine conservation and public engagement to the Pacific Northwest, working and volunteering in roles centered around environmental education and stewardship. She recently completed her Washington State Naturalist Certification through Washington State University, and she will begin a master’s degree at the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) at the University of Washington (UW) this fall.
WALKER HOBSON
Walker also joins WSG Crab Team. Walker is a former Naval Officer turned marine conservationist and scientific diver with a strong interest in the intersection of science and policy. He completed his post-baccalaureate degree in marine biology at UW, where he conducted field research on captive-bred sunflower sea stars at the Hodin Lab at Friday Harbor Laboratories. He brings valuable teaching and research experience from both his time as a Naval Officer and his undergraduate education, and is passionate about communicating science clearly and inclusively. At SMEA, he is interested in marine protected areas, the intersection of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and collaborative approaches to conservation policy that center both ecosystems and communities.
JACK BROWN
Jack joins the WSG boating team as he finishes up his undergraduate degree in marine biology at UW. Jack is Coast Salish, with ties to both the Puyallup and Yakama, and water runs through every part of his life. Before entering the marine science field, Jack studied electrical and computer engineering and spent nearly five years working as a service technician assistant for Ford. As part of the boating team, Jack will drive around the state talking with marina staff and testing pumpout units to ensure they are functional for recreational boaters. His technical skills and care for protecting the waters he grew up on will help further WSG efforts to keep waterways clean.
KAMILA NAGLE
Kamila was selected for the UW Space Grant Summer Undergraduate Research Program, where her work using NASA satellite data to develop new Washington-specific sea level rise information intersects with WSG. She recently completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management with a minor in Quantitative Science at UW, where she focused on Pacific Northwest ecosystems, forest ecology, and quantitative data analysis. At UW, Kamila built hands-on field research experience through Coastal Redwood seedling surveys and cherry blossom phenology monitoring, and completed native species restoration work at the Center for Urban Horticulture. She also worked with youth interested in science as a Space Grant student assistant, which reaffirmed her passion for community-engaged research.
We are thrilled to work with our new student assistants this summer and beyond. To learn more about our new and current student assistants, please visit WSG’s People page. To read more about new and current researchers and fellows, refer to the Current Fellows page.