Alumni

2025

Erick Dowell

Erick grew up in North Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in Spanish, chemistry, and marine sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During his undergraduate studies, Erick conducted research on deep-sea microbial communities and the impacts of downstream dam passage on fish species. He later worked as an outdoor educator, naturalist, and ship captain, eventually earning his captain’s license. Erick recently graduated from the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, focusing his thesis on opportunities for macroalgae aquaculture in the Pacific Northwest. As the 2025 WSG Keystone Fellow, he will collaborate with Puget Sound Restoration Fund on innovative restorative mariculture projects.

2024

Jezella Peraza

Jezella Peraza grew up in the southeastern part of California, an area not characterized by vibrant coastal ecosystems. Her experiences in a small desert community fueled her passion for marine and environmental systems and her advocacy for social and environmental justice. Jezella pursued her interest in aquatic sciences by earning a bachelor’s degree in marine science at California State University, Monterey Bay. During her undergraduate studies, she interned with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At NOAA, Jezella worked with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary system, where she was involved in projects related to education and outreach. She also conducted research with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center studying bivalve spatial distributions along the Northeast Atlantic continental shelf. At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Jezella interned under the Chief Conservation and Science Officer and the Senior Outreach Manager, developing outreach materials for social media, engaging in local policy efforts, and creating internship opportunities for BIPOC students.

Jezella recently graduated with a master’s in aquatic and fishery sciences, where she used modeling techniques to quantify interaction risks between fish and tidal energy devices in Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, WA. Her findings can support the permitting and approval process for marine renewable energy projects in the United States. Research aside, Jezella also served as her department’s Equity and Inclusion graduate representative, co-developing an undergraduate community building event to foster a sense of community among students and postdocs. As the 2024 WSG Keystone Fellow, Jezella will work with the Seattle Aquarium on an integrated conservation effort for pinto abalone. In collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, Jezella will help shape and implement engagement strategies to support pinto abalone recovery and honor cultural connections. Additionally, she will collaborate with the aquarium’s Community Engagement team, including the Connections and Empathy Fellowship programs, whose missions are to provide opportunities for underserved communities to engage with the aquarium.

2023

Jackelyn Garcia

Jackelyn Garcia grew up mostly in Washington, though her family originates from the Philippines. Jackelyn earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at University of Washington Bothell. While pursuing her degree, in 2018, Jackelyn became an alumni of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program. Through this program, she had the privilege of learning from diverse communities about the local ecology, and was inspired by the community-based approaches used to address issues relevant to food sovereignty in suburban and urban areas. Jackelyn pursued her master’s degree in marine and estuarine science at Western Washington University. Partnering with Northwest Indian College, her research focused on interlacing different knowledge systems to understand how toxins produced by harmful algae are accumulated in Butter clams, and related this to the traditional ways shellfish is prepared by Coast Salish Peoples. She also supported the review of ethics in relation to tribal sovereignty to synthesize principles key to supporting reciprocal and collaborative partnerships.

Prior to graduate school, Jackelyn gained experience in conservation aquaculture with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund where she supported the restoration of marine invertebrates, pinto abalone and Olympia oysters in the Puget Sound. As the 2023 WSG Keystone Fellow, Jackelyn is excited to work with the Puget Sound Partnership, Washington Conservation Action and Salish Sea Collective to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into their management and strategic plans. She is also looking forward to supporting a new iteration of the Salish Sea Equity and Justice (SSEJ) Symposium, and creating space for dialogue on the collective visions for the recovery and healing of the Salish Sea and its surrounding communities.

2022

Ashley Townes

Ashley Townes is a passion-driven fish ecologist, educator, researcher and environmental justice advocate. She is completing her doctorate in fisheries ecology at the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS). Her research focuses on sockeye salmon breeding behavior in Bristol Bay, Alaska and the habitat associations of juvenile chinook in Lake Washington. Ashley is also a trainer in program design and cross-cultural communication and obtained her master’s degree in both sustainable development and international education from the School for International Training Graduate Institute. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ashley has traveled to more than 50 countries on 6 continents, studying, researching and providing professional development to various international organizations and institutions. She continues to design and implement high impact community-based environmental projects and best cross-cultural practices in natural resource management, especially as related to Black and Indigenous populations, people of color and ethnic minority groups. Before starting at SAFS, Ashley worked as a linguistic data analyst at the Linguistic Data Consortium, as a recycle specialist at Cascadia Consulting Group in Seattle, and as an environmental technician at King County-Water and Lands Resources Division. As the 2022–2023 WSG Keystone Fellow, Ashley is thrilled to work with the Port of Seattle’s maritime habitat team on advancing the development and implementation of innovative habitat restoration projects including kelp research, floating wetland islands and blue carbon monitoring. Additionally, she will investigate ways to strengthen the linkage between habitat restoration, stewardship, community engagement and equity.

2021

Heather Yu

Heather grew up in the heart of Texas, but traded cacti for pines when she moved to Washington to pursue a master’s degree at the UW Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, specializing in environmental policy. To complete her degree, Heather worked with the WA Department of Ecology to assess both the agency’s overall management of and each department’s individual approach to climate change, with a focus on decision-making processes and policymaking. Heather has previously devoted her time to a range of environmental issues, including species conservation and urban sustainability. In 2015, she graduated from New York University with a dual degree in Art History and Environmental Studies. She then became a conservation writer at the nonprofit Global Wildlife Conservation, where Heather covered stories on threatened species, global biodiversity, and conservation developments. At the nonprofit Farm&City, Heather expanded her vision and understanding of equitable and practical sustainability. She now fervently seeks to repair the divide between societal needs and environmental wellbeing; equity and development; and human and nonhuman animals. Heather does not stand for the status quo, and as a WSG Keystone Fellow, she will work with the Seattle Aquarium to advocate ocean policies that reflect the vibrant and just future of all communities, on land and under the sea.

2020

Andres Sheikh

Andres graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy with a focus on environmental policy and has a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Berkeley. He is particularly interested in environmental adaptation policy as it relates to regional climate change and water resources. As part of his capstone project, Andres worked with the Climate Impacts Group as a research consultant, exploring the state of adaptation in Washington across a variety of environmental sectors and organizations. He also worked with a team of classmates with whom he co-authored an award-winning report that explored how the Evans School can more effectively integrate content and facilitate conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion in the core curriculum. Before grad school, Andres did advocacy and organizing work as part of the Center for Biological Diversity, primarily on public land and fossil fuel infrastructure projects throughout the Western U.S. As the 2020 Keystone Fellow, he is working with the Puget Sound Partnership on their Vital Signs Reporting program, exploring ways to improve messaging on human well-being, examining environmental inequalities and climate impact through incorporating data to better inform recovery efforts, and evaluating relationships between project and program effectiveness.

2024 – 2025

Elise Adams

Born and raised among the foothills of the Cascades, Elise spent much of her childhood exploring and caring for Washington’s great outdoors. Enchanted by the acrobatic leaps of the Hawaiian humpback, Elise was enthralled by the ocean’s biology from an early age and aspired for a career to not only learn about Big Blue, but protect the many critters who call it home. After receiving her communication degree from the University of Washington in 2014, Elise worked in the public relations world for six years before returning to UW to earn her master’s degree from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. While engaging in her graduate studies, Elise worked to hone her science communication and education skills as a Washington Sea Grant education coordinator, while working and traveling with her capstone team to understand the expansion and regulatory processes of Alaska’s five hardrock mines. Elise hopes to continue learning throughout her career as she explores the nexus of science communication, coastal management, and marine mammal protection. Outside of her work, Elise enjoys cooking, lap swimming, hiking around Seattle’s neighborhoods, and relaxing with her cat, Moony. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Elise is thrilled to work in collaboration with NOAA’s West Coast Regional Office on projects surrounding the marine protected species management of West Coast species like the Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Jessica Clemens

Jessica’s fascination with marine ecosystems began like many, with a childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist. This dream became more tangible during a high school visit to Hog Island Oyster Company in San Francisco, where she was captivated by the potential of bivalves to benefit the environment. This initial curiosity led her to pursue an undergraduate course of study combining biological anthropology, political science, and environmental science, reflecting her deep interest in human interactions with ecosystems. After a few years in the corporate world, Jessica realized her true passion lay in sustainability and marine ecology. This epiphany guided her to the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA), where she has recently completed her Master’s degree. Her thesis work integrates environmental justice principles into kelp restoration in Puget Sound, focusing on incorporating cultural and social values into restoration siting decisions. Jessica looks forward to bridging science and community engagement to support nearshore recovery and resilience, building on her comprehensive understanding of shellfish biology, ecological drivers, and community involvement.

Nika Hoffman

Growing up in landlocked Boise, Idaho always made coastal areas more special for Nika. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, she was on the government affairs team for a park district in Oakland, California working to connect people to parks, balance conservation and recreation, and create active transportation trails for Bay Area residents. After a brief detour during the pandemic, she wanted to return to the environmental field to focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation in coastal areas. This led Nika to the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. She completed her capstone focusing on public engagement during the regulatory process of hardrock mine expansions, and when not in school, worked in the Science Policy Unit at Seattle City Light. She is thrilled to have matched with the Makah Tribe as a WSG Hershman Fellow, where she will work on environmental policy, water quality, and climate resilience in their Office of Marine Affairs.

 

Heeju Jung

Born and raised in Seoul, a metropolis in South Korea, Heeju discovered her passion for researching the dynamics of diverse interest groups and political participation in both urban and international settings. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and German Culture in South Korea, her interests solidified around community engagement and the policymaking process. To further her understanding of public policy, Heeju decided to pursue a Master of Public Administration at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington, moving to Seattle in 2022. In Seattle, Heeju developed an appreciation for Washington’s natural beauty and became interested in environmental justice. For her capstone project, she collaborated with the Cascadia Coastlines and Peoples Hazard Research Hub (CoPes) to research how to better incorporate Tribal priorities and worldviews into Hazard Mitigation Plans. In her free time, Heeju enjoys reading novels, swimming, and knitting. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, she is excited to work with the Puget Sound Partnership to enhance the accessibility of transportation and recovery funds for Tribes and local communities.

 

Jess Lechtenberg

Jess grew up in landlocked Iowa and fell in love with marine life through the help of her local library. She has fond memories of fishing for trout with her grandpa and catching crawfish in her local creek. She studied sociology and public health during undergrad and moved to Seattle to be closer to the water. After moving to Seattle and spending some time working in qualitative research, she attended the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and received her master’s degree. At UW, she worked part time as a teaching assistant for the Program on the Environment and enjoyed opportunities leading undergrad student workshops on the use of improv comedy as a tool for science communication. She also spent twelve months as a NOAA Pathways Intern on the West Coast Region’s Aquaculture Team where she wrote quarterly newsletters and helped finalize a guide to the shellfish permitting process in Washington. Jess is thrilled to join The Nature Conservancy as a Hershman Fellow working on building capacity and climate resilience in fishing and aquaculture communities.

 

Allison Morgan

Allison is originally from California, but after high school, she traveled and wound up living in Washington, where she has been for approximately seven years. She is a dedicated mother of two girls and the wife of a commercial fisherman. Allison holds an undergraduate degree with a double major in Society, Ethics, and Human Behavior & Environmental Studies. During her undergraduate studies, she contributed to a published research paper focusing on antiracism. She furthered her education with a Master’s degree in Marine and Environmental Affairs, where her thesis centered on managing the impacts of passenger-only ferries on Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW). Allison is passionate about addressing environmental injustices, community engagement work, climate resilience, and fostering reciprocal relationships with the environment. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Allison is very excited to continue her passion for research on marine and environmental issues with the Puget Sound Institute.

 

Courtney Murphy

Courtney grew up in Olympia, Washington, where she spent most of her free time exploring Western Washington’s forests, mountains, and coastlines on foot and on horseback. After graduating high school, she headed to the dry pine forests of Eastern Washington where she received a dual degree in English literature and creative writing with a minor in environmental studies from Whitworth University. Although she initially considered pursuing a doctoral degree in literature, a summer spent working on a USFS wilderness trail crew caused her to look toward career in the environmental field instead. She served an AmeriCorps term with the Nisqually Land Trust, where she worked to engage volunteers in salmon recovery and riparian restoration projects. She then spent three years as a stewardship technician for the land trust, planting trees, removing invasive species, and managing 8,000+ acres of riparian and upland forest habitat in the Nisqually Watershed. Courtney then attended The Evergreen State College, where she earned a master’s degree in environmental studies and worked as the butterfly program coordinator at Sustainability in Prisons Project, an organization which seeks to empower sustainable change by bringing nature, science, and environmental education into prisons. Her thesis focused on golden paintbrush, a native prairie forb which serves as a host plant for the endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies she worked with. Courtney is excited to bring her experience with salmon recovery and environmental justice to WSG’s Hershman fellowship, where she will be working with the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission on climate resilience planning for tribal fish hatcheries.

Rondi Nordal

Rondi is a lifelong Puget Sound resident who grew up on beaches, boats, and streams where she developed a strong sense of place and love of the outdoors. This passion is what drives her career and volunteer work in the environmental field. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Western Washington University in 2020 and a Master’s of Marine Affairs from the University of Washington in 2024. In her master’s thesis, Rondi documented Dungeness crab area closures in Southeast Alaska to understand the social and ecological dynamics surrounding the fishery. Through this process, she developed qualitative analysis and social science skills that complement her natural science background as well as gained a deeper appreciation for the value of community engagement in policy and resource management. Between academic pursuits, she served two terms as an AmeriCorps with RE Sources, an environmental nonprofit, supporting nearshore and marine conservation. Outside of work, she can be found volunteering  with local conservation projects, tidepooling at local beaches, and crafting. Rondi looks forward to spending a year as a Hershman Fellow with Puget Sound Partnership working on supporting the social and ecological well-being of Puget Sound.

Katalin Plummer

A recent Washington transplant, Katalin hails from the desert steppes of eastern Oregon. After earning dual bachelor’s degrees in marine biology and Spanish from the University of Oregon, Katalin moved to beautiful Chile, where she worked as a field marine biologist studying intertidal invertebrates and a marine science instructor to young Chilean students. Her desire to dive into where science meets policy brought her back to eastern Oregon, where she served as the head of communications at a small public lands conservation nonprofit, Friends of the Owyhee.

Katalin has just graduated with her master’s of marine affairs from the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Marine Affairs, where her capstone research with Dr. Anne Beaudreau focused on the regulatory processes surrounding Alaska hardrock mine expansions. Katalin is interested in conserving marine biodiversity and promoting coastal resilience in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation. She is grateful to serve as the Hershman Fellow for the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

Jack Winterhalter

Jack grew up on the East Coast and always had an interest in the sciences and in sustainability. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Virginia, he moved out west for an AmeriCorps position in a remote corner of Nevada to work on watershed restoration projects. After a few years working in environmental restoration and outdoor recreation, he came to Washington to pursue his masters in Marine Affairs at the University of Washington. After falling in love with the mountains and waters of the Pacific Northwest, Jack is eager to continue working in this region as a Hershman Fellow. As a fellow in the Maritime Environmental and Sustainability Department at the Port of Seattle, he is excited to contribute to an array of decarbonization, sustainability, and habitat restoration projects at the Port.

2023 – 2024

Catalina Burch

Catalina grew up in Florida, and harvesting seafood was a formative part of her upbringing. Her great-grandmother taught her to cast net for mullet and her dad taught her to dive for lobsters and dip net for shrimp. Most summers she visited family in Maine, where her grandfather taught her to jig for mackerel and bait lobster traps. This strong connection to place and locally sourced food led her to study small-scale commercial fisheries during her undergraduate degree in biology and art at Whitman College. After graduating, her focus shifted to connecting people to place through outdoor education and river restoration. She worked for Trout Unlimited in Oregon, leading crews in beaver dam and log jam construction projects. These stewardship efforts shaped her decision to return to graduate school; she recently received her master’s in marine affairs from the University of Washington. During this period, she contributed to projects including urban restoration for salmonid recovery, culvert removal prioritization and planning, and Gulf of Alaska groundfish food web dynamics. She seeks to advocate for communities threatened by climate change and hopes to mentor, uplift and empower others through her work. Catalina is excited to join The Nature Conservancy as a Hershman Fellow working on climate-adaptive tribal fisheries and aquaculture.

Hannah King

After graduating with bachelor’s degrees in biology and public health from Saint Louis University, Hannah relocated to the Pacific Northwest and began working in outdoor education and ecotourism. Her experiences working as a guide and naturalist on the waters of Washington state and Southeast Alaska cultivated her passion for marine ecosystems and deepened her desire to work toward sustainable solutions to pressing environmental issues. Hannah returned to school at the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs to gain the skills necessary to work in environmental policy. In graduate school, she collaborated with the Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources on a beaver recovery project on the Klamath River. She is particularly interested in how conservation and restoration work can promote equity and benefit disadvantaged communities. Hannah hopes to work on salmon recovery and ecosystem restoration in Washington state and she is excited to be beginning her career as a WSG Hershman Fellow with the WA Department of Natural Resources.

 

Noah Linck

Growing up in Minnesota, Noah developed an early affinity for “coastal” ecosystems through spending summers along the shores of Lake Superior. He received his bachelor’s degree in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota and spent the next few years working as a park ranger for the National Park Service. While working for Olympic National Park as a coastal biological technician, he fell in love with Washington state and the Salish Sea. While there, he noticed the large amount of plastic waste that littered the remote beaches. Interested in finding solutions, Noah decided to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. During school, he volunteered with the Seattle Aquarium, testing the biodegradability of plastic alternatives and researching how these new plastics break down if ingested by marine mammals. He also worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, researching how the federal government, states and local communities define and implement equitable decarbonization, seeking to bridge knowledge gaps and foster consensus. Noah is interested in human connections to coastal ecosystems as well as science communication and policy that prioritizes equitable environmental solutions to climate change. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, he is excited to be working with the Washington Department of Ecology on their shoreline planning and climate resiliency efforts.

Katie Love

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Katie has always gravitated towards ocean and coastal ecosystems. Intrigued by the waters and mountains of the Pacific Northwest, she moved to Seattle in 2017. Katie earned her bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in anthropology and geography and a minor in biological sciences. She then spent five years in the field of environmental education, where she learned the value of connecting people to places to advance conservation interests. Driven by the desire to directly impact environmental policy, Katie went on to receive her master’s from the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and a graduate certificate in climate science. She partnered with NOAA Fisheries for her capstone project, which used the power of storytelling to inspire connection to and hope for salmon recovery across the West Coast. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Katie looks forward to continuing working at the intersection of science and policy with the Puget Sound Partnership.

 

Ellie Mason

Ellie grew up on an island off the coast of Maine, where she spent nearly two decades exploring granite mountains, turning over rocks in the intertidal zone, and waiting each year for the return of the spring peepers. These moments led her to pursue a degree in environmental science and policy from Smith College before ultimately returning to Maine to work as an Island Fellow for the Island Institute in Tenants Harbor. In this role, Ellie helped design and implement a K–5 afterschool program centered around outdoor education that brought about rich community connections, joyous canoe adventures to explore the islands of Penobscot Bay, and seasons of growth and change. She left Maine to pursue a graduate degree in marine and environmental affairs from the University of Washington, where her research focused on the adaptive capacity of the Maine lobster fishery. Her thesis helped to inform her interests in understanding the intersections between climate change, loss and the places we call home. She is a voracious reader of all things eco-philosophy and poetry and enjoys exploring the local landscapes through trail running. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Ellie will be working for the Makah Tribe on projects centering climate resiliency and planning through which she hopes to continue learning about community-led climate action and connection to place.

Andrea Richter-Sanchez

Growing up in South Florida and being from Venezuela, Andrea has always felt a personal connection and passion for the ocean. She received a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with an applied mathematics minor from Florida State University. She then worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an environmental specialist, where Andrea firsthand saw the impacts of climate change and the communities affected. This led her to pursue her master’s in marine affairs at the University of Washington, because she wanted to study interdisciplinary approaches towards tackling marine science issues relating to climate change. She completed a capstone project with the Surfrider Foundation that focused on assessing the coastal and climate policies of the 31 states that follow the Coastal Zone Management Act. Andrea did a one-year research assistantship that focused on assessing bull kelp’s carbon sequestration ability and did a spatial analysis on its distribution in Puget Sound based on some environmental factors. Andrea is passionate about working on marine issues surrounding climate change, environmental justice and science communication. She is ecstatic to have been matched with the Northwest Port Authority as a WSG Hershman Fellow, where she will work on policy for the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma to lower greenhouse gas emissions, implement clean energy, and increase environmental justice efforts with local communities.

Hannah Tennent

Hannah grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and received her undergraduate degree in earth and oceanographic science from Bowdoin College. Initially interested in facilitating inclusive outdoor experiences for others, Hannah worked on trail crews and taught environmental education across the United States for several years. Eventually, she decided she wanted a career in natural resource management and climate change mitigation with a focus on environmental justice. This led Hannah to the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, where she worked with NOAA on a capstone project to understand community preferences for and values around the Duwamish River in Seattle. Additionally, she worked as a teaching assistant and supported the eDNA Collaborative’s efforts to construct an equitable grant distribution system. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Hannah is very excited to work for the Hoh Tribe and support their climate change resiliency work.  She hopes to continue learning about climate change mitigation, local adaptation efforts and building community power.

2022 – 2023

Grace Adams

Grace grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas — a suburb of Kansas City — and received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science at Loyola University of Chicago. Here, Grace found a passion for environmental policy and aquatic ecosystem stewardship. Following her graduation, she pursued a master’s degree in public administration with a focus in environmental policy at the UW Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. While at the Evans School, Grace worked with the Island County and Snohomish County Marine Resources Committees to review the Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area’s 2012 Conservation Action Plan, provide updated knowledge, and develop recommendations regarding future conservation and stewardship frameworks and improved community engagement. Simultaneously, Grace worked at NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region to improve information accessibility and sharing regarding aquaculture regulations, piloted the West Coast Region’s first Aquaculture Newsletter, and developed a strategic aquaculture communications plan. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Grace is excited to work for the Coast Salmon Partnership, specifically aiding in the development of a Climate Adaptation Framework for salmon habitat protection and restoration in the Washington Coast Region.

Abigail Ames

Abigail moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2015 from the Mojave Desert in California. Since then, she has deeply embedded herself in communities and environments across the region and pursued her master’s degree to better support equity and environmental justice on the Pacific Coast and inland waters. After completing a double major in aquatic and fishery sciences and in oceanography from the UW, Abigail was awarded a policy research fellowship from Northwest Straits Foundation in partnership with the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee. In this role, she worked closely with members of the committee as well as natural resource scientists County to consolidate climate change information and produce an update to a key piece of stewardship policy in the region. While earning her degree with UW School of Marine and Environmental Studies, she worked closely with Inupiaq community leaders to develop a land-based curriculum to promote safety and small-scale adaptation of traditional hunting practices in a rapidly changing landscape fueled by climate change. Abigail is committed to continuing to support local climate change adaptation efforts and is excited to put this into action as a WSG Hershman Fellow.

Monea Kerr
Originally from Sequim, Washington — where her tribe, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, resides — Monea spent her childhood on Jamestown Beach. Her fascination that ultimately bloomed into passion for the ocean started at a young age, after spending time on the sandbar that would emerge daily outside her ancestral lands that her family still lives on. Watching this beach change over the years in combination with recognizing the importance of her tribe’s cultural and subsistence practices sparked her interest in marine policy and coastal management. Monea earned her bachelor’s degrees from Western Washington University in public relations and communication studies. Monea then worked at the City of Bellingham as a legislative assistant to the Bellingham City Council, where she found her passion for public policy and governance. This experience led her to pursue a master’s degree from the UW Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, where she specialized in environmental policy. Monea is specifically interested in the nexus between Indigenous rights, ocean conservation, and environmental justice. Monea couldn’t be more excited to work with The Nature Conservancy as a WSG Hershman Fellow, conducting a thorough restorative seaweed aquaculture scoping endeavor for the Pacific Northwest.

Kathryn Loy
Born and raised in Seattle, Kate’s love for the outdoors began at a young age through exploring tide pools, hiking, and camping around the Pacific Northwest. While earning her bachelor’s degree from Colorado College in organismal biology and ecology, Kate spent her summers interning for a seabird monitoring citizen science program at UW. Her experience connecting the public to science furthered an interest in environmental outreach, prompting her to obtain a degree in storytelling and content strategy. Kate went on to receive her master’s from the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, where she completed a congruent degree in American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Her capstone project centered on climate adaptation and Indigenous sovereignty in Arctic Alaska. As the project’s engagement lead, she managed communications for a sea ice monitoring network and collaborated on initiatives assisting with capacity building and climate resilience. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Kate is thrilled to continue working on science communications and environmental monitoring with Puget Sound Partnership to support science-informed policy, ecosystem recovery and environmental justice.

Jenna Rolf
Jenna grew up in southern California before moving to Seattle to study biology at Seattle University in 2015. She quickly grew to love the Puget Sound and the diversity of life contained within it. As an undergraduate, Jenna studied intertidal invertebrate community structures and marine algae genetics. After graduating, she accepted an internship with the Seattle Aquarium where she spearheaded a project that assessed death and recovery rates of corals in Hawai’i following the 2014 marine heatwave. Driven by a desire to increase our collective understanding of coastal resiliency, Jenna went on to earn a master’s degree from the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. While there, her thesis work focused on shifts in subtidal community structures on the coast of Neah Bay, Washington, following the 2013 sea star wasting epidemic. During this time, she also worked with WSG on the Securing Adaptable and Resilient Coastal Food Systems project, in which she supported the development of the Makah Tribe First Foods Sovereignty Project. Jenna is excited to continue working with the Makah Tribe as a WSG Hershman Fellow, where she will be supporting the derelict vessel removal program, oil pollution prevention, climate resiliency and environmental policy.

Harshitha Sai Viswanathan

Harshitha holds a master’s degree from the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and cell biology with a minor in marine sciences from the University of California San Diego. Growing up in the United Arab Emirates, her passion for marine conservation stemmed from her diving experiences and participation with the Abu Dhabi Environmental Agency as a research assistant. Her master’s thesis explored the characteristics of tourism that contribute to sustainability in the coastal environment of Abu Dhabi. She assisted the Convention on Biological Diversity in developing strategies to include small-scale fishing communities and Indigenous people in the restoration, protection and equitable co-management of coastal environments and communities in India. Harshitha is currently working on two independent projects. Through the first, she is exploring the impacts of urbanization on cultural and coastal sustainability in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The second project explores the public health impacts of climate change. Harshitha hopes to create equitable marine and coastal policies by bringing in diverse and feminist perspectives. She is excited to apply her experience to a WSG Hershman Fellowship studying climate change impacts and developing response frameworks in seaport facilities and communities.

Olivia Zimmerman

Olivia grew up in Washington, perpetually enchanted by the region’s forests, seas and mountains. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western Washington University, where she studied human risk perception and emotional responses to apex predators in a conservation psychology lab. Following graduation, she traveled to the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia to research local and tourist responses to proposed infrastructure developments. When she returned to Seattle, she began working as a small ship travel consultant. In this role, she helped people plan trips to remote destinations such as Antarctica, Svalbard and the Galapagos. This work deepened her passion for marine ecosystems and socio-ecological relationships. Olivia recently completed her master’s degree at the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, where she conducted a qualitative research project to assess the needs of and inequities to Indigenous communities in a regional floodplain management program. Her work focuses on collaborative, co-created and equitable environmental solutions, always with an emphasis on human well-being. As a WSG Hershman fellow, Olivia is thrilled to join the Department of Ecology’s local and community-based coastal and shoreline resilience planning efforts.

2021 – 2022

Allison Lu

Allison was born and raised in the Seattle area and grew up playing on Alki beach, kayaking across Lake Sammamish, and sailing around Puget Sound with her family. She spent her summers studying abroad and eventually moved to the United Kingdom to pursue her bachelor’s degree in law at University College London. After graduating, she moved to Southern California to be the primary guardian for her teenaged sister. She had developed a passion for environmental law throughout her undergraduate studies, so after her sister left the nest, Allison decided to pursue a master of public administration, concentrating in environmental policy, at the UW Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. During this time, she also worked as the nonprofit coordinator at the Washington State Parks Foundation. Throughout her academic work in and professional experience in outdoor recreation and conservation, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in marine and coastal policy, specializing in natural resource management. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Allison will support the Northwest Seaport Alliance’s air quality and sustainable practices team with their climate and zero emission commitments.

 

Corinne Noufi

Hailing from Golden, Colorado, Corinne grew up doing outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, mountain and road biking, and trail running, and she still loves it all! She obtained her bachelor’s degree in biology from Seattle University, where she studied fish food web ecology in Cambodia. This sparked her interest in fisheries and aquaculture and how human and environmental health can be supported by sound science communication and environmental policy. After graduating, Corinne worked for the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, a nonprofit focused on regional ecological restoration work. Wanting to further her studies and connect science with law and policy, she began her master’s degree at UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. While there, she worked on a two-year aquaculture campaign and completed a capstone project working with NOAA to develop a marine spatial planning tool for kelp and shellfish aquaculture site selection. She also had a summer science communication fellowship with UW College of the Environment. All of these experiences prompted Corinne to want to continue her growing her skillset for mapping, data analysis, and ocean science and policy through the WSG Hershman fellowship. Her position with Puget Sound Partnership will allow her to do just that.

Katie Byrnes
Katie grew up in Washington, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Western Washington University. As an undergraduate, she interned with the Whatcom Land Trust’s stewardship team, performing ecological restoration and conservation site monitoring. After graduation she moved to central coast of California, where she began an internship in environmental compliance with the City of Carmel. This internship sparked her interest in science-based management and policy and led her to pursue a master’s degree from the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. While there, she collaborated on a capstone project with NOAA to create an interactive marine spatial planning tool for kelp restoration and aquaculture in Puget Sound. Concurrently, she earned a graduate certificate in climate science from the Program on Climate Change, where her capstone focused on designing an educational curriculum that the taught the effect of ocean acidification on Washington’s nearshore eelgrass ecosystems. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Katie will work with the Port of Seattle in developing a multi-site habitat mitigation bank in the Green Duwamish River Watershed, along with other ongoing projects.

 

Katie Shelledy
Katie grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin along the “fresh coast” of Lake Michigan and then attended Juniata College in central Pennsylvania. While Pennsylvania is dominated by rivers, Katie also had opportunities to study salt water through a guest term at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, study abroad at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and a NOAA Hollings internship in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Between college and graduate school, Katie lived in New Jersey, where she worked with the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center to study how wind energy development affects behavior of the local black sea bass. Katie has now earned her master’s degree from the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, and she is excited to apply her newly gained experience in human dimensions and equity within ocean governance to a Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship. Katie cannot wait to work with the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and to study the social and ecological benefits of salmon hatcheries.

 

Natalie Lowell
To prepare for a career supporting equitable and sustainable natural resource management, Natalie pursued joint interests of science and policy. During her time at the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, she compared agency use of “best available science” under the Endangered Species Act and researched the effects of urbanization on marine ecology in the Puget Sound. For her doctoral degree at the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Natalie used a multidisciplinary approach to fill knowledge gaps regarding the genetic risks of native shellfish aquaculture. Specifically, she analyzed genetic data from wild shellfish populations to inform aquaculture management, interviewed co-managers to characterize this emerging policy issue, and developed a simulation model for evaluating genetic risks to wild populations under different shellfish production scenarios. Natalie is excited to apply her experiences and learn new skills, as she moves out of academia and into practice. As a Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellow with the Makah Tribe, Natalie will support a variety of projects related to oil spill prevention and response, vessel traffic safety, climate resilience, and treaty resource protection.

2020 – 2021

Henry Bell

Henry grew up in rural Minnesota before heading east to Middlebury College, where he received a degree in geography and environmental studies. After graduating, he partnered with a friend to study marine debris and shark populations in the Caribbean. The project expanded into a six-month research and sailing expedition centered around the filming of an environmental documentary. After returning, Henry gravitated toward the field of marine policy, eager to pursue a career addressing some of the complex issues that he witnessed coastal communities dealing with. He began teaching ocean policy for SEA Semester in 2016 and then came to the UW in 2018 to earn his master’s degree at the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. While there, his research focused on marine learning networks – collaborative knowledge-sharing platforms – as inclusive and transformative approaches to marine governance. He is thrilled to be joining the Department of Ecology as a WSG Hershman Fellow to work on coastal hazards resilience and shoreline management.

 

Emily Buckner

Emily grew up in Seattle, Washington. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology and ecology from Carleton College, Emily spent three years working and volunteering in environmental education and research, holding positions at an experiential learning center in Minnesota, the UW’s Burke Museum of Natural History, the Seattle Audubon Society, the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership in Maine, the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the National Ecological Observatory Network in Alaska. These experiences fueled her passion for building positive and sustainable human-ecological relationships via community engagement and actionable science. As a master’s student at the UW School Marine and Environmental Affairs, she worked with NOAA and local stakeholders to develop recommendations for sustainable kelp aquaculture in the Salish Sea . Her thesis research, done in partnership with a citizen science seabird monitoring group, further emphasized the power of doing local research with community members. As a WSG Hershman Fellow, Emily will work for the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group, where she will help organize a large research network to better inform the Dungeness crab fishery.

 

Elise Lasky

Elise grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where her love of marine wildlife grew as she visited elephant seals on field trips. This inspired her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology at Trinity College in Connecticut, where she joined an electric fish neurobiology lab to study how the stress of predation impacts brain cell growth in weakly electric fish. This experience led her to seek out an education and conservation internship with Mystic Aquarium. In that role, she worked on a successful campaign to get the New England Coral Canyons and Seamounts named a Marine National Monument, inspiring her interest in policy. Elise then decided to pursue concurrent masters’ degrees at the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and the UW Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. While there, she worked with Seattle Children’s Hospital to develop a climate resilience assessment for their main campus. Elise is excited to put into practice the many frameworks and skills that she developed through her graduate studies during her WSG Hershman Fellowship with the Port of Seattle, where she will assist with developing an ocean acidification action plan as well as other ongoing projects.

 

Dorothy Mulkern

Dorothy finished graduate school in June, earning dual masters’ degrees in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning from the UW. Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Dorothy grew up working on the family farm and going to the beach, which sparked her interest in coastal environments. In 2019 she worked with Island County Planners and WSG investigating sea-level rise best management practices for coastal property owners. This inspired her thesis, which evaluated sea level rise adaptation strategies for island communities focused on finding more robust, comprehensive solutions. This year Dorothy will work with the Port of Seattle as a WSG Hershman Fellow on projects that include shoreline habitat restoration and carbon sequestration.

 

 

 

2024 – 2025

Jason Gronich

If you were to ask Jason’s friends and family to describe him in one word, it would definitely be fish. By the time Jason was 12, he was spending just as much time underwater SCUBA diving in Monterey, California as he was on land. The wonderment, curiosity, and connection Jason felt with the kelp forests and its inhabitants, lit the fire underneath him to pursue a career involving understanding and conserving the world’s oceans.

Jason earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University Monterey Bay in Marine Science and while there, immediately immersed himself in all things marine. He earned his scientific diving certification, became a certified drone pilot for the purposes of conducting intertidal habitat surveys, volunteered to collect crab megalopae data, and assisted in preparing samples for various projects at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. He also received the National Oceanic and Atmospherics’ (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship during his junior year, which enabled him to conduct deep-sea, remotely operated vehicle research with the NOAA Office of Exploration. After two years of hard work, he published his first, first-author, scientific paper in Regional Studies in Marine Science. Upon graduation, Jason took some time from school to gain hands-on-experience working as a field technician. He worked as a scientific diver for UC Santa Cruz and collected observational data of fish, algae, and invertebrates in marine protected areas. He also worked for the Alaskan Observers program, which collects fishery discard data from commercial fishing vessels, to inform management of our natural resources.

After working in the field for some time, Jason continued his educational journey and attended the biology master’s program at Western Washington University. Here he sharpened his lab knowledge and researched the evolution of fish feeding mechanics, with the purpose of better understanding how fish diversify into their ecological niches. He specifically used zebrafish and transcriptomic techniques, to understand what genes underlie the development of the mandible (lower jaw region). As a NOAA Knauss Fellow with Washington Sea Grant, Jason is looking forward to continuing his journey with ocean policy work in Washington D.C.

Aina Hori

Aina grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, with the ocean as a constant presence in her life. She describes the beach as her childhood playground, where she spent countless hours swimming, snorkeling, and playing in the sand. Over the years, witnessing the impacts of climate change on her local marine ecosystems ignited her passion for marine biology. She pursued this interest at the University of Washington, where she worked on various research projects examining the responses of marine species to environmental challenges, such as the biotic impacts of kelp crabs on bull kelp, factors influencing pinto abalone growth, and how mussels filter water under different stress conditions. Drawn to applied sciences, Aina continued her studies with a master’s degree at the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, where she focused on fisheries management, marine policy, and the critical intersection of people and marine environments. For her thesis, she researched how small-scale fishers in Nayarit, Mexico, are adapting their strategies to continue fishing despite challenges like climate change, competition, and pollution. Currently, Aina works as a Field Program Lead at the Seattle Aquarium, where she shares the wonders of the ocean and rivers with others, inspiring connections, curiosity, and a commitment to marine conservation. As a Knauss Fellow, she is excited to further her work at the intersection of science and policy, advancing marine science education and conservation efforts.

Caitlin Lawrence

Caitlin is finishing her master’s degree in aquatic ecotoxicology at the Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center. Her research is centered around identifying alternatives to 6PPD, a chemical used in tires that poses a threat to aquatic life, particularly coho salmon. Prior to attending Washington State University, Caitlin earned her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry at Wells College in Upstate New York where she developed an interest in environmental chemistry and the impact of human activities on aquatic ecosystems. After graduating she worked at a lab in New York performing toxicity tests to fulfill state and federal effluent discharge permit requirements. This position inspired her to return to school to pursue a research graduate degree focused on contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.

In addition to her academic work, Caitlin has been actively involved in public outreach and policy initiatives related to salmon conservation and stormwater toxicity. As the Salmonids and Stormwater Policy Intern at Puget Soundkeepers, she organized community meetings and collaborated with several groups to standardize salmon survey methods. She has also contributed to public awareness through podcast interviews, presentations, educational lessons, and workshops about 6PPD-quinone. Caitlin is passionate about bridging the gap between scientific research and environmental policy implementation, and is excited to have the opportunity to do this as a Knauss Fellow.

Helena McMonagle

Helena mostly grew up in Maine and started undergrad at Wellesley College as a pre-medicine student, which seemed like the best fit at the time for someone who wanted to do science, contribute to her community, and work on improving wellbeing. But after learning more in college about the impacts that climate change, pollution, and other environmental issues have on nature and public health, she switched to a career in ocean sciences. Helena worked for three years as a teaching assistant and research assistant at Marine Biological Laboratory and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution contributing to undergraduate STEM education and research in fish ecology and toxicology. To strengthen her ability to work effectively at the intersection of environmental research, policy and management, she started her PhD at University of Washington in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Her dissertation quantifies ecosystem services (benefits humans receive from nature) associated with the world’s most abundant fishes. She is looking forward to working as a Knauss Fellow and learning more about how science can inform policy and decision-making, and also how policy shapes what science research is done. Other professional interests include engaging with the public about the ocean, and collaborating to make science and environmental management more inclusive and equitable.

2023 – 2024

Jillian Everly

Jillian Everly is passionate about healthy ecosystems and resilience for communities whose livelihoods depend on marine and coastal resources. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife conservation, Jillian pursued field work experiences and learned that a sole focus on biological and behavioral studies could not produce the change needed to achieve healthy ecosystems. This fostered her interest in using social science to understand the reciprocal relationships between humans and the environment, and how drawing upon those relationships could result in ecosystem and community sustainability. In 2020, she accepted a social science research position at Virginia Tech to study shorebird disturbance from the perspectives of managers and biologists. Then, she worked as a research assistant funded by the Ocean, Coastal and Earth Sciences program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where she studied how climate change in Laguna Madre, Texas affected fish populations and the subsistence fishers reliant on such sparse resources. These experiences led her to pursue a master’s degree in anthropology at Idaho State University. Her thesis examined the impact of globalization and climate change on women’s well-being in Chile’s coastal communities. In this project, she conducted interviews and participant observation with female seaweed harvesters and divers to gather, interpret and relay findings in both English and Spanish through mediums such as manuscripts, photography and poetry. She believes visuals and accessible writing include a wider audience. As a Knauss Fellow, her objectives are to advocate and incorporate marginalized voices in decision-making to improve equity in the development of marine policy.

Devon Lombard-Henley

Born and raised in Washington state, Devon’s passion for marine affairs grew from exploring local tide pools and time spent sailing the Salish Sea. She received a bachelor’s degree in ecology, evolution and conservation biology with a minor in marine biology from the University of Washington (UW). Through her studies, Devon researched bull kelp and sea urchins in the San Juan Islands, volunteered in Costa Rica to protect sea turtle nesting sites, and worked at the Center for Conservation Biology on projects involving DNA and hormone extraction for orca, elephant and grey wolf populations. After graduating, Devon became a licensed captain, then returned to the UW, where she earned dual master’s degrees from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. Her graduate work focused on the intersections of environmental science, public policy and social justice, which culminated in a project partnering with the Washington State Department of Ecology to evaluate their tribal consultation and engagement efforts through an environmental justice framework. Devon is excited to continue working towards a more sustainable and equitable ocean through science, policy, and social justice during her time as a Knauss Fellow.

Leslie (To-Nhu) Nguyen

Leslie Nguyen is originally from Texas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Rice University. She then worked as an environmental consultant specializing in air emission quantification, permitting and compliance, before realizing she wanted to do more to advance climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions. Leslie decided to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Washington (UW) School of Marine and Environmental Affairs to explore her interests at the intersection of climate change science and policy. During her time at UW, she was a research fellow with the Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI) working on the Northwest Clean Energy Atlas, an interactive dashboard for data and analysis relevant to decarbonization in the Northwest. For her thesis research, Leslie investigated implementation of managed retreat and flood hazard mitigation in the US as a climate adaptation strategy. She evaluated whether FEMA-funded property buyouts reduced the vulnerability of renting households to flooding, touching on the equity aspects of property-focused policies and programs. Leslie was also the 2021-2023 Next Generation Public Policy Fellow with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), through which she has learned more about science policymaking and advocacy. She is excited to continue her science policy journey as a Knauss Fellow in Washington, D.C.

2022 – 2023

Mitchell Hebner

Mitchell has been passionate about marine science since a young age, despite growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Earning his degree in marine biology from the University of Oregon introduced him to the realms of intertidal ecology and deep sea biology. He has been on two research cruises to study deep sea ecology in the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast of the United States. During one of these cruises, Mitchell participated in an Alvin dive with his current advisor and began his graduate career path studying deep sea larval biology at Western Washington University. Because of this firsthand experience of the marvel and splendor of the deep-sea, Mitchell says he understand the need for preservation and conservation of these wild ecosystems. He aims to communicate his experiences in marine science for the benefit of the Knauss Fellowship to ensure a legacy of conservation for our nation’s coastal, marine and deep sea resources.

 

 

Caroline Potter

Caroline is passionate about fisheries policy. While obtaining her master’s at the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, she worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. She evaluated how well area-based fisheries management measures meet other effective area-based conservation measures that contribute to global biodiversity targets. Caroline received her undergraduate degree in human ecology from the College of the Atlantic, where she specialized in environmental law and policy. During that time, she worked with the Wisconsin Bureau of Fisheries Management reviewing policy and guidance documents to meet the requirements of a new state act. She also worked at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary drafting their 2019 condition report. Additionally, she served at two environmental nonprofits: Friends of Taunton Bay and Frenchmen Bay Conservancy.

 

 

Kelsey Rudes

Kelsey has always been interested in the intersection of people and the environment, leading her first to a bachelor’s degree in organismal biology with minors in leadership and sociology. This interest was further inspired through her work at a wildlife refuge in Florida, as well as her travels to Hawaii and the Philippines. Kelsey recognized that policy was central to many of the human-environment interactions she saw taking place, which led her to UW’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. While there, she also undertook a concurrent graduate program in international studies with a focus on states, markets and societies. For her master’s thesis, Kelsey partnered with Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, a local NGO based in Cebu, Philippines. Her research looked at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods and resource use in the case of whale shark tourism in Oslob, Philippines. Kelsey hopes to bridge international and environmental issues throughout her time as a Knauss Fellow, and she is excited to continue learning about relevant issues at the national level.

 

Jacquelyn Shaff

Jacquelyn is a recent master’s graduate of the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs who is interested in community involvement in marine resource management. Her thesis focused on historical ecology and the role of local ecological knowledge of fishers to understand trends in marine top predator abundance and distribution over time. Jacquelyn received her undergraduate degree in wildlife and fish biology and anthropology from UC Davis, specializing in marine ecology. She currently works with Cascadia Research Collective, where she studies odontocete movement ecology and interactions with fisheries. She is excited to apply her background in the natural sciences with a WSG Hershman Fellowship role that connects what is happening at a local level to national policy and management actions that consider both human and ecological needs.

2021 – 2022

Katy Dalton

One of Katy’s earliest memories is exploring a dead humpback whale that had washed up on a beach in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. Since then, the ocean and all its mysteries has fascinated her. Learning to SCUBA dive at 16 further solidified this passion which she maintained even while pursuing a degree from Colorado College in organismal biology and ecology. After working for an environmental nonprofit in Denver, Katy found her way back to the ocean via the Master of Marine Affairs program at the University of Washington. There, she studied marine learning networks—collaborative knowledge sharing platforms—and their potential to transform ocean governance. Katy also worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on small-scale fisheries policy, and became passionate about the intersection of international marine policy, resource management and sustainable development. She is excited to apply these varied experiences, continue learning, and find new passions as a Knauss Fellow in Washington, D.C.

 

Megan McKeown

As a native of Houston, Texas (dubbed the “Energy Capital of the World”), Megan was inspired to study the impact of the local oil and gas industry had on her city’s air quality. After earning a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, Megan planned to become an academic researcher in the field. However, an internship at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory opened her eyes to the need for environmental science communication and advocacy in the policy realm. Megan shifted courses and began her master’s degree at the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. Here she bridged her atmospheric background to new issues in both the policy and marine worlds. Graduating in December, Megan’s thesis centers on environmental justice in climate change policies. As a Knauss Fellow, Megan pledges to elevate and engage Black, Indigenous and people of color in the policy process.

 

 

Max Showalter

Max Showalter is finishing a doctoral degree in oceanography and astrobiology at the University of Washington under advisor Jody Deming. Using a combination of lab experiments, mathematical modeling and polar field work, Max seeks to understand how bacteria and their viruses survive in the extreme environment of sea ice, and how bacterial life in extremes on Earth can inform the search for life in our solar system and beyond. During his graduate work, he became involved in Arctic policy through work with the Canadian Studies Center on Inuit policies and politics, which helped develop his interest in science policy. Max is also a former Science Communications Fellow with Washington Sea Grant.

 

 

 

Hally Stone

Hally hails from Buffalo, New York. She is finishing her doctoral degree in physical oceanography at the University of Washington (UW), advised by Neil Banas (University of Strathclyde) and Parker MacCready (UW). Her research focuses on the broad impacts of coastal upwelling dynamics in the Pacific Northwest, with specific interest in how wind patterns affect shelf bottom water variability and phytoplankton biomass. She also does some work modeling transport of harmful algal blooms as part of the region’s Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms (MERHAB) program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in astronomy and physics and marine science from Boston University, where she became interested in coastal oceanography because of its interdisciplinary nature and relevance to people. She became interested in science policy through the UW’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program on Ocean Change, where she worked with state legislators and agencies on projects including quantifying the economic value of blue carbon stored beneath eelgrass beds in Puget Sound.

 

Alanna Greene

Alanna is a recent master’s graduate of the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs who is interested in the intersection between marine science, policy, and communication. As an undergraduate at the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, she researched the impacts of low pH on stress related gene expression in the Olympia oyster to discern the effects of ocean acidification on marine invertebrates and researched how urban development has led to changing parasite assemblages along the West Coast. Through her master’s capstone project, Alanna provided policy recommendations to improve habitat connectivity in Washington and British Columbia. She also advanced science communication efforts throughout UW and the broader community, as she co-founded FieldNotes, an undergraduate research journal, and Earth Tones, a podcast about humans and the environment.

2020 – 2021

Katie Chicojay

Originally from the Boston area, Katie fostered a love of the ocean through exploring the varied New England coast. As an undergraduate at Colby College, Katie had the opportunity to research how lobstermen in the Gulf of Maine perceive climate change and its potential impacts on the lobster industry and their livelihoods. This research led Katie to pursue a master’s degree at the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. While there, her capstone project explored stakeholder perspectives and policy implications of the Adaptive Management Program in the West Coast Groundfish Fishery. Katie’s experience during graduate school furthered her desire to continue working with local communities and stakeholders to influence, create and implement effective policy in the environmental field.

 

 

 

Kelly Martin

Kelly developed her passion for the environment while exploring the coastline of her hometown just North of San Francisco, but it was a high school marine biology class and getting SCUBA certified that finally inspired her pursuit of a career in marine science. This path first led her across the country to Florida, earning a bachelor’s degree in marine affairs from the University of Miami while completing internships with the Shark Research and Conservation Program and the New England Aquarium. Following graduation, Kelly moved to The Bahamas to work as an educator at the Cape Eleuthera Island School. After two years of teaching, Kelly returned to school at the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs to refocus on a career bringing together science and policy. While there, she completed a capstone project analyzing policy options for the Pacific Groundfish Fishery catch share program and worked as a program assistant for Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team. Kelly is excited to work and learn at the center of U.S. policy in Washington D.C. next year as a Knauss fellow.

 

Jasmine Prat

Jasmine grew up fascinated by the ocean, although she didn’t live near the coast until moving to Seattle in high school.  Once there, she volunteered at the Seattle Aquarium and was inspired to earn degrees in marine biology and science communication from University of California, Santa Barbara. Jasmine first became involved in toxicology as an undergraduate by studying the impacts of urban stormwater runoff on pacific salmon as a NOAA Hollings scholar. She continued this work as a master’s student at Washington State University, where she was able to work with a collaborative team of academics, federal agency researchers, and tribal members to complete her thesis research. Working with diverse stakeholders made her aware of the importance and challenges of protecting marine resources, and she is eager to learn about addressing relevant issues through national policy as a Knauss Fellow. Jasmine is also a former Science Communications fellow with Washington Sea Grant.

 

Spencer Showalter

Spencer grew up on an island in the San Francisco Bay, but she fell in love with the ocean at eight years old, knee-deep in the mudflats of Puget Sound. She spent high school volunteering with seals at the Marine Mammal Center and pursued her undergraduate degree in Marine Science and Environmental Science at Boston University. Through their marine program, she had the opportunity to study coral in Belize, sharks in Ecuador, and the marine urban ecology of the greater Boston area. She was also an Ernest F. Hollings scholar and studied toxic algal blooms on the NOAA R/V Brown and at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Driven by a sense that every study she’d done prompted a call for policy action, she began her master’s degree with the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. At UW, she wrote her master’s thesis on the prevalence of toxic algae in pink salmon and was an intern with NOAA’s groundfish branch in Seattle, where she contributed to environmental assessments. She also was the managing editor of and wrote for the school’s blog, Currents. In her spare time, Spencer loves to read, bake bread, and jump into the nearest available body of water.

 

2023

Zoe Rand

Zoe Rand is a doctoral student in the Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management (QERM) program at UW. Her research involves quantitative analysis of historical whaling data to study the population dynamics of whales affected by commercial whaling. Her current projects include estimating movement rates of Antarctic blue whales, analyzing the impacts of whaling on sex ratios, extracting information from blue whale age data, and an assessment of the status of Antarctic blue whales. She holds a master’s degree in marine mammal science from the University of St Andrews and a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies from Mount Holyoke College. In her free time, Zoe likes to hang out with her cat, Cedar, go for walks around Seattle, swim, and experiment with gluten-free baking.

 

 

 

Anna Simeon

Proudly Alaska-grown, Anna’s passion for all things ocean-related has spanned her entire life. As an undergraduate at UC San Diego, she worked with researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which led to an internship studying coral reef ecology at the CARMABI Research Station in Curaçao. Intrigued by the tropics, she relocated to complete her master’s degree in biology at the University of Guam, where she studied the genetic diversity of tropical marine plants. Enticed by the flexibility and broad utility of genetic analyses, she moved to Seattle to help establish and support a genetics-based research program to inform stock assessment and management practices at the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Anna is now a doctoral student at the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Outside of her studies, Anna is an outdoor enthusiast and spends her free time playing in the waters and mountains around Puget Sound.

2022

Kristin Privitera-Johnson

Kristin Privitera-Johnson is originally from California, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from California State University, Long Beach. Kristin worked as a high school science teacher in the Bay Area for two years after graduation. During this time, she was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. She used this opportunity to complete a master’s degree in aquatic and fishery sciences with André Punt. This work explored methods for quantifying scientific uncertainty in the production of scientific advice for fisheries management. In fact, one of her thesis chapters was adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council Scientific and Statistical Committee as a method for setting catch limits for US West Coast groundfish and coastal pelagic species. Kristin teaches the R programming courses for SAFS and conducts research in the Punt Lab as a doctoral student. Her dissertation focuses on using management strategy evaluation to model the performance of strategies that aim to promote catch stability while promoting sustainable fishing practices. She is also interested in the system-specific rationale and methods used to quantify scientific uncertainty in the management strategy evaluation process. She will be advised by UW faculty member André Punt and mentored by Richard D. Methot of NOAA Fisheries.

2021

Grant Adams

Grant (he/him/his) is a PhD student in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. He earned a BSc in Biology from Denison University and a MS in Coastal Sciences from the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. For his master’s, he studied the ecology and dynamics of Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) and Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus).  Between his undergrad and master’s, Grant served in the Peace Corps as a community based environmental management volunteer in the Central Andes of Peru (where he described a new species of lizard) and as a research assistant with the Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE). His current work aims to adapt a multi-species climate enhanced, age-based stock assessment model to the Gulf of Alaska groundfish fishery and explore the implications of predator-prey dynamics for fisheries management via management strategy evaluation.

2020

Samuel May

Sam grew up in Pennsylvania and inherited a deep love for wild ecosystems from his family. In high school, he competed in Sea Grant’s National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB). At the University of Miami, he spent his free time SCUBA diving and working on independent research projects. Sam graduated in 2016 with dual degrees in Marine Science and Biology, as well as minors in Marine Affairs, Anthropology, and Chemistry. Upon receipt of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, he began his Ph.D. at the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Advised by Dr. Kerry Naish, his research uses quantitative and population genomic techniques to investigate the fitness effects of eco-evolutionary processes such as assortative mating, dispersal, and inbreeding in wild populations of Alaskan sockeye salmon. He aims to predict the long-term consequences of assortative mating and hatchery supplementation on population productivity and viability. Sam continues to participate in NOSB and is now a moderator for Washington Sea Grant’s Orca Bowl.

2025

Mel Lemke

Mel Lemke is a self-proclaimed creepy-crawly-enthusiast who loves the deep sea. Hailing from the mountains of Colorado, Mel has always had an awe and appreciation for the complexity of marine systems, leading her to complete her B.S. in marine biology from the University of Oregon in 2021. During her undergraduate education, she learned about the diversity of marine invertebrates and discovered her passion for worms and mollusks. After graduating, Mel assisted in deep-sea research studying larval transport in the Gulf of Mexico, where she solidified her passion for deep-sea science. Now, she is completing her master’s at Western Washington University where she studies the symbiotic associations at hydrothermal vents. She hopes to continue her work on symbiosis in a future doctorate program and is excited to expand her studies to incorporate a larger diversity of marine systems.

In addition to her love for research, Mel is a passionate advocate for accessibility and inclusivity in marine science and education. With a background in early childhood outdoor education, undergraduate teaching and mentorship, and disability pedagogy, she enjoys incorporating diverse perspectives and collaboration into her work. As a 2025 Washington Sea Grant Science Communications Fellow, she is excited to continue learning about Washington’s marine systems, invertebrates, and marine scientists, while creating accessible and exciting educational content for everyone.

Maddie Gard

Madison (Maddie) Gard grew up in the Sonoran Desert of Tucson, Arizona. Her fascination with marine life was fostered by frequent family visits to Cholla Bay, Mexico, where she explored intertidal ecosystems and observed the impacts of pollution on sensitive species first-hand. This eventually motivated her to study environmental science and Spanish at Western Washington University in Bellingham. During her time as an undergraduate, Maddie researched the foraging behavior of harbor seals, the diets of Steller sea lions, and the ecological relationships of seals and sea lions with migrating salmon in the Salish Sea. As a Hollings Scholar in NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, she developed communications products to showcase synergistic relationships between fishery-managed species and coral reefs.

Currently, Maddie is beginning her program as a Master of Marine Affairs candidate in the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. She is looking forward to joining her love for research with strategies to make an impact. She plans to develop a thesis examining Salish Sea harmful algal blooms, the toxic dinoflagellate species that cause them, and their relationships with environmental conditions such as ocean acidification. Maddie is eager to serve as the Washington Sea Grant Science Communications Fellow by connecting Washington communities with exciting and hopeful research!

Luciana Calle

Luciana Calle was born and raised in the Midwest yet has been living in Washington for 8 years. Her awe for the Pacific Northwest and her fascination with the environment led her to pursue environmental science and resource management, which she currently studies as an undergraduate at the University of Washington. She also took an interest in climate change early in her undergraduate studies and is pursuing a minor in climate science, where she plans to examine the inextricable connections between the biosphere and climate system of both the past and present. As part of her minor’s capstone project, Luciana researched the climate mitigation potential of seagrass meadows globally and discussed their ecological and economical importance by developing an article, policy brief, and research paper. Through this experience, she also cultivated her passion for coastal ecosystems and science communication. In her free time, she explores beaches and engages in tide pooling, her new favorite hobby.

As a second-year undergraduate, Luciana is looking forward to growing her marine knowledge and exploring research topics in plant physiology, paleoclimates, carbon isotopes, and water quality. She plans to share her knowledge with middle school and high school students in the upcoming months through the Seattle Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, a STEM-focused organization serving underrepresented and economically at-risk students within Seattle, and inspire the next generation of scientists in environmental careers. As a WSG Science Communications Fellow, she is excited to support the work of marine and coastal research in Washington state and increase marine education for all community members to learn and get involved in Washington’s cherished marine environments.

2024

Jess Davis

Jess Davis (she/her) grew up on the shores of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Her fascination with the ocean began with family trips to the Gulf Islands National Seashore barrier islands and was cemented after witnessing the power of water during Hurricane Katrina. Her interest in the ocean eventually led her to a saltwater aquarium hobby, where she noticed that even incremental changes in the water chemistry altered the behavior of her corals. This hobby inspired her to pursue a degree in marine science with a minor in chemistry at the University of Southern Mississippi. During her time as an undergraduate, Jess conducted independent research investigating estuarine trace metal dynamics and the fate of organic UV filters commonly used in commercial sunscreens in the marine environment. Enthralled with both the organic and inorganic sides of marine chemistry, she sought graduate projects that fell at the intersection of these research interests. Jess is now pursuing her PhD at the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography. Her current research explores the interactions between trace metals and the dissolved organic carbon pool, where she aims to identify mechanisms that lead to the stabilization of trace metals in the ocean as metalorganic complexes. In a world where marine carbon dioxide removal is at the forefront of many scientific and governmental minds, Jess is excited to gain experience in making scientific research accessible to those from all walks of life as a Washington Sea Grant Science Communications fellow.

Brian McGreal

Brian McGreal was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but has since spent time living in Oregon, Arizona and Washington. Brian’s academic focus is on the management of common pool resources with multiple stakeholders. He graduated with a MS in applied econometrics and policy analysis from the University of Arizona’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in December 2021. At Arizona, Brian’s interest in common pool resources led him to study water management, a critical field of inquiry in the arid southwest. He is the primary author of two issues of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center’s annual Arroyo publication, as well as a peer reviewed publication based on his thesis work examining economic and climatic drivers of irrigators’ water use decisions.

Brian is currently pursuing a PhD in quantitative ecology and resource management at the University of Washington, where his research involves habitat driven effects on and best management practices for salmon populations. Like water resources in the southwest, Pacific salmon exist at the intersection of multiple often competing interests, socially, economically and ecologically. While his work is primarily quantitative, Brian is passionate about the integration of quantitative and qualitative science in terrestrial and aquatic ecology and natural resource management, and endeavors to include human perspectives in his work. He is excited to be serving as a 2024 Washington Sea Grant Science Communications fellow.

2023

Katalin Plummer

A recent Washington transplant, Katalin hails from the desert steppes of eastern Oregon. In high school, she fell in love with the ocean thanks to Rachel Carson and the Spanish language thanks to Profesora Mong. After earning dual bachelor’s degrees in marine biology and Spanish from the University of Oregon, Katalin moved to beautiful Chile where she pursued both of her passions by working as a field marine biologist studying intertidal invertebrates and a marine science instructor to young Chilean students. Her desire to dive into where science meets policy brought her back to eastern Oregon, where she served as the head of communications at a small public lands conservation nonprofit, Friends of the Owyhee.

Katalin is now pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Washington School of Environmental and Marine Affairs. Her particular interests are marine biodiversity and conservation in the context of climate change mitigation and coastal resilience. Her capstone research with Dr. Anne Beaudreau focuses on community perception surrounding Alaska’s hardrock mines. She is grateful to be serving as the summer 2023 science communications fellow for Washington Sea Grant where she hopes to continue making fascinating marine research accessible to a wide range of audiences and form community connections in her new home.

Emma Duckworth

Emma Duckworth is a junior at the University of Washington (UW) studying marine biology and environmental studies. Growing up in California just an hour from the coast, she developed a love for the ocean early in life that pushed her to pursue marine biology out of high school. In her time at UW, Emma has discovered a passion for science writing and studying impacts of climate change on local communities. After getting involved as an intern for the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, a local citizen science program, she has a newfound interest in science education and outreach programs. More specifically, she hopes to use science writing to make marine science more accessible to broader audiences and to connect more communities with climate change science. Emma is excited to begin her new role as the Undergraduate Science Communications at Washington Sea Grant and is eager to learn more about climate change research in the Puget Sound community.

2022

Andrea Richter-Sanchez

Andrea Richter-Sanchez grew up in South Florida and decided to trade palm trees for pine trees when she moved to Washington for her Masters in Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington. She is passionate about marine ecology related to sea level rise, coastal erosion, ocean acidification, and nature-based solutions for carbon sequestration. Andrea was born in Venezuela and has had the opportunity to travel through South America. Traveling through South America made her realize how countries who often contribute the least to climate change are the ones who are most affected. This realization made her want to learn about environmental justice work and work with Latino communities like the one she grew up in, to advocate for coastal adaptation, mitigation, and conservation. She graduated from Florida State University in 2019 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and an Applied Mathematics minor. After graduating, she went on to work for FEMA as an Environmental Specialist relating to emergency management work in disasters such as Hurricane Michael. Her current work involves assessing state coastal policies related to sea level rise, coastal armoring, coastal development, and sediment management with the Surfrider Foundation. Andrea is excited for the opportunity to work as a Science Communication fellow with Washington Sea Grant in order to polish her communication skills, learn more about marine issues facing Puget Sound, and work on outreach projects with the local community.

Olivia Horwedel

Olivia (she/her) is a first year master’s student at the University of Washington. School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. Growing up in Michigan, her life has always been interconnected with water. This led her to pursue dual bachelor’s degrees in marine ecology and Native American studies at the University of Michigan. During her undergraduate career, she studied abroad in New Zealand which illuminated her passion for intersectional marine conservation that prioritized Indigenous knowledge systems. When Olivia returned to the United States, most of her professional experience was in cetacean research, marine mammal conservation and marine science education in Washington, Hawaii and California. She has also worked as an artist and designer for environmental organizations, using visual media to communicate complex ecological and social themes in science. Those prior experiences highlighted the importance and need for science communication as a way to involve wide audiences in conversations about protecting marine ecosystems.  Her current research addresses Indigenous-led marine mammal conservation along the West Coast of North America, emphasizing the ecological and cultural perspectives of sea otter reintroductions in the Pacific Northwest. Olivia’s future goals aim to integrate Indigenous knowledge, marine research, and educational outreach to conserve marine mammal species through a community and ecosystem-based approach.

Maddie Hansen

Maddie Hansen is a sophomore at the University of Washington studying marine biology. She grew up in Minnesota, as well as in California and Tennessee, which has inspired a love for investigating and enjoying the diversity of the natural world. Since moving to Washington state and starting at the UW, she has channeled this passion into studying the marine world and how various communities interact with it. Her favorite experience so far was spending five months in the San Juan Islands taking classes at the Friday Harbor Laboratories and completing a summer internship at the Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. She hopes to take these opportunities and turn them into a life devoted to learning about and serving coastal communities. Her time outside of class is spent climbing with friends, teaching ski lessons, attempting the Danish language, and learning to crochet.

2021

Benjamin Haagen

Benjamin (he/him/his) is a master’s candidate in the Biology Department at Western Washington University. His research utilizes a model organism, Baker’s Yeast, to study the effects of genetic variation on how organisms respond to environmental change. While pursuing research, Benjamin has taught lab courses, mentored students in his lab, and served as a representative in his program’s administrative committee. He hopes to translate his experiences as a scientist and educator toward advancing science literacy and collaboration between communities, researchers, and policymakers seeking to understand and conserve the Salish Sea. Exploring the beaches and forests of Western Washington, gaining a fascination with nature that eventually led him to earn a bachelor’s degree studying genetics and evolutionary biology at the University of Washington. While studying at the UW, Benjamin worked as a research technician, an environmental educator in the South Puget Sound, and volunteered with local nonprofits to restore urban forests. He is pursuing a career focused on bridging the gap between active research and education as well as on empowering people to become students of and advocates for their surrounding environments.

 

Kathleen McKeegan

Kathleen is a master’s candidate in the Marine and Estuarine Science Program at Western Washington University. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in biology from Whitman College, Kathleen worked as an environmental educator and outreach specialist for NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. There, she learned about the importance of science communication while working with communities along the Washington Coast. Afterwards, Kathleen returned to her roots in Southern California where she worked as a deckhand on two brigantines, captained a research boat for UCLA, and led an environmental education nonprofit in Redondo Beach. Today, Kathleen is the lab manager for the Marine Mammal Ecology Lab at Western Washington University, where she leads a team of undergraduate research assistants to study a novel management tool designed to decrease the rates that pinnipeds (which include seals, sea lions and walrus) prey on depleted salmon stocks. When not in the lab or on the water, Kathleen can be found belting her heart out at the piano or on the stage.

 

Hannah Jeffries

Hannah is currently a senior undergraduate at Pacific Lutheran University working towards a major in Chemistry with a Biochemistry Emphasis and a minor in Hispanic Studies. Throughout her time at PLU, Hannah has worked as a Resident Assistant and a Laboratory Teaching Assistant for a variety of courses, where she works on supporting students in their learning and preparing them for life after college. She is a captain on the PLU Women’s Tennis team and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, skiing (mostly snow, but learning to ski on water!), and kayaking. Hannah has spent a summer researching dopamine detection with analytical techniques at PLU, and another summer with the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology focused on learning how nanomaterials can make a positive impact on the environment, specifically the oceans and preservation of marine life. In the fall of 2021, she will be attending graduate school at the University of Washington to attain her Ph.D. in Chemistry to work towards becoming a professor and communicating science for the rest of her career.

2020

Grace Freeman

Grace Freeman is a master’s candidate in the Marine and Estuarine Biology Program at Western Washington University. While working on a bachelor’s in biology and environmental studies from St. Olaf College in Minnesota, Grace spent summers working as a camp counselor and backcountry guide across the western mountain states and in Maine. After graduation, Grace held a variety of field and research tech positions before returning to a role in environmental education and trip leading. Today, Grace continues to mentor students as the lab manager for the Marine Mammal Ecology Lab at WWU. Within the work of the lab, Grace’s research focuses on the foraging ecology of harbor seals and their predation on Pacific salmon in Whatcom Creek in Bellingham. She hopes to develop this work into actionable science that can have a positive effect on the co-management of two highly iconic and protected species.

 

 

James Lee

James is a master’s student in the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) and is also a candidate for the Graduate Certificate in Climate Science. He has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and marine biology from San Francisco State University and was a research technician for two years at San Francisco State’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center.

James is passionate about nearshore restoration work for the value it brings to ecosystems and the opportunities it provides to connect the public to science and to their shorelines. James now works with the UW’s Green Futures Lab and fellow SMEA students on a floating wetlands project in the Lower Duwamish Waterway to see if it will provide critical habitat functions for juvenile out-migrating salmon. He is also part of a team investigating changes in gene expression when eelgrass is infected with wasting disease. He is a contributor to and Editor-in-Chief of Currents, the SMEA blog.

Brandon McWilliams

Brandon is currently an undergraduate at Seattle University working towards a double major in Environmental Studies and Creative Writing. Brandon fell in love with the outdoors before he could walk, and since then has been exploring coastlines, forests, and mountains all over the west. Currently, he works as an outdoor educator and trip leader at Seattle U, where he focuses on exposing underrepresented populations to the joys of nature. In addition, Brandon is a budding writer, with pieces appearing in the publications such as the Seattle Times and Hidden Compass Magazine. When not studying or working, he can usually be found climbing something tall or eating something new and tasty.

 

 

 

2024

Bella Aguirre

Bella was born in California, but has lived a little over half her life in Washington. With her love of being hands on, puzzles, and the multitude of solutions to one problem, Bella got an associates of science in engineering and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering at the University of Washington. Her academics has been guided by a goal to enter a career centered around clean energy and sustainability. During Bella’s time in living in Washington, she has fallen in love with the state’s majestic mountains and forests, serene lakes and coastline, and multi-seasonal sceneries. Inspired by a diversity class that shed light on the connections of societies and oceans, Bella felt compelled to actively contribute to preserving Washington’s nature. As a WASI intern at Valence Surface Technologies, she is eager to make an impact on environmental sustainability within the aerospace industry. Bella is excited about gaining practical insights into navigating the complexities of environmental compliance and initiatives. She sees her internship as a stepping stone towards a future where she can continue to drive positive change in environmental conservation.

 

Zainab Ahmad

Growing up in the diverse terrain of Washington state, Zainab often found herself looking towards its ecosystems to reflect on the dynamics of balance and disruption. She began working in emergency and holistic medical settings, exploring how healing can draw from contemporary and indigenous sciences of the natural world. During her clinical work in rural communities of Washington, Utah, and Nevada she witnessed immediate and chronic health impacts from wildfires, contaminated water, and food deserts. This motivated her to think about the ways science can shape community partnerships and policy that protect body and place.

Zainab received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Seattle University, and engaged in various projects involving forest restoration, agroecology, microbiome research, wastewater treatment, and sustainable urban development. Exposure to the resource-intensive networks in clinics and labs helped guide her interests in green chemistry to consider how material production and use can employ less polluting and demanding processes. As a WSG applied sustainability intern, she will collaborate with LOTT Clean Water Alliance to track and reduce their scope 3 emissions and toxic chemical use. Being a part of a program that supports companies on their paths towards improved resource stewardship, she is inspired to learn more about what practical sustainability in industry can look like.

Casera Pinto

Casera (she/they) is an environmental engineering graduating senior from the University of Washington in Seattle. Growing up in California, they witnessed the impacts of heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires, igniting their passion for sustainability and climate change mitigation early on. She is driven by the vision to create an equitable symbiotic relationship between human infrastructure and the natural world, which is an aspect she has emphasized and explored throughout her time in the UW Civil and Environmental Engineering department. Since moving to Washington and studying at UW, Casera has spent extensive time studying diverse climate solutions and environmental justice. Her time as an undergraduate student was enriched by a transformative quarter abroad in India, where she delved into addressing accessibility issues in healthcare, an experience that profoundly shaped her personal and professional trajectory. Outside of their studies, Casera enjoys climbing, hiking, and watching movies with friends. Through the WASI program, she hopes to learn more about sustainable practices and gain the skills needed to tackle environmental challenges in the real world.

 

Reiden Emery

Reiden grew up in Edmonds, Washington and is working towards her undergraduate degree out-of-state in biochemistry as a third year at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Their parents had always been involved in the scientific fields and paired with their passion for nature and preservation sparked by a Studio Ghibli movie, they began looking into green chemistry. Moving far away from home and gaining freedom, experience, and independence operating in an entirely new environment, she chose to pursue the more environmental aspects of her chosen field. She conducted research in Cal Poly’s laboratories, focusing on photochemistry, and is eager to gain more experience working in laboratories and sharing research. Outside of pursuing her degree, they have been swimming, knitting, and experimenting with different cooking and baking recipes. As a WASI Grant intern, they hope to learn more about the industry, continue to diversify their skillset, and collaborate with Toray Composite Materials America, Inc. to develop their solvent recovery system.

 

2025

Ava Vaughan

Ava is currently pursuing a dual degree in business administration and environmental studies, with a minor in nutrition, at the University of Washington. Raised on the Olympic Peninsula, she is passionate about sustainable natural resource policy, food sovereignty, and building community resilience capacity. At UW, she has taken on leadership and service roles as President of Net Impact, Undergraduate Representative on the Population Health Initiative, Presidential Scholar, UWild Field Guide, Climbing Club Staff Member, and Student Farm Club Volunteer.

2022

Zachary Levitan

Zachary Levitan is Washington Sea Grant’s (WSG) first Community Engaged Intern (CEI). During his ten-week summer internship, Zachary is working on coastal research projects affiliated with WSG with an emphasis on the European green crab. Originally from the Bay Area, Zachary came to Washington state to pursue his education at Whitman College in Walla Walla. He is in the process of completing a “3-2” program where he just finished three years at Whitman studying geology and will now transfer to the University of Washington to complete his program studying oceanography and anthropology over the next two years. So far, Zachary’s favorite part of his internship has been conducting fieldwork in the sloughs and mud to search for green crabs. As a first-generation college student learning how to navigate STEM fields, Zachary is looking forward to the mentorship structure provided by the CEI network and the staff at WSG.

 

 

2024

Robyn Norman

Originally, from Portland, Oregon, Robyn is a lifelong Pacific Northwest resident who spent her childhood on the sandy and not so sandy beaches of Oregon and Washington. She received her Bachelor’s degree as a research fellow in Biology from Oregon State University (OSU). At OSU she became a collaborator of the Coastal Oregon Zooplankton Investigation (COZI) and, over three years, participated in a variety of projects regarding Pacific Coast Feeding Group gray whales and their invertebrate prey. After graduation, Robyn quickly moved to Humboldt County, California for her Master’s thesis to continue researching gray whales and revive a +20-year-old study with the Marine Mammal Education and Research Program (MMERP) and Phenotype Environment Biodiversity Lab at Cal Poly Humboldt. There she worked with government agencies, tribal governments, and non-profit organizations to fund and eventually collect biological data across 100 kilometers of coastline and nearshore habitat with complex cultural, historical, recreational, and economic roots as well as ecologically important habitats and species. Through this collaborative research effort, Robyn became interested in coastal use and management within the context of changing natural resources, shorelines, and habitats. As a NOAA Coastal Management Fellow with the Washington Department of Ecology, Robyn plans to use her research background and collaborative project management experience to update and expand Washington shoreline public access data and resources for planners involved in comprehensive or coastal hazard planning as well as those interested in experiencing what the great outdoors has to offer.

Kellie Cutsinger

Originally from various parts of California, Kellie developed an affinity for all things related to the ocean from an early age. That affinity led her to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz and earn a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology. During her undergraduate career, Kellie was able to gain knowledge and experience in various areas from partaking in internships, field quarters, and a study abroad program in Queensland, Australia. Her interests expanded beyond marine biology to include marine and terrestrial ecology, wetland restoration, salmon recovery, conservation, and science communication. These experiences reshaped her world-view of marine ecosystems and brought about her passion for centering human communities within coastal management through enhancing environmental equity and justice principles. This passion drove her to pursue an interdisciplinary master’s degree at the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. Working in collaboration with Iowa State University, her capstone research project focused on developing community-based mitigation and adaptation strategies with Alaska Native communities, who are facing increasingly frequent and severe flooding and erosion events along the Kuskokwim River. As a NOAA Coastal Management Fellow, Kellie is excited for the opportunity to continue to work in community engagement and aid in updating the DCRM’s wetland management plan in the Northern Mariana Islands.

2019

Adrienne Hampton: Seattle Aquarium

2019

• Tressa Arbow: Washington Department of Ecology
• Rachel Assink: Washington Department of Ecology
• Ashley Bagley: Long Live the Kings
• Angela Cruz: Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group
• Alex Sweetser: Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
• Sonni Tadlock: Washington Department of Ecology

2018

• Danielle Edelman: Makah Tribe
• Felicia Olmeta-Schult: Washington Department of Ecology
• Katrina Radach: The Nature Conservancy
• Brittany Flittner: Washington Department of Ecology
• Henry Peterson: Washington Department of Health
• Julie Ann Koehlinger: Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

2017

• Jackson Blalock: The Nature Conservancy
• Sara Brostrom: Washington Department of Ecology
• Haley Kennard: Makah Tribe
• Marisa Nixon: Washington Department of Health

2016

• Liliana Bastian: Washington Department of Ecology
• Claire Dawson: The Nature Conservancy
• Forrest Howk: Makah Tribe
• Natalie Sahli: Washington Department of Health

2015

• Mike Chang: Makah Tribe
• Mikaela Freeman: Washington State Parks and Recreation Comission
• Lindsey Hamilton: WA Department of Health
• Michael Levkovitz: WA Department of Ecology
• Skadie Von Reis: Puget Sound Partnership
• Melissa Watkinson: The Nature Conservancy

2014

• Molly Bogeberg: The Nature Conservancy
• Katie Graziano: Puget Sound Partnership
• Adi Hanein: WA Department of Health
• Jessica McGrath: WA Department of Ecology
• Laurea Nelson: Makah Tribe and The Nature Conservancy

2013

• Rachel Aronson: WA Department of Ecology
• Hilary Frost-Browning: WA Department of Health
• Haley Harguth: Puget Sound Partnership
• Katie Wrubel: The Nature Conservancy

2012

• Kara Cardinal: The Nature Conservancy
• Gretchen Glaub: Wa Department of Ecology
• Constance Sullivan: Puget Sound Partnership
• Libby Whiting: Washington Department of Natural Resources
• Laura Wigand Johnson: Washington Department of Health

2011

• Heather Gibbs: Washington Department of Natural Resources
• Clara Hard: Washington Department of Health
• Allison Osterberg: Puget Sound Partnership
• Bridget Trosin: Washington Department of Ecology

2010

• Dan Crowther: Washington Department of Ecology
• Jamie Mooney: Washington Military Department

2009

• Michael Grilliot: Washington Department of Natural Resources
• Jess Silver: Washington Department of Health

2008

• Angie Frederickson: Washington Department of Natural Resources
• Nathalie Hamel: Washington Department of Ecology

2019

• Ben Hughey: Office of Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey
• Roxanne Carini: Marine Mammal Commission
• Molly Grear: National Science Foundation Ocean Sciences Division
• Michelle Chow: U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources
• Valerie Cleland: U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

2018

• Grace Ferrara: NOAA
• Laura Koehn: NOAA Fisheries
• Jimmy Kralj: Office of Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii
• Carrie Schamus: U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office

2016

• Maggie Allen: NOAA
• Sarah Anderson: Office of Senator Gary C. Peters of Michigan
• Michael Harvey: NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office
• Nicole Kanayurak: National Marine Fisheries Service International Affairs Office
• Thomas Neal McMillin: Office of Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi

2015

• Laura Deighan: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

2014

• Bonnie DeJoseph: NOAA Office of Coastal Management
• Marissa Jones: NOAA Office of Education
• Megan Stachura: NOAA Fisheries, Office of Sustainable Fisheries

2012

• Rebecca Joblonski-Diehl: Office of Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo of Guam
• Meghan Massaua: U.S. Department of Energy

2011

• Chelsea Combest-Friedman: NOAA Climate Program Office
• Ethan Lucas: NOAA

2019

• John Best
• Megan Feddern
• Maia Sosa Kapur

2017

• Caitlin Allen-Aselrud
• Adam Hayes
• Natalie Lowell
• Elizabeth Ng

2016

• Charles Walters

2015

• Kelli Johnson

2014

• Christine Stawitz
• Peter Kuriyama
• Jennifer Meredith

2013

• Cole Monnahan

2012

• Jeffrey Rutter
• Cody Szuwalski

2009

• Jocelyn Lin
• James Thorson

2019

• Bobbie Buzzell
• Andrew Chin
• Brittany Hoedemaker

2018

• Mackenzie Nelson
• Elizabeth Phillips
• Jasmine Prat

2017

• Amy Brodbeck Linhart
• Max Showalter

2016

• Lauren Drakopulos

2015

• Liz Cooney

2014

• Jacob Jarecki

2013

• Chelsea Kahn
• Margaret “Megsie” Siple

2012

• Emily Davis
• Yu-Chi Huang

2011

• Rachel Aronson
• Laura Geggel
• Lauren Keuhne
• Megan McPhaden
• Tammi McPherson
• Ruth Sediak
• Adrienne Sussman
• Heather Wiedenhoft

2011

• Hilary Papendick: California Coastal Commission

2009

• Chelsea Papiez: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

2008

• Deborah Purce: Washington Department of Ecology