Knauss Blog
Showcasing Academic Excellence for Coastal Management
Sea Grant supports coastal marine and Great Lakes communities through research, extension and education.
Knauss fellow helps foster connections between Indigenous lifeways and the federal government
“My connection to Lake Superior is the primary reason I’m pursuing this fellowship,” said Erik Simula, Minnesota Sea Grant’s 2024 Knauss Fellow.A third-generation Finnish/Sami American born in Duluth, Minnesota, Erik has spent most of his life in the forest and lake country of the 1854 Ceded Territory in northeastern Minnesota. These are the ancestral lands of the Dakota, Ojibwe/Anishinaabe, and other Indigenous people. His heritage and passion for the outdoors inspired him to learn about traditional Indigenous lifeways and worldviews.
Knauss fellow embraces the wider ocean view
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) may not be as well known as some other subdivisions of the executive branch of the U.S. government that focus on the environment. Still, the CEQ wields substantial oversight, says De’Marcus Robinson, who, as a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, spent 2023 working with the agency.
An introduction to the Marine Mammal Commission: Jackie Shaff
2023 Washington Sea Grant fellow Jackie Shaff, shares an overview of the Marine Mammal Commission and the important work they do to bridge science and policy for the protection and conservation of marine mammals for generations to come.
From DC to Antarctica: Gina Selig
Check out this new video from 2023 fellow Gina Selig discussing her work with the Antarctic Treaties Commission and her upcoming trip to Antarctica.
Reelin’ in the Years
In my Knauss fellowship so far, one of the most meaningful pieces of advice I’ve heard is to “think of your career as a journey, not a destination.” As the fall begins and my fellowship rounds the corner into the back nine, so to speak, I’ve shifted the way I think about my career journey. I’ve been in my feelings a lot lately about what my next steps will be after January, a familiar feeling for Knauss fellows, as we browse USAjobs.gov and subscribe to job digests from various job boards, patiently waiting for the precise second that our direct hiring authority privilege kicks in. In this time, I’ve been refining the language I use to describe myself and my accomplishments. I’m reflecting on the past and the stories beneath the single-line additions to my résumé meant to represent my capability. For instance, my master’s degree is one entry on my résumé, but how do I share what sparked my desire to pursue environmental policy as a career path?
NOAA Careers: Transition Manager
What do Knauss Fellows actually do? Well, it depends!
You may know NOAA for its science, but there are teams of people that help get the science in motion and to the communities that need it most.
2023 Knauss Fellow Briana Yancy works as a Transition Manager at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab this year. Check out her experience!