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Knauss Fellowship Blog

Weathering the Storm: Improving Communications About Extreme Weather and Climate
Weathering the Storm: Improving Communications About Extreme Weather and Climate

Weathering the Storm: Improving Communications About Extreme...

Weathering the Storm: Improving Communications About Extreme Weather and Climate

My Fellowship Position

Weathering the Storm: Improving Communications About Extreme Weather and Climate

By: Christine Bassett. Given my experience thinking about past climate and oceans, it might seem peculiar for me, a geoscientist, to spend my Knauss Fellowship year in the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Office of Observations. Read about how my work at the NWS gives me the opportunity to bring my focus on past human-climate interactions...
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From South Korea to America: How I embraced my cultural identity in between
From South Korea to America: How I embraced my cultural identity in between

From South Korea to America: How I embraced my cultural...

From South Korea to America: How I embraced my cultural identity in between

Alumni Profiles

From South Korea to America: How I embraced my cultural identity in between

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In this article, former Knauss fellow Lisa Kim explores her Korean identity and how it has influenced her early career journey with coastal science policy.
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A long and winding road: Knauss alum, Emily Larkin, shares her career journey within NOAA
A long and winding road: Knauss alum, Emily Larkin, shares her career journey within NOAA

A long and winding road: Knauss alum, Emily Larkin, shares...

A long and winding road: Knauss alum, Emily Larkin, shares her career journey within NOAA

Alumni Profiles

A long and winding road: Knauss alum, Emily Larkin, shares her career journey within NOAA

By: Josie Lindsey-Robbins. Coming from a small town in rural Missouri, Emily never imagined she would end up living and working near Washington, D.C. Today, Emily serves as the Director of Formulation and Congressional Analysis (FCA) for NOAA Research. She began her journey in NOAA as a 2005 Knauss Fellow, placed within the National Ocean Service...
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Far from HOMES*: The importance of place-based stewardship
Far from HOMES*: The importance of place-based stewardship

Far from HOMES*: The importance of place-based stewardship

Far from HOMES*: The importance of place-based stewardship

My Fellowship Position

Far from HOMES*: The importance of place-based stewardship

By: Kirsten Rhude. Even though my work as a Knauss Fellow makes me feel connected to coastal communities, lately I’ve been missing my time spent in nature. While I may not have realized it initially, my sense of stewardship and love of the natural world, which made me so passionate about becoming a Knauss fellow, have deep connections to...
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Decreasing Marine Debris: From Coastal Communities to National Efforts
Decreasing Marine Debris: From Coastal Communities to National Efforts

Decreasing Marine Debris: From Coastal Communities to...

Decreasing Marine Debris: From Coastal Communities to National Efforts

My Fellowship Position

Decreasing Marine Debris: From Coastal Communities to National Efforts

By: Amanda Dwyer. One of the Knauss Fellowship’s most exciting opportunities is to explore areas of marine science that are outside your academic field of expertise. With my placement at the NOAA Marine Debris Program, I am working to support NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) Zero Waste Initiative to promote zero waste efforts in...
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The Power of Connection: Knauss Fellow and Alumni Engagement During a Pandemic and Beyond
The Power of Connection: Knauss Fellow and Alumni Engagement During a Pandemic and Beyond

The Power of Connection: Knauss Fellow and Alumni Engagement...

The Power of Connection: Knauss Fellow and Alumni Engagement During a Pandemic and Beyond

My Fellowship Position

The Power of Connection: Knauss Fellow and Alumni Engagement During a Pandemic and Beyond

By: Emily Y. Horton. Social connection. It’s part of what makes us human and it’s fundamental to our wellbeing. So how does the 2020 cohort of Knauss Fellows network when required to “physically distance” at home? In this blog post, I share about virtual alumni-engagement initiatives our cohort is leading and discuss how in...
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Therapy bakes for the anxious
Therapy bakes for the anxious

Therapy bakes for the anxious

Therapy bakes for the anxious

Tips and Advice

Therapy bakes for the anxious

By: Jennifer Le. Most recipes on the internet begin with a quirky story related to the author, recipe or dish. In a similar vein, this “recipe” is a step-by-step story about how baking has helped me, personally, work through my anxiety both during graduate school and the current pandemic.
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From Katrina to COVID-19: Influences on a Career in Environmental Policy
From Katrina to COVID-19: Influences on a Career in Environmental Policy

From Katrina to COVID-19: Influences on a Career in...

From Katrina to COVID-19: Influences on a Career in Environmental Policy

My Fellowship Position

From Katrina to COVID-19: Influences on a Career in Environmental Policy

By: Connor Fagan. In August of 2005, the winds and waves of Hurricane Katrina smashed through the city of New Orleans. A middle-schooler at the time, my life, along with millions of others, as a New Orleanian would never be the same. Since then, I have directed my studies and career towards environmental policy as a result of Hurricane Katrina and...
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Conquering the Quarantine: How Knauss Fellows are Overcoming Challenges Brought on by COVID-19
Conquering the Quarantine: How Knauss Fellows are Overcoming Challenges Brought on by COVID-19

Conquering the Quarantine: How Knauss Fellows are Overcoming...

Conquering the Quarantine: How Knauss Fellows are Overcoming Challenges Brought on by COVID-19

Fellowship Logistics

Conquering the Quarantine: How Knauss Fellows are Overcoming Challenges Brought on by COVID-19

By: Zuzanna Abdala. As of April 1st, 2020, the entire DC metro area is under stay-at-home orders. Although we may not be able to navigate this fellowship year in the same manner as our alumni counterparts, this situation has created opportunities for thoughtful and swift problem-solving, strong communication and creative thinking.
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Photo story: 5 lessons learned during my Knauss Fellowship
Photo story: 5 lessons learned during my Knauss Fellowship

Photo story: 5 lessons learned during my Knauss Fellowship

Photo story: 5 lessons learned during my Knauss Fellowship

My Fellowship Position

Photo story: 5 lessons learned during my Knauss Fellowship

Over a year ago, I packed my belongings and moved from Long Beach, California, to Washington, D.C. to get firsthand experience working in the federal government as a Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellow. Embarking upon my year, I knew one thing for sure: it was bound to be full of surprises. I’ve learned a number of important lessons...
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How climate change is changing the way we do science
How climate change is changing the way we do science

How climate change is changing the way we do science

How climate change is changing the way we do science

My Fellowship Position

How climate change is changing the way we do science

August 29th, 2005 is a day that I will never forget. My mother and I had evacuated our New Orleans home several days earlier, and we sat glued to the television, transfixed by the images of Hurricane Katrina inundating our city. In the months that followed, we scoured Google Maps, simply to see if our house still stood. When we finally returned...
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Where in the World is Bianca Prohaska? Life as an International Activities Fellow
Where in the World is Bianca Prohaska? Life as an International Activities Fellow

Where in the World is Bianca Prohaska? Life as an...

Where in the World is Bianca Prohaska? Life as an International Activities Fellow

My Fellowship Position

Where in the World is Bianca Prohaska? Life as an International Activities Fellow

By Bianca Prohaska. Going into my fellowship position, I knew I would travel a lot, lead our collaborations with India, and  provide support for our work with China. What I didn’t realize is how quickly I would get to start my work and get traveling! Read about my experiences in India, Ireland, Hawai'i, France, Malaysia, and...
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Waves and Sea Ice and Hurricanes, OH MY!
Waves and Sea Ice and Hurricanes, OH MY!

Waves and Sea Ice and Hurricanes, OH MY!

Waves and Sea Ice and Hurricanes, OH MY!

My Fellowship Position

Waves and Sea Ice and Hurricanes, OH MY!

By: Alison Agather. In 1912, over 1,500 people lost their lives when the RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank. But what does the Titanic have to do with my fellowship role in the National Weather Service’s Ocean Prediction Center?
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Thinking Fast and Slow: Keeping pace with international fisheries policy
Thinking Fast and Slow: Keeping pace with international fisheries policy

Thinking Fast and Slow: Keeping pace with international...

Thinking Fast and Slow: Keeping pace with international fisheries policy

My Fellowship Position

Thinking Fast and Slow: Keeping pace with international fisheries policy

By Madi Harris Speed-walking down 5th Avenue in my suit while fighting early Manhattan summer humidity was not the morning I had planned for myself. Expecting the early Amtrak train from D.C. to New York to be on schedule may have been my own naivety, but I now found myself tempting a late arrival for my very first meeting at the United Nations...
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Belonging: a look into my year in the Knauss fellowship as a first generation immigrant
Belonging: a look into my year in the Knauss fellowship as a first generation immigrant

Belonging: a look into my year in the Knauss fellowship as a...

Belonging: a look into my year in the Knauss fellowship as a first generation immigrant

My Fellowship Position

Belonging: a look into my year in the Knauss fellowship as a first generation immigrant

By Lisa Kim I never expected my Knauss Fellowship to land me in South Korea. Yet, there I was, full of anxious excitement on a bumpy car ride in the narrow streets of the country I was born in. I looked in the rear view mirror to make sure my hair was neat and my button down shirt was straight. I got out of the car, and saw an old woman, tears in...
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Using Dungeons and Dragons to Navigate the Knauss Fellowship
Using Dungeons and Dragons to Navigate the Knauss Fellowship

Using Dungeons and Dragons to Navigate the Knauss Fellowship

Using Dungeons and Dragons to Navigate the Knauss Fellowship

Tips and Advice

Using Dungeons and Dragons to Navigate the Knauss Fellowship

My position as the Knauss Policy Fellow working on the GEO Blue Planet Initiative has required organization, flexibility, creativity, teamwork, and comfort with (lots) of learning on the job. The thing above all that has helped me to navigate these challenges is my role as a Dungeon Master (abbreviated as DM) in Dungeons and Dragons. I thought it...
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Learning to Swim with the Big
Learning to Swim with the Big

Learning to Swim with the Big "Fish" (Marine Mammals)

Learning to Swim with the Big "Fish" (Marine Mammals)

My Fellowship Position

Learning to Swim with the Big "Fish" (Marine Mammals)

By Roxanne J Carini
In graduate school, I would quip that I studied everything about the ocean, except what lived there! So, imagine my surprise when I wound up at the Marine Mammal Commission for my year-long Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.  Falling in love with the world of marine mammals didn’t take long! But, not for the...
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From Math to Mapping: Characterizing the U.S. Caribbean
From Math to Mapping: Characterizing the U.S. Caribbean

From Math to Mapping: Characterizing the U.S. Caribbean

From Math to Mapping: Characterizing the U.S. Caribbean

My Fellowship Position

From Math to Mapping: Characterizing the U.S. Caribbean

By Katharine Egan A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the wet lab on the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster watching a video feed from the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that I helped to deploy. The pilot guided the ROV into shallower waters, and I was quick to identify the corals as these depths. I thought about what I was doing this time last year: sitting...
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Conservation Success: How Regulations, Policy and Habitat Restoration benefit Wildlife and People.
Conservation Success: How Regulations, Policy and Habitat Restoration benefit Wildlife and People.

Conservation Success: How Regulations, Policy and Habitat...

Conservation Success: How Regulations, Policy and Habitat Restoration benefit Wildlife and People.

My Fellowship Position

Conservation Success: How Regulations, Policy and Habitat Restoration benefit Wildlife and People.

By: Alicia Wilson While spending my first field season of graduate school on the coastal barrier islands of Georgia, I thought I was lucky to witness a record number of loggerhead sea turtle nests for the state. Three years later, as I watch from my fellowship in D.C., I am even more amazed. Loggerhead sea turtle ladies are kicking butt in...
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Spreading the Wing: Congressional Outreach for Monarch Butterfly
Spreading the Wing: Congressional Outreach for Monarch Butterfly

Spreading the Wing: Congressional Outreach for Monarch...

Spreading the Wing: Congressional Outreach for Monarch Butterfly

My Fellowship Position

Spreading the Wing: Congressional Outreach for Monarch Butterfly

By Liz Berg As a Congressional and Legislative Affairs Fellow with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), I act as a liaison between the FWS and Congress. One of the issue areas I work on is the conservation of pollinators, including the monarch butterfly. I have responded to inquiries from staff who work for Senators, House...
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Tuesday, July 23, 2019

From “No” to “Ph.D”: a journey from “imposter” to scientist

From “No” to “Ph.D”: a journey from “imposter” to scientist

By Zac Cannizzo

“Not for you. You just don’t have the mind for science.” The words of my 8th grade science teacher when I asked to be placed in Biology for my freshman year. It hurt. I always liked science, and I loved biology. Some of my earliest memories are watching Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures. From a young age, I wanted to be a biologist. But, I guess it wasn’t for me. I guess I’m not smart enough. I guess maybe I need to do something else. I just don’t have the mind for science.

Two years. I believed her for two years.

 

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Categories: Knauss Blog, Graduate School, Science, Academia to Government, My Fellowship Position, Communication

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