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Knauss Fellowship

Ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resource management experience for graduate students

About the Fellowship

The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The Fellowship, named after one of Sea Grant’s founders and former NOAA Administrator John A. Knauss, matches highly qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branch of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one year paid fellowship.

Prospective Fellows

Apply for a Knauss Fellowship through the Sea Grant program in your state.

Selected Finalists & Current Fellows

Grab the essential information you will need on your journey.

Knauss Alumni

Keep up-to-date on what is happening across the Sea Grant Network and stories about past and current Knauss Fellows.

Host Offices

Knauss Host Offices provide opportunities for involvement in substantive issues that support the fellows’ goals.

NOAA and Sea Grant are pleased to announce the fellows for the 2023 Knauss Fellowship Program. These 84 fellows will be placed in federal government offices in Washington, D.C. for one-year fellowships beginning February 2023.

Download the list of 2023 Knauss finalists (PDF)

Download the placements for 2023 Knauss executive fellows (PDF)

Download the placements for 2023 Knauss legislative fellows (PDF)

2023 Selected Fellows

Ajani Bakari
NOAA Research Communications Office Maine Sea Grant Unity College (Masters)
Carden Barkley
NOAA Fisheries Office of the Assistant Administrator North Carolina Sea Grant Duke University (Masters)
Brandon Jacob Barlow
U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Office Minnesota Sea Grant University of Nebraska - Lincoln (Masters)
Jeffery Beauvais
Rep. John Garamendi Georgia Sea Grant University of Georgia (Ph.D.)
Ashley Booth
Sen. Brian Schatz Louisiana Sea Grant Louisiana State University (Ph.D.)
Shannon Burns
Sen. Dan Sullivan Florida Sea Grant University of South Florida (Ph.D.)
Devin Burri
NOAA Research International Activities Office Minnesota Sea Grant University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (Masters)
Maggie Carson
Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium University of South Carolina (Ph.D.)
Amanda Chiachi
Office of NOAA Senior Advisor for Climate USC Sea Grant California State University (Masters)
Mary Collins
National Sea Grant Office Minnesota Sea Grant Colorado State University (Masters)
Lisa Crawford
Migratory Species Management Division, NOAA Office of Sustainable Fisheries New York Sea Grant Stony Brook University (Ph.D.)
Jackie Culotta
DOE Water Power Technologies Office Minnesota Sea Grant University of Minnesota - Duluth (Masters)
Joy Deep Chakrabartty
NOAA NESDIS/STAR/SOCD Delaware Sea Grant University of Delaware (Ph.D.)
Amelia-Juliette Demery
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences, Office of the Division Director New York Sea Grant Cornell University (Ph.D.)
Marcella Dobbertin da Costa
NOAA NOS Formulation and Planning Division Virginia Sea Grant College of William & Mary (VIMS) (Masters)
Anastasia Dulskiy
FEMA/CSO Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division, Community Infrastructure Resilience Branch North Carolina Sea Grant University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Masters)
Jessica Eason
NOAA Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Pennsylvania Sea Grant Pennsylvania State University (Masters)
Thalia Eigen
NOAA Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping (Office of Coast Survey) Delaware Sea Grant American University (Masters)
Lilian Elekwachi
NOAA Office of System Architecture and Advanced Planning MIT Sea Grant University of Massachusetts - Boston (Ph.D.)
Krista Finlay
NOAA NESDIS Legislative Analysis Team USC Sea Grant University of California, Santa Barbara (Masters)
Kaylyn Flanigan
NOAA Research Policy and Congressional Affairs Branch, Policy Team Ohio Sea Grant Bowling Green State University (Ph.D.)
Colette Fletcher-Hoppe
DOE Wind Energy Technologies Office USC Sea Grant University of Southern California (Ph.D.)
Kalina Grabb
NOAA Ocean Acidification Program Woods Hole Sea Grant Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D.)
Jessica Gwinn
NOAA Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing (GOMO) Program Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium University of South Alabama (Ph.D.)
Courtney (Nicole) Hammond
NOAA NESDIS STAR Louisiana Sea Grant Louisiana State University (Masters)
Celina Harris
NOAA Research Front Office Minnesota Sea Grant University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (Ph.D.)
Mitchell Hebner
NOAA Ocean Exploration Washington Sea Grant Western Washington University (Masters)
Tacey Hicks
NOAA NOS Policy and Constituent Affairs Division Texas Sea Grant Texas A&M University - College Station (Ph.D.)
Alia Hidayat
Rep. Doris Matsui Woods Hole Sea Grant Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Ph.D.)
Matthew Hodanbosi
NOAA U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Office Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium University of South Alabama (Ph.D.)
Claire Huang
NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science North Carolina Sea Grant Duke University (Masters)
Noah Hunt
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee; Environment New York Sea Grant Stony Brook University (Masters)
Brianna Jordan
FEMA Resilience, Risk Management Directorate Rhode Island Sea Grant Roger Williams University (Masters)
Logan Kline
NOAA Ocean Exploration Maine Sea Grant University of Maine (Masters)
Hannah Lohman
NOAA Climate Program Office Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Ph.D.)
Natalie Lord
NOAA Ocean Acidification Program New Hampshire Sea Grant University of New Hampshire (Masters)
Sophia Ly
NOAA Office of International Affairs Woods Hole Sea Grant Northeastern University (Masters)
Willis Lyons
NOAA Office of Education Florida Sea Grant Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (Ph.D.)
Omisha Manglani
Sen. Jeff Merkley New York Sea Grant Cornell University (Masters)
Caitlin Manley
USFWS Branch of Coastal and Marine Resources, Ecological Services - Headquarters USC Sea Grant University of California, Santa Barbara (Masters)
Basia Marcks
House Natural Resources Committee; Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Rhode Island Sea Grant University of Rhode Island (Ph.D.)
Sara Marriott
USGS Midcontinent Regional Office - Great Lakes Program Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium University of Southern Mississippi (Ph.D.)
Juita Martinez
DOI Office of the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Louisiana Sea Grant University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Ph.D.)
Claudia Mazur
NOAA National Ocean Service MIT Sea Grant Boston University (Ph.D.)
Sarah Morgan
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Majority); Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change, and Manufacturing Louisiana Sea Grant Loyola University New Orleans College of Law (J.D.)
Margaret Morrison
Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator North Carolina Sea Grant Duke University (Masters)
Kody Muhic
NOAA Congressional Analysis and Relations Division (CARD) Virginia Sea Grant Old Dominion University (Masters)
Alexandra Neal
National Sea Grant Office Ohio Sea Grant Bowling Green State University (Ph.D.)
Jack Polentes
USFWS Congressional and Legislative Affairs Delaware Sea Grant Georgetown University (Masters)
Caroline Potter
NOAA Office of Sustainable Fisheries, Domestic Fisheries Division Washington Sea Grant University of Washington (Masters)
Monica Rao
NOAA NWS Analyze, Forecast, and Support Office Rhode Island Sea Grant University of Rhode Island (Masters)
Michelle Robidas
Sen. Richard Blumenthal California Sea Grant University of San Diego (Masters)
De’Marcus Robinson
Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President California Sea Grant University of California Los Angeles (Ph.D.)
Kelsey Rudes
Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy Washington Sea Grant University of Washington (Masters)
Linnea Saby
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Virginia Sea Grant University of Virginia (Ph.D.)
Kendall Scarlett
EPA Office of Water, Office of Science and Technology Texas Sea Grant Baylor University (Ph.D.)
Gina Selig
NSF Office of Polar Programs Hawaii Sea Grant University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (Masters)
Jacquelyn Shaff
Marine Mammal Commission Washington Sea Grant University of Washington (Masters)
Emily Shaw
Rep. Marcy Kaptur Michigan Sea Grant Michigan Technological University (Ph.D.)
Bella Smith
Sen. Lisa Murkowski Lake Champlain Sea Grant Vermont Law School (J.D.)
Mary Solokas
NOAA UxS Research Transition Office Wisconsin Sea Grant University of Wisconsin - Madison (Masters)
Gretchen Spencer
NOAA Research Office of the Chief of Staff Florida Sea Grant NOVA Southeastern University (Masters)
Lindsey Stadler
NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources Alaska Sea Grant University of Alaska, Fairbanks (Masters)
Hannah Staley
NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Indiana University (Masters)
Austen Stovall
Rep. Jared Huffman California Sea Grant University of California, Santa Cruz (Masters)
Alexis Sturm
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Florida Sea Grant Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (Ph.D.)
Alexandra Swanson
Sen. Edward Markey New Jersey Sea Grant Princeton University (Masters)
Audrey Taylor
BOEM Strategic Policy and International Affairs (SPIA) Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant University of Notre Dame (Ph.D.)
Kaitlyn Theberge
National Sea Grant Office Virginia Sea Grant Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Masters)
Jewel Tomasula
Rep. Donald Beyer Delaware Sea Grant Georgetown University (Ph.D.)
Zachary Topor
NOAA Office for Coastal Management Louisiana Sea Grant University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Ph.D.)
Sophia Troeh
USFWS Fish and Aquatic Conservation MIT Sea Grant Northeastern University (Masters)
Alex Troutman
USFWS Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program Georgia Sea Grant Georgia Southern University (Masters)
Sarah Tucker
NOAA Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing (GOMO) Program Hawaii Sea Grant University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (Ph.D.)
Rebecca Van Hoeck
Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator North Carolina Sea Grant University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Ph.D.)
Chloe VanderMolen
BOEM Office of Environmental Programs South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium College of Charleston (Masters)
Madison Willert
National Sea Grant Office Georgia Sea Grant Georgia Institute of Technology (Ph.D.)
Erin Winslow
USFWS Headquarters, Ecological Services USC Sea Grant University of California, Santa Barbara (Ph.D.)
Zoe Wong
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse North Carolina Sea Grant Duke University (Masters)
Briana Yancy
NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Ohio Sea Grant Miami University (Masters)
Callan Yanoff
U.S. Department of State Office of Marine Conservation Rhode Island Sea Grant University of Rhode Island (Masters)
Emily Young
BOEM Office of Environmental Programs Hawaii Sea Grant University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (Ph.D.)

John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program

*Numbers are approximate and based on available data.

43

Years of Success

1557

FELLOWS PLACED IN FEDERAL AND CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES

50%

OF FELLOWSHIP ALUMNI WORK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT*

1052

OFFICES HAVE HOSTED FELLOWS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS*

The Knauss Blog

Natalie and two workshops attendees discussing important fishing species
Capacity Building in the Caribbean: Resilience Against Ocean Acidification
Columbia River as seen from the Washington side, showing Oregon's landscape.
Cross-Country Fish Passage
Introducing the Ocean Decade Game!

Former fellows: The Knauss Fellowship launches careers

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