Two recent graduates have been selected to work with state agencies and nongovernment organizations over the next year through the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant State Fellowship. This program places recent graduate students in host offices, offering them hands-on experience in resource management, public outreach, strategic planning, and policy implementation.
“By partnering with agencies on the coast, we’re able to create valuable learning experiences and foster the professional development of future coastal leaders,” said Mark Risse, director of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.
Now in its sixth year, the fellowship, open to both in-state and out-of-state graduate students, has already supported 18 early career professionals.
The 2024-25 fellows will work with the Jekyll Island Authority and The Nature Conservancy – Georgia.
Daniel Harris completed his undergraduate studies in geology and zoology from the National University of Ireland, Galway. He went on to pursue a Ph.D. in ecology from UGA where he studied the interaction between Georgia’s salt marshes and oyster reefs along the coast. Harris will be working with The Nature Conservancy – Georgia. At The Nature Conservancy, Harris will be collaborating with underserved communities, aquaculture professionals, academics, and resource managers to develop a Georgia Oyster Resiliency and Management Plan for the state.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Georgians, making connections between people’s lives, healthy oyster habitat and how a management plan could help. It is these conversations that are shaping and guiding the development of the Georgia Oyster Resiliency and Management Plan,” said Harris.
Justin Sanclemente received his bachelor’s in zoology from West Liberty University, West Virginia, where he studied aquatic snakes. He went on to pursue his master’s from Georgia Southern University. There, he studied the evolutionary cause of color polymorphisms in the Florida scrub lizard. As a fellow with Jekyll Island Authority, Sanclemente will help track eastern diamondback rattlesnakes using radio telemetry to obtain valuable data on their ecology and life history as part of a long-term study on the island.
“I aspire to get into the field of wildlife conservation, education, and research, and working on Jekyll is giving me amazing experiences in those areas to prepare me for my career,” said Sanclemente.