Last month, I traveled with two other Knauss Fellowship finalists representing Georgia Sea Grant for the 2016 Finalist Placement Week. A requirement of all finalists, the exciting week culminates in everyone being placed with the host office in which they will work for the following year.
The week was a bit of a whirlwind, but it was a great opportunity to get to know our peer fellows and many who have participated in the fellowship in the past. I was surprised and really impressed with the strong network of Knauss fellows who are working in offices and agencies still engaged in recruiting students for the program.
Finalist Placement Week started off with a welcome dinner (and an awkward icebreaker, of course) where we met finalists from Sea Grant programs across the country. On the following day, we were split into two groups – Executive Finalists and Legislative Finalists – in which we learned about the myriad of positions available.
After listening to over 60 presentations about each of the available positions for executive fellows, it was difficult to narrow down a shorter list of interviews. Positions ranged from advising the Oceanographer to the Navy, to specializing in ocean renewable energy with the Department of Energy, to engaging stakeholders in NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program. For an idea of the breadth of positions offered, look over the descriptions of positions offered in the past.
I scheduled 15 interviews with the offices I was most interested in, and with some that I had very little background in the focus of their work. Throughout the week, I learned that the Knauss Fellowship is a great opportunity to break into something completely new and different from a track you would normally pursue. Aside from being exhausted, I really enjoyed most of my interviews. The process was a great window into the variety of programs and research projects that fall under the umbrella of “marine science and policy” at the federal level.
After interviews each evening we were able to chat more with hosts and other fellows at local happy hours. Aside from serving as a crash course in networking, it was also a great way to get a better feel of what to anticipate during the Fellowship.
The 2016 class of Executive Knauss Fellows (Photo credit: NOAA National Sea Grant Office)
At the end of the rollercoaster week, I chose the Coastal Specialist position in the National Sea Grant office.
Through this position, I will get the opportunity to evaluate and synthesize the research and work being done across the 33 state Sea Grant programs; this work relates to the issues coastal communities are facing, which includes coastal hazards, adaptation to climate change, community resilience, working waterfronts and sustainable tourism.
Through this position, I will get the opportunity to evaluate and synthesize the research and work being done across the 33 state Sea Grant programs; this work relates to the issues coastal communities are facing, which includes coastal hazards, adaptation to climate change, community resilience, working waterfronts and sustainable tourism.
I will also be able to represent Sea Grant at regional and national gatherings, and offer support for state Sea Grant initiatives. It will be a fantastic opportunity to build upon my interests in research that is directly applied to bettering coastal communities and working across disciplines to benefit a range of stakeholders striving toward common goals.
I am very excited and humbled to become part of the Knauss Fellow family, and am very much looking forward to the year ahead in the National Sea Grant Office!