Kerry Whittaker is one of three graduate students at the University of Rhode Island, and one of 49 nationwide, to be named a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, which will enable her to spend a year working on marine policy issues in Washington, D.C. She applied for the fellowship through Rhode Island Sea Grant, which administers the program in the state and selects candidates for consideration by the National Sea Grant College Program.
Whittaker is nearing completion of a doctorate in oceanography studying the diversity of diatoms – single-celled marine plants – in the oceans and their link to climate change.
“I really like the science research that I do, but this fellowship will give me a valuable perspective on the role of science in the important decisions being made in our country,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the gears work in D.C. and seeing how science affects decisions to preserve our marine resources.”
Whittaker will spend her fellowship year working in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Protected Resources, where she will help administer the listing of endangered species. She expects her year working for NOAA will be an eye-opening experience.
“I really care about our environment and the decisions that are being made about our natural resources,” she said. “I know the science side of things really well, but I also know there are some gaps between the science and the decisions being made. To be on the front lines of where the decision making happens will be a very valuable step in my career.”
The John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, established in 1979, is a program of the National Sea Grant College Program. It matches qualified graduate students interested in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and the national policy decisions affecting those resources with hosts in the federal legislative or executive branches of government. The fellowship is named for the former dean of the URI Graduate School of Oceanography who also served as NOAA administrator.
For further information, please see the press release.
Media Contact: Todd McLeish, 401-874-7892