UAF student finalist for prestigious Knauss Fellowship

UAF student Lindsey Stadler has been chosen as a finalist in Sea Grant’s prestigious 2023 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. She will join a class of 86 early career professionals selected to spend a year in Washington, D.C., working on national marine policy issues when she is placed with either a legislative or executive branch host office.

“The Knauss Fellowship is an incredible opportunity for graduate students to gain experience with the federal government processes that inform marine policy,” said Alaska Sea Grant’s director, Ginny Eckert. “The experiences help prepare promising young people to become future leaders in marine science, public policy and administration.”  

Since its inception in 1979 over 1,550 Knauss alumni have completed the fellowship program. As a member of the 2023 cohort, Lindsey joins an impressive group with diverse backgrounds and interests representing 29 of the 34 Sea Grant programs in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam. 

Lindsey said her interest in oceans and marine issues began at a very young age, and she was always drawn to books, movies and pictures of oceans and marine life. She earned her Bachelor’s in marine biology from Roger Williams University then moved to Alaska to pursue a Master’s degree at UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. 

At UAF, Lindsey’s research, with advisor Katrin Iken, is focused on understanding how increasing meltwater from glaciers impacts nearshore fishes in Kachemak Bay. A presentation of her thesis work, Food Web Ecology of Nearshore Fishes Along a Gradient of Glacially Influenced Watersheds, won first place in a Three Minute Thesis competition. Lindsey expects to defend her thesis and graduate in the fall of 2022, before starting the Knauss fellowship. 

As a Knauss Fellow Lindsey hopes to learn how to integrate marine research into policy, and sharpen her communication and collaboration skills. After the fellowship, she plans to return to Alaska and apply her experience in a way that will benefit society. 

“I tend to gravitate towards opportunities outside of my skills and experience so that I can diversify my knowledge, perspectives and ways of thinking” said Lindsey. She added, “I look forward to the chance to learn and explore something new. I think this will open doors to job opportunities through connections and the new perspectives and experiences I will gain.” 

This fall, the Knauss Fellowship finalists will participate in a virtual placement process to get to know each other and interview with potential host offices. Following placement, they will begin their fellowships in February 2023. Learn more about the Knauss Fellowship and meet the rest of the 2023 fellows.