Community-Engaged Fellow spotlight: Hannah Bogdan

Hannah Bogdan, an undergraduate student at the University of Alaska Southeast, spent her summer working with Alaska Sea Grant as a Community-Engaged Fellow. Based in Juneau, she contributed to a study on the demand for bait in Alaska’s fisheries.

Under the mentorship of Gabe Dunham, a fisheries specialist with Alaska Sea Grant, Bodgan led work on a survey to understand bait usage patterns in Alaska, including how much bait is used by commercial and sport fishermen, where it’s purchased, what species are used, and how much is caught versus bought. She developed questionnaires with input from commercial and sport fishermen, collected data from bait suppliers, and tested the effectiveness of various popular bait types.

“The most exciting part of this fellowship has been the research—there’s so much to learn about the bait market,” said Bogdan. “The biggest challenge was designing multiple-choice survey questions that would capture consistent and useful data from such a wide range of respondents.”

Bogdan promoted the project in Juneau and other communities, including Kodiak, where she talked with harvesters and processors during the summer fishing season. This comprehensive analysis, the first of its kind in Alaska, will help answer industry questions about bait demand, supply chains, and seafood product use.

Bogdan is entering her final year at UAS, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with an emphasis in outdoor studies, and a minor in business administration. She is also working toward a certificate in small business management.

“It has been a fantastic summer, and I am thankful to have the opportunity to be a part of this project,” Bogan added.