By Anne Beaudreau

The North Pacific Marine Resources Endowed Fellowship has been a cornerstone for supporting student-led research and training related to North Pacific fisheries and marine resource management. To date, the fellowship has supported research assistantships for five students who have led or contributed to research and community engagement in Alaska fisheries and aquaculture. Fellows have helped facilitate workshops with Alaska fishers and managers, created accessible research briefs, and contributed to technical reports and manuscripts as coauthors. Student support provided by the fellowship has been supplemented by faculty grant funds to provide travel opportunities for engagement with Alaska communities and presentations at regional and national conferences.

Fellows pursuing the thesis track have the opportunity to hone their interests into a thesis research project, working closely with their advisor and Alaska-based collaborators. Funding support in their first year allows thesis students to gain quick momentum in their research. As a result, three fellows who have since graduated are lead authors on peer-reviewed publications resulting from their thesis research (two are published and a third is in review). Three students who have graduated currently hold positions in fisheries and environmental policy. Two of these graduates earned a Hershman Fellowship to work with state and tribal governments.

Fellowship recipients: Emma Scalisi (MMA 2023), Ellie Mason (MMA 2023), Rondi Nordal (MMA 2024), Lucas Weaver (2nd year), Marria Peduto (1st year)