Five UW graduates were selected for the 2021–2022 Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship, including SMEA graduates Katie Byrnes, Natalie Lowell, Corinne Noufi, and Katie Shelledy. This fellowship places highly motivated, qualified individuals with marine and coastal host offices throughout Washington, providing fellows with a unique perspective on building marine policy and allowing them to share their academic expertise with the host offices. 

SMEA has gathered links to UW sites containing COVID-19 updates, resources and information so it is easily accessible and available.
UPDATES
Face Covering Requirement – information regarding UW’s face covering requirements and policies including frequently asked questions.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement – information regarding UW’s vaccination requirement.
COVID-19 Safety Training: Back to the Workplace – personnel must complete this 30 minute online safety training prior to or upon returning to work at a University location if they have not previously taken the course. 

Congratulations to SMEA grad Britta Timpane-Padgham, whose thesis research was published in the journal PLOS One in 2017. Her article is now among the top 10% most-cited papers published in that journal in 2017.
The article is titled  “A systematic review of ecological attributes that confer resilience to climate change in environmental restoration” and can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0173812
Congratulations, Britta! 

SMEA Research Assistant Professor Dr. Yoshitaka Ota and Dr. Steven Hare ’88 are among the authors of a new piece published this summer in Nature Sustainability. Their work helps to examine the options tuna-dependent Pacific Island fisheries have in the face of a changing climate. The team of authors of “Pathways to sustaining tuna-dependent Pacific Island economies during climate change”, provide compelling data that a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to slow the loss of tuna biomass in currently, commonly fished areas surrounding the Pacific Islands. 

As the 2021 legislative session in Hawai’i wrapped up last month, the Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources is heralding the work as a “banner year for natural and cultural resources protection” according to a recent press release. School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, at the time simply School of Marine Affairs, alumnus David Tarnas ’85 led the work as the Chair for the House Water and Land Committee. 

The 74 finalists selected for the 2022 Knauss Fellowship Program organized by NOAA and Sea Grant, were announced publicly last week, and the list includes School of Marine and Environmental Affairs alumna Alanna Greene ’21.
Finalists will be placed in federal government offices in Washington, DC beginning in February 2022. The full list of finalists and information on the fellowship can be viewed here. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?

I’ve always had an interest in the environment and environmental justice, but I was returning to school after 10 years away and thought my undergraduate degree (aerospace engineering) wouldn’t be suited to the biology-intensive environmental programs. Simply, I was nervous about whether there was a spot for me in the environmental science community. 

A trio of recent publications feature a host of School of Marine and Environmental Affairs affiliates, and cover a wide array of topics. This is a good snapshot of the breadth of topics and material addressed through SMEA research and coursework.
Recent graduate Tressa Arbow ’19 was on a team of authors including Affiliate Professor Eddie Allison, which addressed the lagging change toward healthy and sustainable food sources. 

When the UW launched Husky Giving Day, a 24-hour period for Huskies everywhere to reconnect with the institution, SMEA agreed to participate primarily as a chance to touch base with recent alumni. With support from the College of the Environment’s Advancement team, SMEA Director Nives Dolšak penned an email to almost 600 recent MMA alumni.
The outreach featured an invitation to participate in Husky Giving Day, and an opportunity to reconnect with SMEA by offering to mentor or meet with prospective and current students, work with faculty as a guest presenter, offer presentations, or join in on SMEA-hosted events. 

Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago, we congratulated our 2021 SMEA graduates. As summer arrives to Pacific Northwest with some record-breaking temperatures, SMEA is busy with projects. Rising second-year students and faculty have turned to their research. Some faculty are planning their studies in California and Alaska, others in Mexico, Japan, Brazil, Europe, and Bangladesh. And, many are staying in the Pacific Northwest, studying our natural resources, ecosystems, and communities.