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. 

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. 

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. 

Though the 2020-2021 academic year was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, SMEA students were undeterred. This academic year, 26 students will have received their Master’s of Marine Affairs. The Class of 2021 was in a unique position to have experienced a portion of their graduate studies in-person, while turning to virtual learning in the Spring 2020 quarter.
Despite the distance imposed on SMEA students, this cohort was able to make significant contributions and maintain the academic rigor expected for the degree, all while getting creative in forging social connections. 

SMEA alumna Vice Adm. Linda L. Fagan has been nominated by the White House to be the next Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
She currently serves as the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area, overseeing all Coast Guard missions from the Rocky Mountains to the waters off the East Coast of Africa. Fagan concurrently serves as commander, Defense Force West and provides Coast Guard mission support to the Department of Defense and Combatant Commanders. 

Gakushi Ishimura, a School of Marine Affairs (SMA) alumnus, was one of nine distinguished conservation researchers from around the world that were named 2021 recipients of the Pew fellowship in marine conservation. The program was created to provide support to midcareer experts seeking solutions to the challenges affecting the world’s oceans.
Gakushi will examine how fisheries and coastal communities respond to extreme events, such as natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform marine conservation strategies in Japan. 

They Keep Quiet So We Make Noise, the directorial debut of Marlena Skrobe ’20 has been awarded the Audience Award for Best Documentary Short for the 2021 Washington DC Environmental Film Festival. The festival, whose mission is “to advance understanding and stewardship of the environment through the power of film”, is celebrating its 29th year, and is being held virtually due to the ongoing COVID pandemic.