By: Emily Woodward Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia alumna Shiyu (Rachel) Wang has been awarded the John A. Knauss Marine Policy fellowship for 2017. Sponsored by the National Sea Grant College Program, the year-long fellowship matches current and recent graduate students with hosts in the legislative and executive branches of government. Wang will spend one year working as an aquaculture program fellow in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Aquaculture. The office creates employment and business opportunities in coastal communities, provides safe, sustainable seafood, and maintains healthy and productive marine populations, species, ecosystems and vibrant coastal communities. Wang was among 125 Knauss fellowship applicants from across the country. Sixty-five were chosen for the 2017 class, representing 29 of the 33 state Sea Grant programs. “I believe the Knauss fellowship will provide a unique educational and professional experience for me to start a career relating my knowledge of marine science to policy decisions, allowing me to influence and protect our natural resources,” said Wang. “This opportunity will also help me determine where, within the scheme of environmental action, my strengths and skills will have the biggest impact.” Wang received her master’s degree in marine sciences from UGA. Her research focused on the aquatic metabolism of the coastal saltmarsh estuary, as part of Georgia Coastal Ecosystems – Long Term Ecological Research (GCE-LTER) project. Wang holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Ocean University of China. Georgia Sea Grant is currently accepting applications for the 2018 Knauss fellowship. For information on applying, please visit the Georgia Sea Grant website: http://georgiaseagrant.uga.edu/article/knauss_marine_policy_fellowship/
