NOAA and the National Sea Grant Office have announced their finalists for the 2026 class of the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Policy Fellowship Program, including two finalists from North Carolina: Colleen Brown and Louisa Pitney.

“North Carolina Sea Grant is extremely excited to have Colleen Brown and Louisa Pitney selected as Knauss finalists out of this year’s very competitive national competition,” says John Fear, deputy director of North Carolina Sea Grant. “We look forward to seeing their careers take off as they undertake their Knauss Fellowships.”

The fellowship is named in honor of John A. Knauss, the founder of the National Sea Grant Program, who also served as NOAA administrator. Selection for the fellowship is highly competitive, and the year-long program offers graduate students professional and educational experience in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource management. 

These finalists will serve in Washington, D.C., in the legislative and executive branches of government, contributing scientific and technical expertise to the federal policymaking process.

Colleen Brown recently earned her Ph.D. in Applied Coastal and Ocean Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. An aquatic ecologist and data scientist, Dr. Brown’s research applies interdisciplinary science to address water pollution and inform decision-makers. Her experience includes investigating ocean acidification in the Caribbean, studying land-based pollution impacts on coral growth in Hawai‘i, and conducting research on remote atolls, contributing to the world’s largest coral reef survey.

“It is an honor to receive the Knauss Fellowship, which provides a unique opportunity to work at the federal level alongside our nation’s leading scientists and policy experts to protect and support our coastal and marine resources and communities,” says Dr. Brown. “This experience is integral to my career development, and I look forward to the skills, connections, and knowledge I will gain along the way!” 

Louisa Pitney obtained her Master’s of Environmental Management last spring from Duke University, specializing in coastal and marine systems as well as environmental economics and policy. Her research focuses on advancing the U.S. shellfish aquaculture workforce, driven by the idea that “sustainability” extends beyond the environmental lens and the promise of aquaculture to deliver a low-impact, healthy food source. 

“An understanding of federal government proceedings, priority setting, and funding processes would be an invaluable asset, and these are the insights and experiences that I seek from a Knauss Fellowship,” Pitney says. “The Knauss Fellows network and relationship-building opportunities would provide meaningful support as I craft a career in marine policy.”

Brown and Pitney join the dozens of graduate students from North Carolina who have participated in the Knauss Fellowship program since 1979. Former fellows completing the program have become leaders in science, policy, and public administration.

more about the John A. Knauss Policy Fellowship Program