Four N.C. Graduate Students Named 2020 Knauss Fellowship Finalists

The National Sea Grant Office announced the 2020 Knauss Fellowship finalists today. Four graduate students nominated by North Carolina Sea Grant are among the group of 69 finalists. They are: Margaret Chory, Gabrielle Corradino, Cheyenne Stienbarger and Jessamin Straub.

The Knauss Fellowship is a year-long program for graduate students who are interested in national policy issues affecting ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources. Successful applicants are matched with host offices within the executive and legislative branches of the federal government.

“With each year and class, we continue to be more impressed with the Sea Grant Knauss fellows. They bring fresh perspectives and experiences to the coastal and marine science and policy work happening in D.C., and they continue to raise the bar for us all,” notes Jonathan Pennock, National Sea Grant College Program director.

The fellowship honors John A. Knauss, a founder of the National Sea Grant program, who also served as NOAA administrator and dean of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. More than 80 graduate students from North Carolina previously served as Knauss fellows throughout its 40-year history.

“A Knauss Fellowship is an excellent opportunity to develop career-long personal and professional relationships,” says Susan White, executive director of North Carolina Sea Grant. “Our fellows always offer high levels of professionalism, expertise and enthusiasm for what they do.”

The 2020 North Carolina finalists have a wide array of research interests and experiences. The fellowship year starts Feb. 1.

Margaret Chory recently graduated from Duke University with a master’s in environmental management, with a concentration in coastal environmental management. She received her bachelor’s in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University and is originally from Weston, Massachusetts. Her research interests include fisheries management, infrastructure and policy, as well as global conservation policies and planning.

Gabrielle Corradino is pursuing her doctorate in biological oceanography at NC State University. Her work focuses on nanoplankton, and she studied the characteristics of a previously unknown nanoplankton species that she isolated from the waters of North Carolina. She is from New Haven, Connecticut and received her bachelor’s in biology from Salve Regina University and her master’s in biology from Southern Connecticut State University.

Cheyenne Stienbarger will graduate in December with a master’s in marine biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Her research focuses on assessing the effects of microplastic ingestion by black sea bass. She received dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and environmental science from Evangel University and grew up in Salem, Missouri.

Jessamin Straub graduates in August from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a master’s in marine sciences. She was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in McLean, Virginia, and received her bachelor’s in marine sciences from Coastal Carolina University. In her master’s work, she explored the interactions between coastal dunes and nearshore waves to improve understanding of dune erosion processes.

Placement of 2020 Knauss finalists as fellows is contingent on adequate funding in Fiscal Year 2020. For more information and a full list of finalists, visit the Knauss page on NOAA’s website.

North Carolina Sea Grant: Your link to research and resources for a healthier coast

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