Science in the Senate

My name is Ed Higgins and as of February 1^st, I have just finished my 2022 Knauss Fellow placement in the Office of Senator Schatz. I had an amazing year through the Knauss Fellowship and I am so grateful for the experience.

I defended my PhD in freshwater microbial ecology in September 2022 (whew!). My dissertation explored how freshwater mussels interact with microbes in the riverbed to cycle nutrients through different forms. These nutrient cycles have huge impacts on how ecosystems work, especially when humans can put so much excess nutrients into the watershed. The ability of freshwater mussels to impact ecosystems function is a key part of convincing the public that they’re important to conserve. By understanding the “ecosystem services” provided by mussels and other animals, we can better argue on their behalf.

Pictured below is one of the mussels I studied, Amblema plicata (photo not mine).

Ecosystem services provides an interesting topic to discuss conservation with policy makers. I spent a lot of time in graduate school thinking about how to best affect change with what I knew about science. Reporting conclusions is a crucial part of the scientific method and conducting outreach to the public and to policy makers is part of it. The Knauss Fellowship gave me a direct route to convey the importance of science and its findings directly to the center of the US Federal Government!

Senator Schatz works for the state of Hawai‘i. As a New England native transplanted to Oklahoma for graduate school, I had very little knowledge of Hawaii. I had a year long crash course in Hawai‘I culture and policy. In the Schatz Office, I had the opportunity to work on both federal and local policy. Local policy involved a lot of stakeholder engagement and funding opportunities for small scale projects through the appropriations process. I got to travel to Hawai‘i and meet several of the constituents who’s conservation projects were  funded by the office! Federal policy ranged from passing legislation on coral reef health (which was a collaborative effort among several Senate offices to pass one of the largest package of legislation dedicated to ocean health) to developing legislation to support the use of cattle feed additives to reduce methane emissions.

Overall, this year has been insanely rewarding, especially working in the legislative branch. I learned an immense amount about the legislative process, improved my writing, and made a lot of new friends. It has only increased my passion and commitment to working in federal policy.  I am grateful to Texas Sea Grant, National Sea Grant, my mentor in the Schatz Office, and of course all of the Knauss Fellows in my cohort.

NSF Ocean Sciences Division: Knauss Year at a Glance

Hello! My name is Lauren Howe-Kerr and I am a 2022 Knauss Fellow, placed with the National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences. Below is a bit about my background and a few glimpses of my exciting year at NSF!

As a graduate student at Rice University, I spent my time studying teeny tiny organisms –bacteria, viruses, and other microbes – that live inside of corals. I particularly enjoyed was thinking how understanding these microbes helps us understand the health of a coral colony, the health of an entire reef, and the health of these ecosystems as climate change progresses. I liked the challenge of tying my research to the big picture. This is part of what motivated me to pursue a Knauss fellowship in the first place, to expand my perspective on how science can inform ocean policy at a national and international scale. 

Below: I lay a transect as part of coral reef sampling and monitoring efforts for my dissertation research in Moorea, French Polynesia.

As a Knauss Fellow at the National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences, I got a 30,000 foot view of ocean policy. I enjoyed the variety of programs and initiatives I supported. Internal to NSF, I expanded my understanding of the NSF review process past the limited view I had as a graduate student applying for grants. I enjoyed learning about NSF’s innovative new programs that are moving from basic to use-inspired research, including the Coastlines and People Program and the Convergence Accelerator Networked Blue Economy track, both of which fund interdisciplinary teams to create sustainable societal solutions for our interactions with the ocean.

Much of my fellowship focused on interagency work, where I represented NSF perspectives and also supported the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (or SOST) as an executive secretary. One highlight from my SOST work was co-leading the SOST Opportunities and Actions in Ocean Science and Technology Roundtable. Over 350 representatives from the ocean science and technology community joined to discuss ideas for advancing ocean-based climate solutions, building resilient ocean infrastructure, and furthering diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility in ocean science. There were participants from academia, industry, philanthropy, NGOs, and Indigenous communities.

I also supported the international portfolio of the NSF Ocean Policy Office. This included a couple of exciting opportunities to attend international conferences. In June, I attended the UN Ocean Conference as a part of the official U.S. Delegation. This decade- 2020 to 2030- is officially designated as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, aimed at reversing declines in ocean health and focusing on “the science we need for the ocean we want.” The U.S. delegation had a carefully coordinated schedule to ensure that U.S. representatives were spread across as many events and meetings as possible so that we could collectively get a good grasp of the conversations taking place at the conference. I attended several events related to ocean-climate solutions and learned more about ideas and ethics surrounding ocean-based carbon dioxide removal. 

Pictured below are the 2022 Knauss fellows (from other offices and agencies) who attended the conference.

Internationally, I’ve also supported NSF’s engagement in the G7 Future of the Seas and Oceans Initiative- working with agency leadership to discuss how the G7 countries can help prioritize, coordinate, and advance work related to ocean observing, marine life, and other crucial areas to generate the data required to understand and sustainably interact with our global ocean.

Pictured below is the 2022 G7 FSOI working group meeting and the all female US delegation from NSF and State Department!

A few other highlights from the year–

A writing retreat at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Representing NSF at the US Coral Reef Task Force Meeting.

Fourth of July celebration at the Portuguese embassy.

The Knauss Fellowship has been a wonderful opportunity to learn about new career paths, contribute to national ocean policy, and broaden my perspectives and experience across a variety of areas. I am grateful to Texas Sea Grant, National Sea Grant, my mentors at NSF, and so many others who I’ve gotten to work with during this incredible year!

In the Climate Program Office

Noura Randle, 2021 Knauss Fellow

I had the opportunity to work in NOAA’s Climate Program Office. It was an interesting atmosphere to walk – virtually – into the climate centered office at the beginning of 2021 with the change of administration. I got to join at a time when climate and climate change were reentering the federal vocabulary with enthusiasm. My placement was in the Climate Observations and Monitoring (COM) Program, one of five programs that comprise the Earth System Science and Modeling (ESSM) Division. ESSM is centered around develop increased understanding of the Earth System, the different programs fund research supporting this overarching objective.

Despite having observations and monitoring in the title, the COM program does not fund new observations but rather the generation and curation of new datasets from pre-existing research and observations.

Data Trap
xkcd webcomic by Randall Munroe (https://m.xkcd.com/2582/)

Funding reanalysis or synthesis work may not be as flashy as supporting a new monitoring site or the launch of a new satellite, but it provides an important opportunity to further leverage existing data and research. The COM program also funds endeavors focused on data quality control and how to bridge instrumental differences (i.e.new vs old satellites) between datasets to increase utility and timespan of datasets. One notable project has been the Last Millennium Reanalysis project that enabled the generation of annually resolved gridded climatological data going back 2000 years from 1950. It was a massive project that involved multiple researchers from different institutions. Already this dataset has been used by the scientific community and has shown up in multiple publications, and has even played a role in this Fellow’s research.

COM provides funding typically 2 out of 3 years. My fellowship year happened to be an award year and I was given the opportunity to observe the review process from a front row seat as well as try to find appropriate reviewers. It gave me an appreciation for the the time and commitment the reviewers provided during a period where everyone was stretched thin due to the COVID pandemic.

Fellowship year in review: See the [climate] changes

Matt Dzaugis, 2017 Knauss Fellow

2017. It was quite the year to be in Washington, D.C. My time as a Knauss Fellow started with the election of a new president and ended with a government shutdown. Lucky for me, I was working in an office that coordinates global change research across government agencies so I was only ever asked one question, albeit frequently, when I told people where I worked: “So… what’s up with all the government climate change research?” In short, the answer is easy. I can point to the recently published government report on climate change that states “it is extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century… there is no convincing alternative explanation.”

Rewind to December, 2017: Knauss Placement Week. The Knauss Finalists (the fellows before we choose an office) hear presentations from all of the potential host offices. That week was quite a blur – 15 interviews with host offices in two and a half days – but I specifically remember the presentation for the National Climate Assessment (NCA) where the presenter said, “we are written into law, and we will publish this report.” This was only a week or two after an election in which climate change was a divisive issue. After hearing that presentation I would be remiss if I didn’t say I had some skepticism that a government report on climate change would actually be published. However, I decided to take the risk and join the NCA team and I truly believe it was the best choice I could have made.

To provide a little context, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was mandated by Congress in the Global Change Research Act of 1990 to “assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.” My Knauss placement was with USGCRP to help coordinate the writing of the NCA, a report that is also mandated by Congress to be published every four years. The NCA is a comprehensive report that analyzes the effects of current and projected trends of global change (both natural and human-induced) on diverse fields ranging from ecosystems and biodiversity to transportation and energy production, along with regional specific information. Governments and the public can use the NCA to inform their decisions, as it contains sector specific information. For example, coastal communities can use the sea level rise projections to inform coastal development, or the agricultural sector can use the precipitation and drought projections to inform future crop selection or selection of ranges for stock grazing.

NCA4 Volume I the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) was published November 3^rd, 2017 and NCA4 Volume II Climate Change Impacts, Risks and Adaptation in the United States, which I worked on, is due to be released towards the end of 2018. This past year we went from a rough outline of 27 chapters to a full-fledged draft that was released for the public comment. Over 300 subject matter experts from federal agencies, academia, state and local governments, and NGOs served as authors on this report. As a Knauss Fellow, I coordinated the authorship of six chapters, was the Lead Author on the Frequently Asked Questions chapter, and a chapter author on the Overview chapter. This was a lot of work and it kept me very busy every day.

Since I am constantly neck deep in climate science, it is hard to be removed from the news about suppressing and cutting climate science research. We don’t do this work in a vacuum. I read the news, I see the proposed budgets, and know what some people at high levels would like to do to climate research, but the importance of our work doesn’t change based of the opinions of a few. It was in this environment that made November 3^rd, 2017 was one of the most exciting days of the fellowship. On November 3^rd we released the final draft of the NCA4 Vol. I the CSSR and the public comment draft of NCA4 Vol. II Climate Change Impacts, Risks and Adaptation in the United States. Our largest conference room was transformed into a situation room: we had three TVs showing stats of view, downloads, and hits on social media. The release was timed with a press conference with scientists associated with each report. As news outlets released articles, we could see the spike in hits on twitter or facebook, and an increase in downloads. One screen showed a map of the world, where we could see all of the different countries that were downloading the report. It was all very exciting.

There is still a lot of work to be done. Vol. II has several more rounds of review before it will be published in December of 2018, not to mention all of the underlying metadata, graphics, and websites that have to be developed. But the science presented in NCA4 Vol. I and II is scientifically rigorous, supported by data, and extensively reviewed. I am very proud of the work we have done over this year and I am glad I had the opportunity to contribute to the program.

 

Stats on the release of the CSSR

Getting a strike in the White House bowling ally

A group of Knauss Fellow at AFS

Knauss Reflections

Natalie Spear (2016 fellowship class)

Glimmer

In 2014, Jack visited Texas A&M  University, Galveston and gave a talk about water quality in wetlands and estuaries. He used the latter half of his allotted time to speak about a NOAA Sea Grant fellowship I had not heard of. I felt inspired by his words as much as by his enthusiasm for the fellowship program, of which he was an alumnus. I waited and listened after the lecture as several students asked questions about applications they were feverishly creating in hopes of becoming a Knauss Fellow. I felt excited about the prospect of an opportunity to work at the interface of science and policy, to learn how to turn data into actionable information that could contribute to conservation. Perhaps a year in Washington, DC as a Knauss Fellow would train me to be an alchemist, spinning numbers and figures into policy and legislation that would help improve the health of our ecosystems.

…In!

For my 2016 Knauss Fellowship year, I shared a cubicle wall with Jack at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This was one of many manifestations of The Force –a phenomenon that was introduced to my cohort in concept (with little explanation beyond allusions to Star Wars) during our placement week activities– that I experienced during my fellowship.  Aspects of the EPA’s work are about walking a fine line that balances human use of the environment with ecological needs, which in turn enables ecosystem use and ensures human health. The fine line had my attention:  walls, barriers, and boundaries also have the potential to connect, and I was eager to learn more about this dynamic.

Catalyst: Blue Mind Summit

In May of my fellowship year, I attended the 6th annual Blue Mind Summit where I learned about research and applications of the myriad benefits that healthy aquatic ecosystems offer to humans, aside from their role as integral components fulfilling our basic needs. After the conference, I had a conversation with the meeting organizer, Wallace “J” Nichols about how the body of transdisciplinary research that helps elucidate the neurobiological, psychological, and cognitive benefits of being in, near, and around water might be of service to my EPA host office. In researching and developing the Blue Mind Rx statement with J, the path became more clear.

Main project

Through more than 60 focused conversations with EPA staff and leadership, across several offices that are often siloed in effect, I learned about their work, challenges, and successes; the tangible connections and relevance between mental health (as a component of human health) and the mission of EPA’s Office of Water surfaced.

With the support of the Sea Grant program, my host office colleagues, and the research of experts in mental health, neuroscience,  psychology, neuroeconomics, and more, I had the opportunity to contribute to the development of a nascent and already meaningful project. The work continues, and I am excited to discover what lies ahead.

The People

The willingness of my host office mentor and our entire branch to support and be part of this exploration has stoked the fire within me to continue working towards the protection of our nation’s waters. I am curious about conversations that exist on paper and traverse time, between policy makers and scientists living and passed, who have woven legislation, policy, and peer-reviewed science into the balance (as it exists today and into the future) between use and stewardship of our water.

My Knauss year has been filled as much with learning about water policy and science as it has been about people. I am touched by the heart, dedication, and expertise of those I’ve had the fortune of working with at the EPA. While I may have left my cubicle at the EPA, I remain connected to the network of dedicated staff who are working to uphold the mission of the agency. I have felt humbled by the accomplishments of my Knaussmates and warmed by the camaraderie and inclusiveness extended to affiliates of the fellowship and beyond. May The Force live on.

Blue Mind Summit venue: Asilomar, California

The Blue Marble Project with Wallace J. Nichlos

Knauss graduation, pictured with Dr. Kathy Sullivan

What a transformative year!

Knauss Fellowship: The Highlights

Hello! My name is Kaitlyn Schroeder-Spain and I was the 2015 Texas Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellow. I wrote this blog to summarize my experiences throughout the year – and to hopefully answer some common questions. In short, the Fellowship is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I highly recommend joining the Knauss and Sea Grant family if given the chance!

Do I need a PhD, JD, or MS? First, Knauss Fellows are diverse! Some are scientist going for their PhD or Masters, and some are lawyers. Regardless, I think we all have a shared passion for service, as well as caring for our oceans and coastal communities. I did the fellowship before finishing my PhD (i.e., during my PhD). It’s definitely been a challenge, but well worth it. You may be on a different path, however – many fellows defended/graduated just before beginning the fellowship, other defended during the fellowship, and some (like me) went back to finish their degrees after the fellowship.

What’s your background? I am a first generation college student in my immediate family, and am currently finishing-up my PhD in Coastal and Marine System Sciences (CMSS) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC). I chose to pursue my PhD in CMSS and focus on marine ecotoxicological research, because I want/ed to conduct research that provides relevant scientific information to policy-makers. I first became interested in research while at the University of North Texas (UNT), where I graduated summa cum laude with B.S. in Biology in 2010. At UNT, I was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and Emerald Eagle Scholar; I worked on a research project with marine fishes for two years and fell in love with research. My mentors and time at UNT have continued to influence me, as this is where I first learned the importance of camaraderie among women and other groups because it can inspire others to become involved in science. To complete my PhD research, I mentored and supervised several undergraduates, many of whom were women and were participating in summer REU programs, McNair, or similar programs at TAMU-CC. Collectively, my experiences as a teacher, mentor, and researcher inspired me to consider the broader applications of research like mine and others. And in pursuit of this knowledge, I applied for the fellowship.

What’s your research about? (shameless plug) I work in Dr. D.L. Smee’s Marine Ecology Laboratory at TAMU-CC. Briefly, my research focuses on the effects of common mosquito/vector control toxicants on an important ecological and commercial species, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Results indicates that blue crabs can become uncoordinated, and less able to escape predators and catch prey, when exposed to low, legally allowable concentrations of pesticides. This work has broader implications for policy-makers, as pesticide exposure may contribute to crab population declines.

What did you do during your fellowship? I was an Executive Fellow at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Division of Ocean Science (OCE). But there are many opportunities – including placements at other agencies like NOAA, EPA, DOE, FWS, BOEM, others  (i.e., Executive Fellows), as well as positions on the Hill (Legislative fellows). As a Fellow, I primarily worked on two major projects: (1) an internal workforce study for the OCE Division Director, and (2) an interagency effort to develop national guidelines for science programs that support ecosystem based management. The latter project included working closely with a “Science Team” of 10 scientist-who-also-do-policy from several agencies. I met some pretty amazing people. I also had the opportunity to learn about the NSF peer-review process and sit-in on some panels. The NSF Fellow before me, however, organized/led a review panel – so there’s a lot different opportunities at NSF. Note: Placements opportunities vary year to year.

So, what else did you do? Importantly, I learned a lot and I had a lot of fun (see photos below!). In addition to the opportunities associated with my projects, I attend scientific and policy lectures (including one given by a Nobel Laurette), career development workshops, and NSF “field trips”, including bowling at the White House/Eisenhower Building! I also joined the NSF Mentor-Mentee Program (as a mentee), which helped me maneuver through the fellowship. Lastly, the fellowship is a great career opportunity – but don’t forget to go outside, enjoy D.C., and to travel to nearby areas.

Any advice on the application process? This topic could be its own blog. It may sound trite, but the best advice I have is: be yourself, follow your gut, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. A quote from Mahatma Gandhi that has been on repeat for me this past year is: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears”.

From me, to you: Additional Recommendations for Potential Fellows. Explore the Texas and National Sea Grant webpages! Also, don’t hesitate to contact me (kaitlyn.schroeder@tamucc.edu), and/or other alumni! We love answering questions. Personally, I talked to a couple of fellows before applying. It’s also highly recommended (hint: possibly required for some programs) that you contact the Texas Knauss Sea Grant program directly (or your home state program if you’re not lucky enough to be the great state of Texas). When I applied – and as of the date I wrote this blog – you should contact the Texas Sea Grant Research Coordinator, Mia Zwolinski (mzwolinski@tamu.edu; 979-458-0449). I think this step is IMPORTANT, even before you apply! Before I applied, I spoke with the coordinator at the time and I found it very insightful. That conversation helped me determine that I might be a good fit, and motivated me to submit an application.

My year in photos:

International Oil Spill Conference

Hello Readers….

My name is Kimberly Bittler and I am a 2014 Knauss Fellow with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) at the Department of the Interior. BSEE regulates offshore energy activities including oil drilling and renewable energy development, making sure that these activities are safe for workers and the environment. BSEE enforces our regulations, conducts rigorous inspections of offshore operations, and invests heavily in research to prevent incidents and in the technologies used to respond to oil spills. As a fellow at BSEE, I am able to work on both sides of the research program.

This May, I was lucky enough to use my Knauss travel funds to attend the International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC) with BSEE’s Oil Spill Response Division in the lovely Savannah, Georgia.

My Master’s research was all about blue crabs, and how they can find the estuary during droughts. While other members of my lab conducted research on the effects of oil and dispersants in the environment, I had not worked with oil very much before starting at BSEE. Attending the IOSC was an amazing experience to learn! There was an open exhibit hall, with tons of the equipment used to clean up oil spills. The coolest part of the entire conference was the aerial and on-water demonstration of the state-of-the-art technologies used to respond to oil spills.

BSEE has funded research to develop oil sensing instruments that can be mounted to drones (such as those above, see video from a lead-up demonstration below). These drones can help first responders know the properties of a spill quickly and safely, so the best and safest response can be used.

The on-water demonstration at IOSC also included some more conventional responses including booms and skimmers. Overall, I learned a ton and had a great time meeting so many professionals in the oil spill response field during my week in Georgia at IOSC. Right after IOSC, I hopped on a plane to Houston, Texas to attend the first workshop of the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI). Check back soon to hear about that trip!

-Kimberly

PS: Thanks to Deron Johnson of BSEE for providing the event photos

Exploring the Botanic Garden in D.C.

I moved to D.C. for the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship from Texas in February. Despite the relentless snow that lasted through early April, D.C. has been wonderful so far, and there are so many museums, monuments, and sights to see!

I absolutely love botany, and luckily for me, there is a beautiful Botanic Garden (www.usbg.gov) right next to the national capital. There was a “Symphony of Orchids” exhibit when I had a chance to visit during the Sea Grant Knauss welcome reception at the Botanic Gardens back in March. I snapped a few photos of the lovely orchids between meeting previous Knauss fellows, who compose an extensive and strong network of professionals in D.C.

-Kimberly

Brassidium, “White Knight”

Epidendrum ciliare

Cacao tree (Theobroma cacao)… just in case you ever wondered where chocolate comes from!!

The City of Magnificent Distances

My morning commute begins with a short walk to the metro, a 20 minute train ride, a brief climb up the escalator (accompanied by the sounds of a local brass band and ubiquitous car commuters), followed by a brisk walk to my workplace: NOAA’s Office of Education housed in the Department of Commerce headquarters. For the last 5 months this commute has provided me with a unique view of the city and our nation. As I cross the grand avenue of Pennsylvania I glance to my right, the entrance to the White House, and to my left, the federal house known also as the U.S. Capitol. Each day this walk reminds me of where I am, how far I’ve come, and what still lies ahead. As it were, the capitol once served as a similar reminder to President Lincoln. (Pardon for a brief history lesson but as a resident of the district I’ve come to find myself as an armchair historian)

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=3319&picture=us-capitol

During our Civil War the U.S. Capitol rested with a significant portion of its grand dome only half complete. President Lincoln, who was inaugurated under the unfinished dome, believed that the incomplete Capitol symbolized a fractured Union and pressed for the completion of the dome. Despite the heavy strains of war the dome was completed a couple years later, not long before the Battle of Gettysburg (150 years ago this week, more on that in the next blog).

Sometimes called the City of Magnificent Distances, Washington still serves as a symbol of the Union to the rest of the free world and also, as I have learned, to the scientific world. It has surprised me the quantity of science discussed around the city and it dawned on me the other day that D.C. is a perpetual scientific conference. Professionals, professors, government employees, and graduate students in any area of science attend conferences to remain at the forefront of their field, to build networks of new potential partners and collaborators, and to return to their work invigorated with the idea of new projects and new horizons. D.C. is in a continuous mode of each of these aspects. Two weeks ago I attended an event focused on citizen science at the White House Executive Office Building (more on that in the next blog). Last week I toured the Naval Observatory here in D.C. and learned how they keep time for the rest of the world (more on that later too). And just this week I sat on a panel with some of the nation’s leading minds on fisheries management, blue carbon, and disaster preparedness (a whole other blog on that still to come). After each of these events I’ve been lucky enough to meet with these experts, one-on-one, to delve deeper into domestic and global issues with questions and ideas of my own.

Therein lies the most difficult aspect of the fellowship to date and the challenging choices my fellow Knauss-fellows must ponder. For us career opportunities and potential pathways  constantly present themselves. With enough leg work and elbow grease each of these opportunities can become reality. For now though, this City of Magnificent Distances is a constant reminder of where we are, how far we’ve come, and what still lies ahead.

By 2013 Knauss Fellow: Sepp Haukebo

2013 First Inaugural Knauss Fellowship Luau in rural Virginia

Fellows with Benefits

I am not sure where to begin.

The amount of fun I’ve had in one month…

The amount of people I’ve meet in one month…

The amount of work I’ve accomplished in one month…

Well, maybe you get the picture. My first month as a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow has been an amazing one! I’ve been working hard, networking big-time, and made so many friends, all in such a short time too. I’m pretty sure that my other “knauss-ers” will be my friends and colleagues for life. In fact, I’m been told that I’m already a part of the “knauss mafia.” (Secretly, I think this mafia somewhat runs DC)

Anyways, back to benefits… So pretty much anywhere I go I snap a picture. This helps me track my activities, which one would think is easy to do, but after a little while everything seems to mesh together. I’m starting to even to take notes on the back of business cards about where I met who. So, yes, pictures help. And, of course, my calendar helps too. For example… Oh yeah, I met the acting undersecretary of NOAA at the Sea Grant Association meeting on this day. But, the fact of the matter is that the action never stops. Every Knauss fellow knows of a social event, guest lecture, sports event, or conference going on just about every day. Having the Knauss network substantially increases the amount of activities you can attend. It’s probably the absolute best way to get introduced to all that DC has to offer. 

So now, you may ask – what has happened all this past month? Well, I’ve attended many social events, conference receptions, closed-door meetings, federal agency partnership discussions (NOAA/FEMA/NWS/EPA/OCRM/USLA), a few Sunday brunches, explored the capital building, and even participated in a climate rally. I’ve met some important people, including Sea Grant’s National Advisory Board, just about half of Sea Grant’s State Directors, other Sea Grant Extension agents, and a Senator or two. I’ve also mingled with members of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, the World Bank, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Knauss alumni network. Sounds cool, right!? Well, to add to this list, I’m writing this blog on a flight to California! Yup, going to Sea Grant’s Climate Extension Workshop in sunny Santa Monica.

As mentioned, I’ve got a few pictures. I’m going to post some of them here to give a little taste of my experience thus far.

Cheers!

Henry (Hank) Hodde

2013 Sea Grant Knauss Fellow

 

Stephen F. Austin in the Capital building. Go Texas!

Atrium inside the World Bank building. Yes, those are people on the very bottom!

Representing NOAA!

Senior Scientist from the Office of Naval Research talking about issues in the Arctic!

Sea Grant Climate Network Workshop in California

Texas Sea Grant’s own John Jacob, instructing other Sea Grant agents on his weTable

Climate Rally!

So many conferences, they share buildings! Left or right??

Violinists at a GIS confernce? Yes!

Took some personal time in Cali too! And, my girlfriend got in on the action.

Oh yeah, I got 3 parking tickets arleady…