2025 Sea Grant Knauss Fellows Placed
In October, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program announced the finalists for the 2025 class of the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program.
This year, for the first time in program history, all eligible Sea Grant programs are represented by a diverse cohort of 88 early-career professionals who will spend the next year working alongside federal agencies or legislative offices in Washington, D.C., applying their academic expertise to critical marine, coastal and Great Lakes policy issues.
As in previous years, this year’s finalists were selected through a competitive process that involved review panels composed of national experts in marine science, policy and education. Over the past 45 years, the Knauss Fellowship has supported more than 1,680 students who have significantly contributed to environmental policy and management and built lasting careers.
MIT Sea Grant sponsors two 2025 Knauss Fellows: Laura Hancock and Natalia Perez. Both Knauss Fellows have been placed within the Executive Branch of government.
Laura Hancock has been placed with NOAA’s National Sea Grant Office. Laura just completed her Doctorate Degree in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Natalia Perez has been placed within NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service in the Office of Law Enforcement. Natalia just completed her Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy with a specialization in Environmental and Marine Policy at Tufts University.
About the Knauss Fellowship
Since 1979, the Knauss Fellowship provides graduate students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience developing and implementing national policy. The Knauss Fellowship is a one-year paid opportunity for current and recent graduates from advanced degree programs to apply their scientific knowledge and experiences to current issues in science, policy, and public administration. Students who are enrolled in or have recently completed master’s, Juris Doctor and Doctor of Philosophy programs with a focus and/or interest in marine and coastal science, policy, or management apply to one of the 33 eligible Sea Grant programs.
>>More about the Knauss Fellowship
