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UGA marine science graduate receives 2013 Sea Grant marine policy fellowship

February 8, 2013

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Athens, Ga. - Carrie Givens, a recent graduate of the University of Georgia marine science doctoral program, will join 49 students from across the country in the prestigious Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship starting this February.

The Knauss program places the highly qualified graduate students in federal government host offices around Washington, D.C., where the fellows work to establish and implement national policies related to marine, coastal and Great Lakes resources. Givens will spend one year working in Arlington, Va., for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, with funding by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant Program.

"I feel that this fellowship will push me to become a better scientist, one who is well versed on the complex intersection where science meets policy," she said. "My previous experience has given me the scientific knowledge to assess and interpret research. The Knauss Fellowship will allow me to gain experience translating scientific data from numbers and statistics to a policy that may then help with funding, regulation or management."

As a fish and wildlife biologist in the Branch of Aquatic Invasive Species, Givens will work on injurious species policy and will manage regulatory processes, develop rules that assess and address invasive species threats and conduct outreach.

Her duties also will include involvement with the Aquatic Nuisance Task Force, the National Invasive Species Council and the outreach campaigns "Atop Aquatic Hitchhikers!" and "Habitatitude." A one-month detail in the field—along with work with regional coordinators concerning activities related to invasive species prevention, early detection, response and control—will round out her fellowship experience.

Applicants from the 33 regional Sea Grant programs compete for one-year paid internships within the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government. Georgia Sea Grant, which supports the economic and environmental health of the state's coastal region through research, outreach and educational activities, recommended Givens' candidacy for the National Sea Grant College Program-sponsored fellowship.

For over 40 years, Georgia Sea Grant has worked to create a balanced approach toward land use, economic development and ecosystem health in Georgia's coastal region. It is a Public Service and Outreach unit of the University of Georgia, which is a land- and sea-grant institution.

For more information about the Knauss Fellowship, see http://www.seagrant.noaa.gov/knauss/. For more information on Georgia Sea Grant, see http://georgiaseagrant.uga.edu/.