In late November, the 2016 Knauss Fellowship finalists from around the Sea Grant network met in Washington D.C. for a week to sort out where each will be working in the coming year. Over the week, the finalists interview for positions and try to match their skills and interests with agencies and legislators who are also looking for just the right person.

 
The Knauss fellowship provides a unique educational experience to students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches highly-qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branches of government for a one year paid fellowship. This year, IISG had two finalists attending placement week.
 
Lauren Fields, who recently finished her PhD at the University of Illinois, will be a foreign affairs fellow with NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection. This position reflects her long dedication to fish biology in the Antarctic waters. She has a particular interest in the Antarctic toothfish.
 
A Purdue University graduate, Sarah Stein will also be involved with NOAA fisheries work. For the year of 2016, she will hold the titles of executive secretariat and fisheries science coordinator in the Fisheries Office of Science and Technology. Sarah also has a rich history studying fisheries, but with a local focus. Her PhD dissertation study was centered on fish recruitment in southern Lake Michigan river mouth habitats.
 
If you are interested in applying to be a Knauss fellow, the deadline for 2017 positions is February 12. Visit our Fellowship page for more information on this and other fellowship opportunities.

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The gales of November may come early, but, as usual, the nominations for the Lakies are right on time along with our official call for nominations! Brought to you by the Teach Me About the Great Lakes podcast, The Lakies (aka "quite possibly not the least prestigious Great Lakes-focused awards ceremony there is”) are back. Our goal isn't to be the Official Arbiters of Quality, but to host a fun celebration of amazing Great Lakes-related research, outreach, and communication in the inimitable Teach Me style.Nomination categories are:-Great Lakes Science Communication of the Year-Great Lakes Outreach Program of the Year-Great Lakes News Event of the Year-Great Lakes Research Finding of the Year-Coolest Thing You Learned Listening to TMATGL in 2025-Science Podcast of the Year (Non-TMATGL edition)-Great Lakes Animal of the Year-Great Lakes Non-Animal of the Year-Great Lakes Sandwich of the Year-Great Lakes Donut of the YearThe Details: -Deadline: Nominations close on December 4th.Process: It's easy (just enter the name/title and a link).-Self-Nominations: Highly encouraged. Don't be shy.We’d love to get a broad swath of work across both the serious and less-serious categories to celebrate. Feel free to pass the link on to interested people: https://bit.ly/Lakies25
Making Sense of Social Media: Presented by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant & Purdue Extension‌When: December 6, 2025, from 1 - 4:00 PM ESTWhere: RDM Shrimp, RDM Shrimp, 101 N 850 E, Fowler, IN 47944Registration Link in bio.‌Social media can be a great way to market your small business and products, but sometimes it might feel like you are casting a net again and again to find that your net is empty. After all, the point of using social media marketing is to connect with customers. By attending this workshop, you will:-Hear Research Findings-Participate in an Interactive Workshop Session-Learn Real World Application-Tour a Shrimp Farm-Network at the “After Hour Social”‌This program is supported by the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center and put on in partnership with the Indiana Aquaculture Association Inc, RDM Shrimp, and Ohio Sea Grant, The Ohio State University.‌For questions contact Amy Shambach by email (ashambac@purdue.edu) or phone (317-238-0511)
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