Katie O'Reilly sits at her desk in a fish shirt, holding fish toys, with "Hi, Skype a Scientist!" written on a whiteboard along with a hand-drawn fish.
Katie O'Reilly participated in the "Skype a Scientist" program and connected with classrooms across the world on October 19, 2018.

Each year, graduate students nominated by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Knauss Fellowship turn in a report at the end of their tenure as a fellow. This year, it was time for Katie O’Reilly—a doctoral candidate at Notre Dame and the brilliant @DrKatfish on Twitter—to say goodbye and reflect on her growth and achievements over the past twelve months.

“In true communicator style, I decided to create a web page for my report, 2018 Knauss: A Year in Review,” O’Reilly said. “This truly amazing experience would not have been possible without the support from all of you: everyone at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the Sea Grant Knauss team, my PhD advisor Gary, and especially my Sea Grant mentor Brooke. I cannot thank you all enough for giving me this opportunity to grow in my career.”

If you want a fun and interesting way to dive into the world of a NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Policy Fellow, experience O’Reilly’s year as a fellow through her visual storytelling in 2018 Knauss: A Year in Review.

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Join the 2026 Great Lakes BioBlitz! 🌎🦋📸Starting Earth Day, educators, students, youth groups, and families are invited to help document biodiversity across the Great Lakes region using iNaturalist. A kick-off webinar is scheduled for April 16th at 2 pm CT.Participate anytime during the four‑week event. Snap photos, make observations, and contribute to real conservation data while getting students outside and engaged with nature. Learn more and get ready to explore: https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/annual-great-lakes-bioblitz/2026 #TeachingTuesday#GreatLakes
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Celebrate Earth Day with freshwater science and good conversation! Join Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the Northwestern Center for Water, Loyola University researcher Tim Hoellein, and IISG’s Sarah Zack for Science Sips: Trash Talk about Chicago Waterways. Learn what research reveals about litter and trash in Lake Michigan and Chicago waterways and what we can do to help.Plus, enjoy Great Lakes trivia games!📅 April 22, 2026⏰ 7–9 PM📍 Sketchbook Brewing Company, Evanston Tap RoomCome curious and ready to test your Great Lakes knowledge!