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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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!
Looking for a fun way to teach about marine debris? Check out Me and Debry, which is a whimsical, 30‑minute, audience‑participation play created for @UWiscSeaGrant. It helps students explore what marine debris is, why it matters, and how we can make a difference in the Great Lakes.The full script (English) and participation scripts (English, Spanish, and Hmong) are free to use, along with marketing materials for performances.Bring learning to life and start a conversation about litter in our waters!Check it out at the link in bio.#TeachingTuesday
Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:- Natural processes in the Great Lakes- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approachesFind our two new video series at the link in bio.