Jen participated in the Fellowship program following completion of a Masters degree in International Environmental Policy with a focus on Ocean and Coastal Resource Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, California. At UNH, Jen worked alongside Gregg Moore and Dave Burdick, wetland scientists at the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, on a National Estuarine Research Reserve Science Collaborative Project evaluating the use of Thin Layer Deposition (TLD) of sediment as a tool to build salt marsh elevation and resiliency in the face of sea-level rise. She drew upon her environmental policy background to analyze wetland regulatory frameworks in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island and determine whether they allow for TLD as a tool to sustain salt marshes. Jen gained keen insights into the process by which science and experimentation lead to larger-scale implementation of wetland activities by interviewing ecological and regulatory experts in each state and comparing the wetland regulations in each. The opportunity to get out in the field and participate in TLD data collection was a valuable experience which enhanced her knowledge and understanding of the experiments as well as the threats that face New England salt marshes in the years to come. This experience provided Jen with a deeper understanding of the intersection of science and policy that will inform her future career in ocean and coastal policy.
