DURHAM, N.H. - University of New Hampshire alumna Emily Gamelin has been awarded a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship for 2011. Sponsored by the National Sea Grant College Program, the year-long fellowship matches current and recent graduate students with hosts in the legislative and executive branches of government.

Beginning in February, Gamelin will spend one year in Washington, D.C., working in NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Congressional Analysis and Relations Division. Gamelin will communicate with and act as a liaison for OAR research labs around the country, interacting with scientists and preparing reports for Congress.

Gamelin, who is originally from Mountain Home, Ark., received her undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago. She cites her first internship working with blue crabs at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Annapolis, Md., as the turning point in her professional career, one that sparked her interest in marine biology.

"I really loved learning about the local environment, the way fisheries, invertebrates and general ecology intersect," Gamelin said.

Gamelin recently received her M.S. in zoology at UNH. Her research dealt with the reproductive patterns of the Asian shore crab populations in New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Since graduation, Gamelin has been working as a field technician at SERC in Maryland to study the impacts of shoreline hardening on fish and invertebrates.

The next phase of Gamelin's career as a Knauss fellow will help her learn about the inner workings of NOAA specifically and provide insights into marine policy in general.

"Although I have a strong science background, I haven't had much exposure to marine policy," Gamelin said. "This fellowship will provide an opportunity to learn by doing and observing, and a window into the processes of policy on the national level. What I hope to gain is an idea of how my science background and interests best translate into a career that ideally straddles the intersection between marine biological research, policy making and real-world application of policies, restoration and conservation goals."

The Knauss Fellowship Program is named in honor of John A. Knauss, a former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a founder of the Sea Grant program. Sea Grant is a national network of more than 30 programs that provide support, leadership and expertise for university-based marine research, extension and education.

Sea Grant is now accepting applications for the 2012 Knauss Fellowship. The program is open to graduate and professional students in the marine- or aquatics-related fields. The deadline for applications is Feb. 18, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.seagrant.unh.edu/fellowships.html.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

-30-