Gulf Research Program Welcomes 2024 Cohort of Science Policy Fellows

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Gulf Research Program Welcomes 2024 Cohort of Science Policy Fellows

News Release| August 29, 2024

WASHINGTON - The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today its 2024 cohort of Science Policy Fellows. Beginning Sept. 1, 2024, the fellows will spend one year on the staff of federal and state government agencies, public health departments, and nonprofit organizations across the Gulf of Mexico region.

The GRP's Science Policy Fellowship program helps scientists hone and direct their research skills to policy-related issues for the benefit of Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems. Guided by a mentor at host institutions across the Gulf States, fellows delve into activities such as policy development, evaluation, restoration planning, grants management, and stakeholder outreach while learning what it takes to apply scientific information to policy.

"We are excited to welcome this incredibly talented cohort of Science Policy Fellows and look forward to supporting them as they expand their skill sets and apply their subject matter expertise to actionable policy at institutions across the Gulf region," said Karena Mary Mothershed, board director for the Gulf Research Program's Board on Gulf Education and Engagement.

Now in its 10th year, the fellowship program has a network of over 70 alumni who have gone on to pursue promising careers at federal, state, and local government agencies, at nonprofit organizations, and as tenure-track professors.

This year's Science Policy Fellows are:

Emily (Emma) Carter

Host Office: U.S. Fish and Wildlife - Deepwater Horizon Restoration Office

Carter earned her B.S. in biology with a minor in composite science from the University of South Alabama in 2021. During her undergraduate studies, she engaged in research that involved compiling population data and mechanically removing invasive aquatic apple snails from Three Mile Creek, a tributary of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. Following her undergraduate degree, Carter completed her M.S. in environmental and ocean sciences at the University of San Diego. Her thesis research analyzed the U-dive behavior of endangered Pacific green sea turtles in San Diego Bay. Under the guidance of Jeffrey Seminoff, NOAA SWFSC Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program lead, and Cassondra Williams, National Marine Mammal Foundation comparative physiologist, Carter developed and attached buoyant, noninvasive telemetry drogues to the carapaces of the green turtles to measure dive activity in their natural habitat. As a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Carter is passionate about applying her research and data analysis skills to bridge the divide between science and policy, and advancing habitat and species-specific conservation efforts on the Gulf Coast.

Vanessa Hulse

Host Office: Houston Advanced Research Center

Hulse is a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at Louisiana State University. Born in upstate New York, Hulse received her B.S. in chemistry at St. Bonaventure University and her M.S. in chemistry at Rochester Institute of Technology. Her master's thesis at RIT focused on the purification of biochar to be used as a pigment for black inks, under the guidance of Scott Williams. After earning her master's degree, she moved to Louisiana and started working in the laboratory of Noémie Elgrishi. Her work at LSU focuses on the removal of nitrogen containing compounds from water that contribute to harmful algae blooms using electrochemical methods. Hulse's work has broader impacts on marine life and human health in the Gulf of Mexico. She is excited to work at the crossroads of science and policy, and is very passionate about the communication of science to audiences without a scientific background.

Renata Poulton Kamakura

Host Office: The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System

Poulton Kamakura completed their Ph.D. in ecology at Duke University in 2024. They received their B.S. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Chicago in 2018 and worked for the U.S. Forest Service and the Columbia Land Trust on conservation and restoration before starting graduate school. Their dissertation research focused on quantifying urban tree health across growing conditions and neighborhoods in two U.S. cities - Chicago, Illinois, and Durham, North Carolina. Though there is extensive research on urban canopy cover in cities, it is rarely acknowledged that trees must be healthy, not just present, to provide ecosystem services like cooling and stormwater management. Poulton Kamakura has worked closely with the Nature Conservancy as a NatureNet Science Fellow and has enjoyed collaborating with a range of government, nonprofit, and academic professionals and researchers to build more just and resilient cities. They are excited to expand their understanding of climate resilience by working in coastal cities and alongside communities in the Gulf of Mexico.

Keith Keel

Host Office: NOAA - National Centers for Environmental Information

Keel received his M.S. in biological oceanography from the University of South Florida in 2024. His thesis research focused on investigating the spawning patterns of fishes on the West Florida Shelf, using DNA barcoding to analyze thousands of fish eggs from over 80 species, including economically important ones like red snapper. Prior to graduate school, he earned his B.S. in environmental science and policy at George Mason University in 2020. During his undergraduate studies, Keel participated in an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates internship at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, where he conducted research comparing juvenile fish communities across various benthic habitats in Casco Bay, Maine. In addition to his research in fish ecology, Keel is passionate about education and outreach. He has mentored undergraduate students, led lab activities for an oceanography summer camp, helped manage a booth at the St. Petersburg Science Festival, and led field trips for schools. These experiences have reinforced his commitment to making a positive impact through science. His career goal is to contribute to research and discourse that leads to changes aimed at improving ecological communities.

Anastasia Konefal

Host Office: NOAA RESTORE Science Program

Konefal is a Ph.D. candidate in the biology department at the University of New Orleans. Prior to graduate school, she received her B.A. in environmental science and policy from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Her doctoral work investigated the relationship between seagrass genetics (diversity and gene expression) and their productivity in the northern Gulf of Mexico. While in graduate school, Konefal worked closely with managers and policy decision-makers through her own research and while working on a NOAA RESTORE planning grant. She has held positions at the National Park Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Nature's Classroom, an environmental education nonprofit. Konefal is passionate about science communication and actionable science and is excited to dive into the world of science policy.

Christopher Lang

Host Office: The RESTORE Council

Lang is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in environmental studies and critical race and ethnic studies. He received his B.S. in earth systems, energy, science, and technology and an M.S. in earth systems and marine biology from Stanford University. His research explores the social and environmental implications of a throwaway economy in New Orleans, focusing on single-use plastics, sanitation worker livelihoods, and neighborhood-differentiated pollution. Lang entered discard studies through his previous work as a media manager at a shark research station in the Bahamas, where he first became aware of the ecosocial injustices associated with plastic and its supply chain. In New Orleans, Lang advocates for the city government to implement waste reduction policies like a bottle bill, composting and recycling mandate, and "skip the stuff" bill that can foster an equitable, regenerative, and zero-waste economy. He is excited for this opportunity to insert his passions for waste prevention and reduction into coastal restoration and resilience efforts across the Gulf region.

Mesly Mata Loya

Host Office: Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

Mata Loya received her B.S. in biology from the University of Oklahoma in 2021 and her master's in sustainable development practice from the University of Florida in 2024. During her undergraduate studies, she worked on several projects regarding pollinator and ecosystem health. She also became involved with organizations that aim to close the disparity that marginalized communities face when accessing basic services. Her master's research investigated how Indigenous people implement territorial protection practices to promote their rights in the Brazilian Amazon. Through these experiences, Mata Loya understood the connection between social and environmental issues and became passionate about how communities, researchers, and other stakeholders can contribute to climate justice. Her main interest is to develop a career that promotes spaces for collaborations where diverse communities, researchers, and policymakers can create inclusive solutions to climate issues, such as those affecting the Gulf Coast.

Grace Omer

Host Office: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Omer received her M.A. in marine affairs in 2024 from the University of Rhode Island. She received her B.S. in marine biology and B.S. in marine fisheries, along with a minor in maritime administration, from Texas A&M University at Galveston in 2022. Her thesis research identified current practices in climate adaptive fisheries management at the federal, regional, and state levels and proposed adaptive strategies for the New England Fishery Management Council to consider when responding to the effects of climate change. At Texas A&M, she gained experience collecting and analyzing data for essential fish habitats while working as a resource sampling intern for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Fisheries Division. This experience sparked Omer's interest in fisheries law and policy, leading to her concentrated studies at the University of Rhode Island, where she focused on marine resource law and management. Her graduate experience included courses on international, federal, and state marine management, highlighting the challenges of each form of management. Additionally, she worked with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, collecting recreational saltwater fishing data, which helped her better understand the relationship between fisheries and management. She is eager to apply her knowledge and experiences to inform marine resource management and develop effective marine policies.

Ashlynn Smith

Host Office: Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence

Smith is an interdisciplinary ecology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Florida's School of Natural Resources and Environment. She received her B.S. in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in environmental science from the University of Central Florida in 2008. Smith has worked as a restoration practitioner for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, a laboratory technician and project coordinator for the University of Florida, and a rare plant conservationist and researcher for the Atlanta Botanical Garden. These professional experiences have allowed her to work in many unique plant communities across the Gulf Coast. Her doctoral research has focused on shrub encroachment in wet prairies of the Florida panhandle, investigating the negative impacts of shrub encroachment on groundwater, vegetation, and soil, as well as methods to best remove shrubs and return the system to reference conditions. Smith graduates in August 2024 and will continue to focus her research on the restoration of the diverse ecosystems along the Gulf Coast.

Charles Wallace

Host Office: The Water Institute

Wallace earned a master's in fisheries and aquatic sciences and recently completed a Ph.D. in forest resources and conservation with a concentration in natural resource policy administration at the University of Florida. His dissertation focuses on place attachment and local ecological knowledge found in oyster harvesters. His research also explores the opportunities and challenges to integrate local ecological knowledge into management decision-making. Prior to his time at the University of Florida, he graduated from Delaware State University with a B.S. in natural resources-environmental sciences, and worked at the Aquaculture Extension facility on campus. During his research career, he has published extension papers on oysters and ecosystem services. His work has led to collaboration with researchers on social cohesion in urban greenspaces. Wallace is deeply passionate about leveraging science and education to empower citizens. His professional interests are to empower both citizens and decision-makers through citizen engagement and informed decision-making with natural resources.

Kandake Wallace

Host Office: Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

Wallace is currently a Ph.D. candidate in environmental science at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University with a concentration in policy and risk management and is a former inaugural Bison STEM Scholar at Howard University. Coming from a working class and blended family, she was taught values of hard work, compassion, and resiliency, which has shaped her identity and interest as an academic and advocate. Her research focuses on environmental justice and political participation, as well as climate resiliency and weather disaster preparedness. In addition to her research at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, she has served as the lead graduate research intern at Black Sustainability Inc., and has participated in education and training programs in agroecology. Moreover, Wallace has participated in sustainability and community development projects in Ghana, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, spanning from hurricane recovery to sustainable agriculture to labor rights. Her ultimate aim is to utilize her scholarship, service, and skill set to educate and empower through science and policy.

The National Academies' Gulf Research Program is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. It seeks to enhance offshore energy system safety and protect human health and the environment by catalyzing advances in science, practice, and capacity to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf of Mexico region and the nation. The program has $500 million for use over 30 years to fund grants, fellowships, and other activities in the areas of research and development, education and training, and monitoring and synthesis.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.