For young professional Rachael Finigan, a year with the Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship in Washington, D.C. helped solidify her career goal: to translate science to the public.

Coming from an ecological research background , Finigan said she became interested in water early in her career. She worked with tadpoles in wetlands as an undergrad at Allegheny College, studied freshwater mussels while completing her master’s at Western Carolina University, and worked on largemouth bass populations for her Ph.D. at The Ohio State University.

Eventually, her goals shifted, aiming to work at the intersection of science, policy, and public outreach. Her Knauss fellowship as a research specialist at the National Sea Grant Office in 2025 allowed her to do exactly that.

“The biggest thing I took away was knowing the direction I am hoping my career will go,” Finigan said. “I was interested in research communications before, but I absolutely loved my job and would love to continue doing similar work.”

The NOAA Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship matches highly qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branches of government located in the Washington, D.C. area for a one-year paid fellowship. Selected fellows, with guidance from Ohio Sea Grant, are involved in both daily operations and special projects assigned to them based on their area(s) of interest.

For Finigan, her interests lied in outreach and education to a wide audience about aquatic research.

“Some of my favorite moments throughout graduate school were volunteer opportunities, where I could talk to people about science and translate it to a broader audience,” Finigan said. “I even helped run an aquatic ecology after school program during my masters, which was incredible and one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.”

At the National Sea Grant Office, Finigan worked in research communications, leading publication efforts and running social media accounts. She also worked with research and grants, summarizing information for interested parties.

“I was in charge of multiple long-term projects, so most days I divided my tasks into chunks throughout the day to keep all efforts moving forward,” Finigan said. “I also had the opportunity to do a lot of professional development. I got to travel to multiple Sea Grant programs to both network and get a better understanding of how programs function.”

Favorite memories from Finigan’s Knauss fellowship included spending a week at Stone Lab to volunteer at its Open House, and volunteering at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in D.C., teaching guests about freshwater mussel life cycles and conservation.

“I learned so much during the year and met such incredible people,” Finigan said. “I got to read scientific articles and then translate the content to the public in tons of different ways. It may have been a web story, a social media post, or a video. It allowed me to be creative in the science space, which was really exciting.”

“This experience definitely guided my career,” she continued. “I made a lot of connections, and the National Sea Grant Office is truly incredible. I also learned new skills and figured out that I do want to try and stay in research communications.”

The one-year fellowship provides a stipend and living expenses of $74,700. Additional funds will be used to cover professional development opportunities, moving expenses, academic degree-related and fellowship-related travel, and Placement Week costs.

Finigan said she recommends the Knauss fellowship to any interested graduate student, suggesting to keep an open mind and jump into the opportunity with a learner’s mindset.

“Each position is so different, and you will likely never have done anything quite like it before, which is so intimidating,” she said. “But if you embrace that you’ll learn a ton of new skills, meet some amazing people, and potentially find a career path you didn’t know existed.”

For more information about the Knauss Fellowship, visit Ohio Sea Grant’s website. Applications for the 2027 fellowship are open through June 3.

Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nation-wide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education, and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.