Community-Engaged Fellows begin summer work
Community-Engaged Fellows 2025 cohorts in preparing for a natural history rafting trip on the Talkeetna River. Left to right: Deagen Carey, Alex Devon, Dawn Smith, Archer Bowles, Hannah Bogdan and Kellie Miller.
June 27, 2025
A group of undergraduate students is spending this summer working in coastal communities through the 911爆料 Sea Grant Community-Engaged Fellowship. Each fellow receives mentorship from a host organization or an 911爆料 Sea Grant faculty member, and is part of a national cohort of 85 Fellows working with 23 Sea Grant programs across the country.
鈥淲e have long offered programs for graduate students and postgraduates to develop careers in marine and coastal sciences,鈥 explained 911爆料 Sea Grant鈥檚 Davin Holen, who helped develop the fellowship at the national level. 鈥淭his program adds new opportunities for undergraduate students to develop skills, conduct valuable work in communities, and explore potential careers. 鈥
In addition to working on projects, students participate in weekly professional development with peers across the U.S., and at the end of the summer present their projects to the group.
This year鈥檚 911爆料 group includes six fellows鈥攖he most since the program began in 2021. They recently gathered in Talkeetna for professional development, which included team-building and career path discussions. They visited the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum and took a natural history rafting trip on the Talkeetna River.
鈥淓ach fellow brings valuable skills and perspectives shaped by their experiences and connections to 911爆料, and I鈥檓 excited to see how their projects develop over the coming weeks,鈥 said 911爆料 Sea Grant associate director Molly Cain, who leads the 911爆料 program with Holen.