Alaska Sea Grant announced that Connie Melovidov, A University of Alaska Fairbanks master’s student, will begin a Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship in Washington, D.C. next year.

The esteemed fellowship is administered by the National Sea Grant College Program, a collaboration involving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and universities in 34 states and U.S. territories.

“I am an Unangan (Aleut) and Chamorro (Guamanian) and was raised on Tanax̂ Amix̂ (“Land of Mother’s Brother”) or St. Paul Island. It is the largest of the five Pribilof Islands, located in the central Bering Sea.” said Melovidov. “I had the privilege of being raised in this community which is dependent on fish(eries) and several species in this large marine ecosystem. Growing up near the ocean, I was raised to practice a traditional Unangan way of life, and in a family that has strong halibut fishing ties. Naturally, I was driven to pursue a career in fisheries given my love for the ocean.”

After completing her Bachelor’s degree in biology at University of Alaska Anchorage, Melovidov followed her passion for adventure and learning by securing a job that included fieldwork spanning regions across Alaska, from southcentral to the North Slope. There she was able to broaden her curiosity of freshwater fishes and their health in aquatic ecosystems by employing various aquatic fish sampling techniques. She was inspired to pursue her master’s and sought positions to serve Unangan people and communities in the Aleutians and Bering Sea regions, who are dependent on fisheries and marine ecosystems like the one she grew up in.

Melovidov is a current master’s student and Tamamta fellow at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the Fisheries Graduate Program. In addition to graduate school, she is currently employed with her federally recognized Tribal government, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, as their Tribal Fisheries Liaison in their Ecosystem Conservation Office. In this role she collaborates with community organizations to track and engage with federal fisheries management and marine ecosystem conservation initiatives in the Bering Sea.

For many Knauss recipients, the fellowship is a life-changing experience that opens new career opportunities in marine policy and resources. Named after one of Sea Grant’s founders and former NOAA administrator John A. Knauss, the one-year paid fellowship matches highly qualified graduate students with hosts in the legislative and executive branches of government in Washington, D.C.

Melovidov was strongly encouraged to apply for the fellowship by two previous Knauss Fellows: Emily Markowitz (2018 Executive Fellow from the New York Sea Grant Program) and Amy Kirkham (2019 Legislative Fellow from the Alaska Sea Grant Program).

“Both Fellows shared nothing but positive reflections on their time as Knauss Fellows, including their affirming role to be engaged in several aspects of marine conservation and policy,” noted Melovidov. “They both felt that my past and current experiences as a fisheries research biologist and my upbringing as an Indigenous scholar would offer unique insights to the Knauss Fellowship.” 

Melovidov has been placed in the legislative branch. She is looking forward to immersing herself in a setting where she can learn about current and emerging issues in ocean and coastal management and interact with a wide diversity of both fellows and legislators through a unique educational and professional experience.

  Alaska, melovidov, sea grant