Knauss legislative fellowships in Congress help build careers — and they're fun and educational. See our video and fact sheet for details.
Past Post Graduate Fellows
State Science Policy Fellowship
Fellowship at:
Maryland Environmental ServiceCool Facts:
Khurshid Jahan holds a Ph.D. in Geosciences at the University of Rhode Island, USA and a MSc in Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Recently she was awarded by the Rhode Island Society of Environmental Professionals to support her research on stormwater management. In addition, URI awarded her the 2019 John J. Fisher Memorial Award for excellence as a teaching assistant in geology. Her current research expands on this and explores relations between climate change, urbanization, environmental impact, and water quality degradation.
Fellowship at:
Maryland Department of the EnvironmentCool Facts:
Rachel Lamb earned her PhD in Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland College Park in Spring 2021. Her research centers on the applications of NASA Carbon Monitoring System forest carbon science to advance strategic climate mitigation planning with co-benefits for biodiversity and human livelihoods. Since 2020, she has lead the Campus Forest Carbon project, helping the University of Maryland better incorporate forest carbon science into their Climate Action Plan and Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
Fellowship at:
University System of Maryland Office for the Vice President for SustainabilityCool Facts:
Tassew Mekuria is a State Policy Fellow working for the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science on environmental policy issues in support of the Science and Technology Working Group of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change. Mekuria is also assisting the Office of the University System of Maryland Chancellor on environmental sustainability issues. He earned a Master's in Biology and PhD in Bioenvironmental Science from Morgan State University.Maryland Law and Policy Fellowship
Fellowship at:
Agriculture Law Education Initiative and Maryland Sea Grant CollegeCool Facts:
Elissa Torres-Soto is a recent Environmental and Energy Law LL.M. graduate from Georgetown University Law Center. With the supervision of Nicole Cook from the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI), she is currently working on a legal journal article about the standing requirements to present a protest to a new commercial shellfish aquaculture lease in the State of Maryland. She is also working on a fact sheet about how to transfer a commercial shellfish aquaculture lease in Maryland. Another of Elissa’s projects includes developing a guide for navigating the state and federal permitting processes for nature-based projects on the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area. Elissa completed her fellowship in fall 2021 and is now working as a staff attorney with the Environmental Law Institute in Washington D.C.Science Management and Policy Internship
Fellowship at:
Maryland Sea Grant CollegeCool Facts:
Eva May received a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, with a minor in biology, as well as a certificate in marine science and conservation leadership from Duke University. Her time at Duke taught her what a career in marine science could look like. While she enjoyed rehabilitating and researching sea turtles and parrotfish hatchlings, she also learned the ways in which her research could facilitate changes in fisheries management and in ecosystems as a whole. May’s course work exposed her to several marine coastal areas, including the Chesapeake Bay. Her knowledge of the region, combined with her broad interest in marine sciences, made her a great fit for Maryland Sea Grant.Program Announcements
News and Blogs
Featured Fellow
Leone Yisrael is a cephalopod-loving scuba diver, cook, and loves to try new activities. She conducts genetic analysis and fieldwork at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center through the Coastal Disease Ecology Lab.
Featured Research Project
Exploring the Use of Benthic Microbial Fuel Cells to Remove Sulfide While Harvesting Energy from Oyster Aquaculture Biodeposits
Oyster aquaculture is a rapidly growing industry in Maryland’s Chesapeake waters which stimulates economic activity and may provide a host of ecosystem benefits. A potential concern associated with the intensification of the oyster aquaculture is the local production and accumulation of oyster biodeposits, which can lead to a porewater sulfide accumulation and declining bioturbation, symptoms of declining ecosystem function. Sulfide is naturally removed from the seafloor by the interactions between bioturbating infauna and sulfide oxidizing bacteria.
Chesapeake Quarterly Magazine
A Growing Industry: Advancing Oyster Aquaculture in Maryland
