Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center fellowships awarded
Five graduate students at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences have been named 2026-2027 Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center fellows. RFRC fellowships provide funding for graduate student assistantships and recognize scholastic achievement in fisheries and marine science research.
The new fellows include Alex Jenkins, Lilian Hart, Julia Matteucci, Natalie Rouse and Tanner Van Orden.
Jenkins, a Ph.D. fisheries student, is working with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, fishery participants, and other knowledge holders to weave knowledge systems to improve understanding of the Sitka herring population, which is the largest remaining spawning stock in Southeast Alaska, and the fisheries it supports. The research also aims to understand how Indigenous knowledge has been considered in the management of these fisheries.
Hart, a Ph.D. fisheries student, will examine knowledge and power in Alaska fisheries management. Her research will pay particular attention to the use of ecosystem-based fisheries management as a knowledge framework and decision-making tool within the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.
Matteucci, a graduate student in marine biology, is assessing the migratory and winter habitat use of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Thick-billed Murres breeding on St. Paul Island, Alaska. In collaboration with the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, she is equipping adult breeding individuals with archival geolocator tags that use ambient light levels to track birds' movements throughout the year.
Rouse, a Ph.D. marine biology student, focuses on topics in beluga whale health, examining patterns of infection with emerging pathogens. Rouse is interested in the movement of pathogens in the face of changing oceans and the development of diagnostic systems and techniques for disease surveillance in rural Alaska.
Van Orden, a Ph.D. fisheries student, is focused on studying the genomics and health of Dolly Varden across Alaska. His research aims to identify genetically distinct populations, assess genetic diversity, and characterize the environments that Dolly Varden inhabit to better understand the factors that have influenced their health and evolution across Southern, Bering, and Arctic populations.