UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography graduate student Christine Burns has been named a finalist for a prestigious John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.

Christine Burns

The Knauss Fellowships are sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Sea Grant. The National Sea Grant College Program provides one-year fellowships to work in federal government offices in Washington, D.C. Burns is one of 66 finalists in the class of 2019.

The fellowships are open to students finishing a master’s, doctorate or law degree program with a focus or interest in marine science, policy or management. The applicants undergo a rigorous selection process at both the state and national level. This fall, the finalists will travel to Washington, D.C., to interview with several executive or legislative offices. Placement of 2019 Knauss finalists as fellows is contingent on adequate funding in Fiscal Year 2019.

Burns is scheduled to complete a master’s program this fall in the UGA Department of Marine Sciences. Her faculty advisors are Clark Alexander and Merryl Alber. Burns received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.