Each year as the summer begins, we get the pleasure of telling the stories of our Center for the Blue Economy Summer Fellows and Honorary Fellows. These are students who are tackling real-world projects that positively impact our oceans and coasts. Readers can get a sense of where they are off to and what they are working on with the overview I created, and from here on out, the students will share their stories in their own words. We look forward to hearing more “on-the-ground” workings of these amazing fellows!
Center for the Blue Economy Summer Fellows and Honorary Fellows are students in the Middlebury Institute of International Studies master’s degree program in International Environmental Policy studies. They are also taking the degree specialization in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. Fellowships are designed to positively impact ocean and coastal sustainability, help the host organization fill a critical need, and prepare our students for their future careers. To make a difference on the international stage today, ocean and coastal resource management professionals must be educated to navigate an extremely complex web of marine laws, economic trends, and political dynamics. They must know cutting-edge science, understand business and management, but they also must have the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and field-specific knowledge through real-world experiences. It is our hope that Center for the Blue Economy Fellowships will accomplish those goals.
Through the generous support of our donors, the Center for the Blue Economy makes a modest stipend available to the students for travel and living expenses as they pursue a fellowship with a marine focused organization, attend a conference, or create impacting documentaries or artworks.
Congratulations to all of our 2018 Center for the Blue Economy Fellows and Honorary Fellows!
To donate or for more information, contact Rachel Christopherson, Program Manager, Center for the Blue Economy at the Middlebury Inst. of Intl. Studies in Monterey: rchristo@miis.edu or 831-647-4183.
