Vise Named Knauss Finalist

Marion “Lizzy” Vise, a 2024 graduate of Louisiana State University with a master’s degree in environmental science and communications intern at the Water Institute, has been selected as a 2026 Knauss Fellowship finalist. She was nominated for the fellowship by the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program.

“I am committed to advancing actionable solutions for the complex challenges of coastal resource management,” said Vise, a Louisiana native. “I want to focus on gaining skills that enhance my ability to support coastal communities and economies. The Knauss Fellowship offers a unique, hands-on experience in bridging the gap between planning and action. Through the fellowship, I aim to help elevate Louisiana’s innovative research and coastal resiliency efforts on a national stage while also forging connections that I can bring back to Louisiana to strengthen collaboration between Louisiana and other coastal states beyond the Gulf.”

Sponsored by the National Sea Grant College Program, the John A. Knauss Fellowship matches graduate students with an interest in ocean and coastal resources and national policy affecting those resources with hosts in federal legislative or executive branch offices for one year. In the coming months, finalists from across the country will travel to Washington, D.C., to determine in which offices they will work. Fellowships will begin in June 2026.

The National Sea Grant Program has selected 49 finalists from 26 Sea Grant programs for the 2026 Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship program. The 2026 finalists represent 40 universities across the country, and include 17 master’s candidates, 30 Ph.D. candidates and 2 J.D. candidates. They are geographers, ichthyologists, ecologists, lawyers, environmental managers and more. They represent communities across the nation and are committed to making meaningful contributions to marine policy.