March 1998
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ECOS Student Awarded Sea Grant Fellowship The UMass Boston student who received a 1998 Knauss Sea Grant Fellowship is entering his second month of a one-year assignment in Washington, D.C., working for Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Martin Kodis, a master's student in the Environmental, Coastal and Ocean Sciences (ECOS) program, was one of 27 students selected by the national fellowship program.
Sponsored by the National Sea Grant College Program in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the program matches outstanding graduate students with host agencies in the federal government, offering scholars a unique, year-long experience working on marine policy issues. Fellows receive a $30,000 stipend.
"I was pretty surprised in some ways, but I was also not surprised," Kodis said of being selected. "The UMass Boston program really gives you a broad overview of environmental issues. I've actually found that a lot of the classes I've taken already come in handy."
Kodis said Wyden's office was appealing because of its commitment to environmental issues. Wyden is a member of several congressional committees, including Energy and Natural Resources, and Environmental and Public Works.
Kodis will work predominately on the issue of fisheries, a major concern to Wyden's constituents in Oregon. "I hope to contribute to mitigating some of the problems in the fisheries industry," he said.
At UMass Boston, Kodis conducts social science research under Dr. Jack Archer, analyzing the sources of legal authority for the protection of North Atlantic Right Whales. He earned his bachelor's from Brandeis University and is near completion of the ECOS program.
Kodis is the most recent addition to a substantial list of Knauss Sea Grant Fellows from UMass Boston. Current ECOS student Becky Smyth is a previous recipient. Alumni who were fellows include Sam Pett '92, Dierdre Kimball '94, and Samantha Woods '96. In addition, Nancy Neidowski '97 is completing a year-long NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship with the New York Coastal Management Program.