Southern Miss Coastal Sciences Graduate Continues to the Top with Award of Knauss Fellowship

Tue, 10/22/2024 - 03:51pm | By: Gabriela Shinskie

Autumn Moya, a graduate student at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), is ready to step into the world of marine policy after receiving a prestigious award from the 2025 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship in Washington, D.C. This one-year paid fellowship allows students to work with government officials in the executive and legislative branches to bring insights on coastal policy work.

Originally from Colorado, Moya’s passion for marine science stems from her undergraduate national student exchange at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where she centered her research around coral reefs and microplastics. After returning home to finish her Bachelor of Science in Biology at Western Colorado University, she decided to continue to pursue her interest in marine sciences at Southern Miss. Since she arrived at USM’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL), Moya has thrived in the coastal sciences program with her advisor, Dr. Eric Powell in the School of Ocean Science and Engineering. 

“I am happy with my choice to continue my education at USM. The support and mentorship from my advisor, Dr. Eric Powell, my peers in the Powell Lab and GCRL, and my internship advisor, Dr. Daniel Hennen, has been invaluable,” said Moya. “I look forward to applying my research experience in sustainable fisheries and ocean multi-use to relevant marine and coastal policy issues this upcoming year.” 

As a graduate research assistant, Moya is modeling the potential future impacts of offshore wind energy development on the Atlantic surfclam fishery with the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS). Her research is focused on the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf, where near-term offshore wind energy areas are projected to overlap with commercially important species of clams. The research team works to provide data and insights to scientists and policymakers through modeling capabilities for possible solutions. Through the Knauss Fellowship, Moya hopes to continue collaborating and learning from diverse communities and professionals in sustainable resource management.

“Autumn is a bright and hard-working student very much deserving of the Knauss Fellowship. Already, she has demonstrated excellence in research, with one publication on its way, and has been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Internship to work this fall at the National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center,” said Powell.

Moya has a diverse academic research background at GCRL, from participating in a NOAA summer groundfish survey in the Gulf to an internship with the National Marine Fisheries Service-Northeast Fisheries Science Center. She also virtually mentors high school students interested in STEM and social justice with Our Future is Science. Moya has worked with the Hispanic Access Foundation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation, and the National Parks Service before starting her master’s at USM. She is now thrilled to be a part of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium.

Click here to learn how USM’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering prepares students like Moya to contribute to the evolvement of the future of coastal life and the blue economy.