Five Rasmuson fellowship recipients announced for 2013

March 26, 2013

University Relations

The Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center board members selected five fellowship recipients for the 2013 - 2014 academic year at their March 19 meeting.

The fellowships include full tuition and a graduate student stipend to support the research of  School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences graduate students that contributes toward the scientific or applied knowledge base of Alaska’s marine waters and resources.

Three new recipients were chosen for the coming year: Thomas Farrugia, Charlotte Regula-Whitefield and Michael Courtney. Additionally, the board awarded continuations to two students: Courtney Lyons and Megan Peterson.

Farrugia is a fisheries doctoral student with faculty advisor Andrew Seitz. His research focuses on “Developing a bioeconomic model of the Skate fishery in the Gulf of Alaska.”

Regula-Whitefield is a marine biology doctoral student with advisor Sarah Hardy. Her research project is “Nutrition and reproduction in the California red sea cucumber: Applications for commercial fishery management and aquaculture.”

Courtney is a fisheries master’s student with advisor Andrew Seitz. He is studying the “Dispersal patterns and summer ocean distribution of adult Dolly Varden from the Wulik River, Alaska, evaluated using satellite telemetry.”

Lyons, fisheries doctoral student with advisors Ginny Eckert and Courtney Carothers, is studying “Ecosystems, social-ecological systems, and culture: Using systems perspectives to inform fisheries management in the Pribilof Islands, Alaska.” She was awarded a continuation for one semester.

Peterson is a fisheries doctoral student working with faculty advisors Courtney Carothers and Franz Mueter. She is researching “Impacts of whale depredation on longline fisheries in Alaska,” and received a continuation for two semesters.

Elmer E. Rasmuson founded the Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center in 1994 with an endowment to UAF. A second major endowment in support of the center was created through a bequest from Mr. Rasmuson's estate in 2001. The endowments are managed by the University of Alaska Foundation, and interest on the principal is used to support the Rasmuson Fellowships.