Knauss Fellow Feature: Meet Rachel Roday

Each year, NOAA Fisheries hosts fellows through the John A. Knauss Fellowship program . This fellowship places graduate students with an interest in ocean and Great Lakes policy in offices in the executive and legislative branches of the government.

Rachel Roday recently completed her Knauss Fellowship with NOAA Fisheries' Office of Science and Technology. A subject matter expert in fish ecology and physiology with a master's from the University of Delaware, she worked as an International Fisheries Science Specialist during her fellowship.

Learn more about Rachel's experience as a Knauss Fellow in the Office of Science and Technology!

What is your background and why did you decide to pursue a Knauss Fellowship?

My background is in marine science. I've spent the last 8-plus years researching fish ecology and physiology, but I wanted to make a larger impact outside of academia. I was doing research that I thought was actionable, but it just wasn't getting as much reach as I'd hoped. That's why I really wanted to be at the science-policy interface, so I could see how those things come to fruition. I wanted to be able to make a difference. I felt like NOAA and the federal government are great places to make those changes because they drive those decisions.

What type of work did you do, and what did a typical day look like?

My job title was International Fisheries Science Specialist. I worked in the Office of Science & Technology helping to coordinate NOAA Fisheries' involvement in international collaborations-whether they're bilateral, multilateral, or even small projects. It was more of a coordination and communications role where I was connecting the dots for people who need to talk to each other.

A typical day involved lots of emails, drafting summary reports and briefing documents, and connecting our NOAA Fisheries scientists with their counterparts overseas. Those connections allow them to contribute to our collective, global understanding of fisheries science. They also learn from our international partners so they can bring the best science back to the United States. I was frequently engaging with people from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), and our bilateral partners in Canada and Japan. I also coordinated the process for foreign vessels entering the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and helped facilitate the review of their scientific research in our waters.

What is the most memorable experience you had as a Knauss Fellow?

We have bilateral partnerships between the fisheries scientists at NOAA and Japan's Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA). I'd say the most memorable experience was staffing and organizing a meeting between NOAA Fisheries and FRA in Yokohama, Japan. I coordinated with FRA's point person to get everyone in the same room and finalize the agenda. It was surreal to eventually see all of our work pay off and watch NOAA Fisheries' Deputy Assistant Administrator for Scientific Programs discuss scientific collaboration with FRA's president. It was inspiring and impressive to see these two people discussing the collaborative efforts of entire countries. I felt like a tiny fish in a massive pond-one where there's a lot to learn. There were probably hundreds of years of expertise in that room between everyone who was present.

What achievement are you most proud of as a fellow?

NOAA Fisheries participates in various multilateral collaborations, including ICES. This year, I was really proud we were able to send 13 NOAA Fisheries scientists to Lithuania for the Annual Science Conference. These scientists participate in all kinds of meetings at the conference. They are co-convenors, committee members, and voting members, so they help to steer the path and future of ICES.

I've been working to organize these scientists' participation and travel to the conference since the beginning of the year. It was very cool to coordinate that and then get to meet them in Lithuania, since I was able to travel there using my professional development funds. I was able to join the sessions they were convening and learn about the science they're working on. I was also able to participate in some higher level conversations with the ICES Secretariat. It was really interesting to see how a conference like this runs behind the scenes. I was proud to have played a role in ensuring NOAA Fisheries scientists were present for these important conversations and exchanges.

How did your fellowship shape or change your perspectives on fisheries science and policy?

Because my fellowship was focused on policy interface and coordination, I took as many additional opportunities as I could to expand my scientific horizons and learn more about fisheries science. One of my favorite experiences this year was participating in the annual sea scallop survey in the North Atlantic. I was able to collect the data used in stock assessments and work with scientists who use the data. I learned about the data management process. I've been present for some of those higher level conversations about how data is integrated into management and policy, such as at regional fishery management council meetings.

I was also able to participate in a stock assessment training in Copenhagen for a week. I attended presentations at ICES and PICES and coordinated NOAA Fisheries' involvement with ICES and PICES. In the past year I've gained operational understanding of the science that goes into the policy and it's completely altered my view of fisheries science. Even though I've been working on the international side of things, I've also learned so much about domestic fisheries, which has been really valuable.

I came into this fellowship with an ecology background and experience tracking American shad with tags. But fish research and fisheries research are two very different things. Through this fellowship, I've developed a comprehensive understanding of how survey data are generated, incorporated into stock assessments, and ultimately translated into management decisions, policy, and quotas, as well as how they're shared in international fora. I didn't have a strong grasp on that pipeline previously, but now I have a clear understanding, and I intend to continue contributing to that pipeline in future research-focused roles.