"I applied to the ESA Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award because I want to gain experience in policy at the intersection with science. Policy and science are inextricably linked—you can’t have one without the other,” Steward said. “The Graduate Student Policy Award provides a wonderful policy experience and opportunity to learn and practice science communication with experts in the field.”

Award recipients will have the opportunity to explore policy career options and learn about the legislative process and federal science funding. Additionally, they will hear from ecologists in federal agencies about their career paths and how a scientific background can be applied to informing policy.

“The valuable, hands-on experience this ESA award provides these young ecologists in essential science communication and listening skills will enable them to successfully engage in the policy realm,” ESA President Dennis Ojima said. 

Steward is a first-year master’s student at the UOG Marine Laboratory. Her research focuses on coral reef restoration through sexual propagation of corals and novel settlement substrate for coral larvae. Her project aims to understand how ecological processes and resilience influence coral restoration with sexually propagated corals.