Last June, Mississippi State University’s Jennifer Sloan Ziegler was awarded the 2014 National Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.
Ziegler, Sturgis native and Bagley College of Engineering doctoral candidate, is the second student of MSU to receive the fellowship. 
She currently teaches engineering mechanics and serves as an adviser for the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society, National Association of Engineering Student Councils and the American Society of Civil Engineers at MSU.
Ziegler has a doctoral degree of philosophy in engineering, a master’s degree of science in civil and environmental engineering and a bachelor of science in civil and environmental engineering.
Ziegler said recipients of the fellowship usually represent different Sea Grant consortiums, so her engineering background did not put her at the top of the list for recipients of the fellowship.
“I was not sure if I was what they were looking for,” she said. “Since I received the fellowship, I assume my diversity is a good thing, and I can implement my knowledge and experience of engineering with those of the marine and coastal entities.”
Ziegler said she has prepared for an opportunity like the Knauss Fellowship for years and thinks of the fellowship is not only an honor, but a privilege.
“I remember it was 11 p.m. on a Friday night when I decided to check my email, something I wouldn’t usually do at that time of day,” Ziegler said with a smile on her face. “I was excited to see the email of my acceptance, especially since I thought I had not gotten it because I was supposed to hear from them a couple weeks prior. The first thing I did was call my husband.”
Teresa Gammill, assistant vice president for research at MSU, said Ziegler’s fellowship enhances MSU’s status as one of the nation’s top research institutions.
“Jennifer’s award is a great example of how undergraduate and grad students at MSU can take advantage of wonderful research opportunities,” Gammill said. “Our faculty members are very good at getting their students involved in real research, and this is very beneficial for everyone.”
In regard to the Knauss fellowship, Ziegler said she is a legislative fellow, which means she will work on Capitol Hill as an adviser for coastal issues.
“This year, the first week in November, called Placement Week will determine exactly who I will be working for,” Ziegler said. “I will either be working for a personal staff for the House or the Senate or on a committee staff. I’m really excited because I love Washington, D.C.”
William McAnally, research professor in the Bagley College of Engineering, said Jennifer is one of the best students he has ever encountered.
“Unlike many engineers, she is passionate about a variety of topics, not just the technical ones,” McAnally said. “For example, her dissertation brings an engineer’s quantitative approach to an ecosystem-based management, a notoriously qualitative field. It touches on biology, climate, hydrology/hydraulics, water quality, social sciences and public health.”
The National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is a year-long paid internship for students to broaden their experiences and knowledge with national policies of the Great Lakes and coastal issues.
For more information about the fellowship, visit seagrant.noaa.gov/knauss.