Press Release
SNRE doctoral student wins prestigious NOAA scholarship
By LAURA WILLIAMS
SNRE doctoral candidate Catherine Benson is one of seven recipients of a highly competitiveaward from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) for students studying marine biology, coastal research management and maritime archeology.
Benson is researching environmental governance and marine conservation by conducting place-based enthnographic research. She recently decamped to Cambodia to conduct fieldwork for her dissertation, which examines the implementation of international marine conservation policy in local, culturally diverse areas, specifically comparing marine protected areas in Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.
As a recipient of the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship,Benson plans to add to her reserach two more key sites in the Pacific Islands—Hawaii and American Samoa—and connect her work to that she has done in Papua New Guinea. Through the additional funding the awardprovides, she plans to analyze how local governments, NGOs and individual landowners work together to manage conserve biodiversity.
“I want to look at the similarities and differences in terms of governance type and ecological outcomes among these sites,” Benson said. “All three locations have high levels of biodiversity yet vary across governance and management types.”
In Hawaii, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is managed by cooperating national and state organizations. However, the conservation of Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, in American Samoa, is handled by government agencies in concert with private landowners and local chiefs. Papua New Guinea’s coral reefs in Madang Lagoon have historically been managed by landowners and governed by customs such as a marine tenure system, providing Benson’s research with a third model of marine governance and conservation.
Foster Scholars receive $20,000 and up to $12,000 in tuition. For 2009-10, 170 student submitted proposals. Doctoral students are eligible for the program for four years. Benson plans to spend six weeks each at NOAA research sites in Hawaii and American Samoa.
About the School of Natural Resources and Environment:
The School of Natural Resources and Environment's overarching objective is to contribute to the protection of the Earth's resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. Through research, teaching, and outreach, faculty, staff and students are devoted to generating knowledge and developing policies, techniques and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve natural and environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis.
http://www.snre.umich.edu
About the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program:
The award was created by Congress in 2000 in honor of Nancy Foster, a marine biologist and conservationist who worked with the NOAA for 23 years, to support graduate students, particularly women in minorities, working in marine conservation.
http://fosterscholars.noaa.gov/
About the National Oceanic and Atmospherics Association (NOAA):
NOAA is a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. It plays several distinct roles within the Department of Commerce with a broad mission. Some of NOAA's more widely-known divisions include the National Weather Service, The National Hurricane Center, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
http://www.noaa.gov
