Alumni Profiles
Learn about CRUE's alumni. If you have an environmental science related degree from CSU and would like to be featued, please completed our alumni profile form.)
Emilia DiBiasio (MS Environmental Science May, 2024)
Ohio Sea Grant, Cleveland State University, Executive Branch
88 finalists selected from all eligible Sea Grant Programs (Pacific, Gulf, Atlantic and Great Lakes coasts)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant College Program is thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2025 class of the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. This year, for the first time in program history, all eligible Sea Grant programs are represented by a diverse cohort of 88 early-career professionals who will spend the next year working alongside federal agencies or legislative offices in Washington, D.C., applying their academic expertise to critical marine, coastal and Great Lakes policy issues.
Since 1979, the Knauss Fellowship provides graduate students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience developing and implementing national policy. This year’s class brings a wide range of experiences and aspirations, reflecting the breadth of the marine and coastal fields. Many of the finalists were motivated by a desire to work at the interface of science and policy, and passionate about building sustainable futures and promoting resilient ecosystems. As one finalist described, “My values are woven from the ocean’s lessons—a tapestry of interconnectedness, symbiosis among different perspectives and adaptability to change.”
As in previous years, this year’s finalists were selected through a competitive process that involved review panels composed of national experts in marine science, policy and education. Over the past 45 years, the Knauss Fellowship has supported more than 1,660 students who have significantly contributed to environmental policy and management and built lasting careers.
“This year’s Knauss Fellowship cohort exemplifies the passion and expertise necessary to address the evolving challenges facing our coasts and oceans,” remarked Dr. Jonathan Pennock, Director of the National Sea Grant College Program. “We are confident that their dedication to serving through science will lead to innovative solutions that sustain coastal and marine resources and communities for future generations.”
The Knauss Fellowship is a one-year paid opportunity for current and recent graduates from advanced degree programs to apply their scientific knowledge and experiences to current issues in science, policy, and public administration. Students who are enrolled in or have recently completed master’s, Juris Doctor and Doctor of Philosophy programs with a focus and/or interest in marine and coastal science, policy, or management apply to one of the 33 eligible Sea Grant programs.
The 2025 finalists represent 70 universities across the country—including 10 minority serving institutions—comprising 44 master’s students, 41 Ph.D. candidates and 3 J.D. candidates. They are geographers, ichthyologists, ecologists, lawyers, environmental managers and more. They represent communities across the nation and are committed to making meaningful contributions to marine policy.
Milos Simovic (MS, Environmental Science, ’20)
As you can see, Milos likes trees. At CSU, he studied how rates of tree growth and carbon sequestration in urban greenspaces varied among the diverse types of trees found in cities. For his research, he made weekly trips to the beautiful Lakeview Cemetery and Secrest Arboretum, where he measured growth and dozens of other ecological characteristics of hundreds of trees; with this data, he and his advisor (Dr. Kevin Mueller) hope to help ecologists, foresters, and planners to better understand which tree species, and which tree traits, might be best suited for expanding the ecosystem services provided by trees in cities. Milos enjoyed his research so much, and did so well, that he is now pursuing a Ph.D. at one of the best universities in the world, the University of British Columbia. Reflecting on his time at CSU, Milos said: "one of the major strong points of my graduate school experience was the option to attend research conferences and seminars outside the campus. This allowed me to interact with scientists that I would otherwise never get a chance to meet... these experiences solidified my interest in pursuing a career as an academic scientists."
Anne Roberto (MA, Environmental Studies, ’19)
Anne Roberto is a stormwater inspector at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), where she inspects and reports on stormwater assets within the NEORSD regional service area. She is passionate about sustainable management of water resources, starting out as a volunteer water quality monitor with Friends of Euclid Creek in 2012, later doing beach cleanups on the shores of Lake Erie with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and now acting as a Certified Watershed Steward in the Cleveland Metroparks Watershed Volunteer Program. Anne's graduate coursework allowed her to build on a science background (she completed a BS in Environmental Science at CSU in 2017) and understand its interactions and applications with policy, economics, and public administration. Some of her favorite memories at CSU include her involvement with the Student Environmental Movement, participating in the Lake Erie Boat Float, embarking on wetland ecology field trips, attending events such as the Ohio Sea Grant Understanding Algal Blooms: State of the Science conference, and participation in the Levin College mentorship program. Attending meetings with her mentor built Anne's interest in beneficial reuse policy, and led to the formulation of her master's capstone project. For Anne, "relationships and coursework at CSU really opened the doors to other channels of learning experiences and networks." Advice for current students? "Say yes to and seek out opportunities! You never know where they might lead you... Get involved!"