Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship
Top left photo: Chad King. Top, second photo to the left: Jacob Argueta/Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. All other photos courtesy of the scholar.
The symposium brings together undergraduate scholars supported by the Hollings Scholarship Program to present their NOAA research to peers and NOAA staff.
Watch the Symposium online
All scholar oral presentation sessions will be streaming through Go To Webinar. To view a session stream, find the session in the table below and click on the title of the session.
MONDAY JULY 27, 2026
Opening session: 12:45-5:00p.m.
Opening welcome talks from NOAA and Office of Education leadership following by and overview of Symposium logistics and scholar tech checks.
| Time | Event | Room |
|---|---|---|
| 12:45 p.m. | Scholar check-in. Scholars must be in the Great Hall and seated by 1:30 p.m. | Atrium |
| 1:45-1:55 p.m. | Welcome to the Symposium — Louisa Koch, Director of Education | Great Hall |
| 1:55-2:30 p.m. | Senior leadership keynote address offsite link — Del Brockett, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Operations | Great Hall |
| 2:30-2:40 p.m. | Symposium class photo | Great Hall |
| 2:40-2:50 p.m. | BREAK | |
| 2:50-3:40 p.m. | Symposium logistics overview. Tracy Levstik and Audrey Maran, Hollings Scholarship Program Managers | Great Hall |
| 3:40-4:10 p.m. | Group 1: Tech checks in presentation room. Group 2: Informal networking in the Atrium All poster presenters: Poster setup in the Great Hall | Presentation rooms and Atrium |
| 4:10-5:00 p.m. | Group 2: Tech checks in presentation room. Group 1: Informal networking in the Atrium All poster presenters: Informal networking in the Atrium | Presentation rooms and Atrium |
| 5:00 p.m. | Adjourn for the day |
In this booklet, you can read a Symposium welcome letter, browse scholar presentation abstracts, and find acknowledgements of the many scholar mentors and symposium evaluators and volunteers who made this event possible.
TUESDAY JULY 28, 2026
Scholar check-in: 8:30-8:55 a.m.
All scholars must check in and seated in a session room by 8:55 a.m. For those presenting in the morning, please arrive at 8:30 a.m.
Concurrent morning sessions: 9:00 a.m. through 12:25 p.m.
There are four sessions running concurrently. They all begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at varying times before 12:25 p.m. There is a one minute break between all talks. All sessions break from 10:36-10:45 a.m.
Healthy Ocean 1 offsite link: 9:00 a.m.-12:25 p.m. in the Ellsworth Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Lena Morefield | The effects of ocean acidification and hypoxia on wound healing and lateral growth of the coral Porites astreoides |
9:16 a.m. | Jia Hwang | Investigating algal symbiont communities of corals in extreme, urbanized habitats in southeast Florida |
9:32 a.m. | Fiona Howes | Temperature & acidification drive metabolism & aerobic scope in adult American Lobster (Homarus americanus) |
9:48 a.m. | Miles Guillot | Lipid Speciation in Atlantic Mackerel with TLC-FID |
10:04 a.m. | Atlas (Zhoe) Emmanuel | Integrating trophic ecology of coastal fishes with measures of marine biodiversity |
10:20 a.m. | Katie Brandler | Assessment of crab trap dynamics in the Great Bay Estuary using underwater video analysis |
10:36 a.m. | BREAK | |
10:45 a.m. | Jayde Waibel | Spatiotemporal patterns of sei whale acoustic presence in the Gulf of Maine |
11:01 a.m. | Sophia Speller | Showcasing restoration projects across national marine sanctuaries |
11:17 a.m. | Jayce Oldham | Investigating Jonah crab (Cancer borealis) life history and distribution from a fisheries-independent optical survey |
11:33 a.m. | Amelia Myers | Mussel puberty: Defining size thresholds for quagga mussel reproduction across a depth gradient in Lake Michigan |
11:50 a.m. | Eleni Mouyos | Analyzing trends in humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) occurrence in the Gulf of Maine |
12:06 p.m. | Anastasia Ippolito | Effect of offshore wind energy construction on Harbour Porpoise and Dolphin species |
Science and Technology Enterprise 1 offsite link: 9:00 a.m.-10:36 a.m. in the Fenton Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Luis Mario Ramirez Cruz | Using habitat-modeling methods to characterize the spatial distribution of fishing effort: Modeling the American lobster fishery using high-resolution vessel tracking data. |
9:16 a.m. | Chinonso Obiefule | Introducing LegiNOAA AI: An AI Legislative Tracker bridging the gap between NOAA and Congress |
9:32 a.m. | Ned Gable | Evaluating the MOM6-COBALT model's ability to track historical ocean acidification and hypoxia events across the US Mid Atlantic and North East Shelf |
9:48 a.m. | Grace Davis | Satellite oceanography: Developing phytoplankton bloom indicators from ocean color remote sensing |
10:04 a.m. | Dahlia Barranco | The physics of estuaries: Using water level sensors to estimate water density |
10:20 a.m. | Nadiya Reininger | Evaluating and updating the microburst composite for Gulf Coast County Warning Areas |
10:36 a.m. | BREAK | |
10:45 a.m. | SESSION ENDS | Please join Healthy Ocean in the Ellsworth Room or Weather-Ready Nation in the Spring Room |
Weather-Ready Nation 1 offsite link: 9:00-12:25 p.m. in the Spring Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Felix Fuentes | Using artificial intelligence to predict impact to communities during hurricane events |
9:16 a.m. | Jacob Denault | Identifying persistent biases in mixed precipitation forecasts at NWS Gray, Maine |
9:32 a.m. | Jesse Park | The Joint Earth Spectral Sounder (JESS): High resolution IR sounding |
9:48 a.m. | Arwa Ouali | Design proposal for The Atmospheric Composition Observatory (TACO) to enhance trace gas monitoring |
10:04 a.m. | Cheri Heng | Design and development of a next-generation smallsat hyperspectral ocean color imager for harmful algal bloom detection |
10:20 a.m. | Calvin Cortez | Reconfiguring the Limits Management Tool (LMT) to support JPSS-4 ground system readiness for launch in FY 2027 |
10:36 a.m. | BREAK | |
10:45 a.m. | Ken Husty Tungpalan | Urban heat island dynamics: Assessing planetary boundary layer height using airborne Doppler lidar |
11:01 a.m. | Sam Morgan | Impact of weak atmospheric rivers on orographic precipitation gradient in northern California from 1980-2024 |
11:17 a.m. | Noah Schneiderman | Using MOSAiC observations to evaluate the Rapid Refresh (RAP) weather model over Arctic sea ice |
11:33 a.m. | Kelsey Grimme | Exploring the suitability of assimilating weather observations from drones into regional forecast systems |
11:50 a.m. | Katiria Colon Rivera | Processing and analyzing tropical cyclone water level and wind observations to improve storm surge prediction |
12:06 p.m. | Ethan Chang | Diagnostics and monitoring of satellite radiance data assimilation for RRFSv2 |
Lunch on your own: 12:25-1:35 p.m.
Find lunch on your own. Return and find a session room by 1:35 p.m. There are several lunch options just outside the venue.
Concurrent afternoon oral sessions: 1:45 p.m. through 5:25 p.m.
There are four oral sessions running concurrently. They all begin at 1:45p.m. or 3:30p.m. and end at 5:06 p.m or 5:25 p.m. If your session does not have a presentation at 5:06 p.m., you may leave at that time.
Climate Adaptation and Mitigation offsite link: 3:30-5:25 p.m. in the Colesville Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
3:21 p.m. | BREAK | SESSION OPENS |
3:30 p.m. | Lomani Rova | Exploring cultural ecosystem services at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve: An analysis of member motivations |
3:46 p.m. | Sanjit Masanam | Understanding diversity in deep ocean heat uptake |
4:02 p.m. | Daisy Kerr | Quantifying marine stratocumulus response to aerosol perturbations |
4:18 p.m. | Ren McScoggin | Characterization of plant-elevational relationships in tidal salt marshes in the Salish Sea; laying the groundwork for Samish isthmus restoration |
4:34 p.m. | Natalie Rosenthal | Restoring forest complexity; Evaluating changes following variable density thinning in Oregon’s coastal forests and developing best practices |
4:50 p.m. | Noa Krop | Effects of stream spatial and temporal variability on drift food availability for juvenile stream salmonids. |
5:06 p.m. | Natalia Jacquez | Effects of stream spatial and temporal variability on benthic food availability for juvenile stream salmonids |
Engagement Enterprise offsite link: 3:30-5:06 p.m. in the Fenton Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
3:21 p.m. | BREAK | SESSION OPENS |
3:30 p.m. | Gabriel Santiago | Identifying and mapping legislative opportunities for the American ocean economy: A strategic framework for NOAA congressional engagement |
3:46 p.m. | Madi Hahn | From exploration to education: Developing a classroom lesson plan on deep-sea analysis |
4:02 p.m. | Megan Broome | Responsible whale watching outreach within the private boating sector of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary |
4:18 p.m. | Seyi Ketiku | Immersive marine science and informal education: Developing interactive resources for marine conservation education in Hawai’i |
4:34 p.m. | Paige Kiarie | Immersive conservation storytelling: Amplifying the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Sanctuary through technological improvements at the Waikiki Aquarium |
4:50 p.m. | Aniyah Chambers | Immersive conservation storytelling: Amplifying the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Sanctuary through educational programming at the Waikīkī Aquarium |
5:06 p.m. | NOT IN SESSION |
Healthy Ocean 2 offsite link: 1:45-5:25 p.m. in the Ellsworth Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
1:45 p.m. | Taryn Hozdic | Insights into habitat use of the Bignose shark, Carcharhinus altimus, from satellite archival tagging and fisheries data |
2:01 p.m. | Naomi Scott | Quantifying gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) migratory movement behavior and respiration rate using focal tracking data from Uncrewed Aerial Systems |
2:17 p.m. | Aly Reetz | Characterizing water quality in Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary: Identifying issues, authorities, efforts, and gaps |
2:33 p.m. | Viola Katona | Regional variation in oyster nutrient removal across the Northeastern and Northwestern United States |
2:49 p.m. | Lea Hinsley | Moving upriver: Evaluating eelgrass growth and survival to inform restoration, South Slough Estuary, OR |
3:05 p.m. | Kasdin Hamel | Improving Reproductive Ecology Information for Pacific Hake (Merluccius productus) |
3:21 p.m. | BREAK | |
3:30 p.m. | Massima Ponce | Characterizing oceanographic drivers of mesopelagic community structure in American Samoa |
3:46 p.m. | Luke Covello | Trophic ecology of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, in Prince William Sound, Alaska inferred from stable isotope analysis |
4:02 p.m. | Emma Rawls | Assessing causes of death in Hawaiian monk seals (Neomonachus schauinslandi) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands |
4:18 p.m. | Evelyn Page | Improving data accessibility for protected species assessment and conservation in the Pacific Islands |
4:34 p.m. | Olivia Miller | Building education and outreach tools related to alien invasive species that threaten marine resources of Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary |
4:50 p.m. | Kathia Jaramillo | Uncovering drivers of Hawaiian benthic foundation species: a predictive modeling and residuals analysis approach |
5:06 p.m. | Dash Dicksion | Tag, you’re it: Building a cooperative data network for Hawaiʻi’s nearshore recreational fisheries |
Weather-Ready Nation 2 offsite link: 1:45-5:06 pm in the Spring Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
1:45 p.m. | Hailey Morse | Verification and analysis of spring snow melt flood outlooks for the Red River Valley of the North (2004-2025) |
2:01 p.m. | Lydia Purlee | Evaluation of exceedance probabilities using altered color curves to improve risk characterization and decision making |
2:17 p.m. | Caden Schmear | Investigating hailstone fall speed variability in the June 16th, 2025, Wellfleet, NE hailstorm |
2:33 p.m. | Grayson Smith | The Tornado Detection Algorithm improvement project at the Radar Operations Center: QLCS tornadoes |
2:49 p.m. | Bryce Vining | A comparative analysis of the CRREL and FRAM models for predicting ice accumulation |
3:05 p.m. | Michelle Stasik | Statistical characterization of commercial aircraft humidity measurement differences relative to frost point hygrometer observations |
3:21 p.m. | BREAK | |
3:30 p.m. | Maddy Marker | Using dual-polarization phased-array radar to characterize the rapid evolution of downbursts in central Oklahoma. |
3:46 p.m. | Eli Conklin | Closing the radar gap for western Wisconsin tornadoes |
4:02 p.m. | Luke Anderson | Low-level storm-relative flow in tornadic and nontornadic supercells: Using Great Plains environments to model impacts on supercell behavior |
4:18 p.m. | Jack Gulisano | Predicting flash flood impacts through machine learning |
4:34 p.m. | Nevaeh Williams | Science communication and research support for the development of an extreme cold decision support tool for Washington state |
4:50 p.m. | Monika Von Cyga | Visualizing forecast uncertainty: A predictive learning approach to highlight targets of opportunity with the National Blend of Models (NBM) |
5:06 p.m. | NOT IN SESSION |
Adjourn for the day: 5:25 p.m.
WEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2026
Poster presenter check-in
All poster presenters must check in and be in the Great Hall by 8:45 a.m.
Concurrent poster sessions: 9:00 a.m. through 10:05 a.m.
The poster presentations in the Great Hall are only open to poster presenters and evaluators. There will be a peer viewing opportunity following this session.
Weather-Ready Nation P1: 9:00 a.m.-9:48 a.m. in the Great Hall
| TIME | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Bhavika Buddi | Using deep learning to locate tropical cyclone centers from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery |
9:16 a.m. | Matthew Azuara | Advancing heat health decision support by correlating weather information to heat-related impacts |
9:32 a.m. | Jenny Arredondo | Evaluating meteorological and radar conditions of high-impact flash flooding in the Southwest U.S. |
Weather-Ready Nation P2: 9:00 a.m.-9:48 a.m. in the Great Hall
| time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Sabrina Roche | Examining southeast U.S. convective environments with doppler wind lidar observations |
9:16 a.m. | Isabeau Goodman | Assessment of severe weather outlooks and severe weather impacts and damage reports across central Alabama |
9:32 a.m. | Cyrus Delconte | Resolving uncertainty with uncertainty: Developing a probabilistic outlook graphic in the watch-to-warning timeframe for the National Weather Service in Bismarck |
Healthy Ocean P1: 9:00 a.m.-10:05 a.m. in the Great Hall
| time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Bryn Fleming | Investigating primary productivity in a freshwater estuary |
9:16 a.m. | Amy Duh | Evaluating dynamic ocean management tools in the California Current Ecosystem |
9:32 a.m. | Angely Díaz | Oxygen variations in the Florida Current |
9:48 a.m. | Aimee Bousquet | Current status of crayfish diversity and distribution in the western Lake Erie watershed of Ohio |
Healthy Ocean P2: 9:00 a.m.-10:05 a.m. in the Great Hall
| time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Morgan Morel | Spatial analysis of nutrient content of farmed pacific oysters in Puget Sound |
9:16 a.m. | Raija Hammad | Estimating life history parameters for Eastern Tropical Pacific Stenella species using hierarchical Bayesian analysis |
9:32 a.m. | Olivia Halter | Oh snap! Evaluating blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) behavioral changes in response to winter cold snaps in range expanding regions |
9:48 a.m. | Vivian Glennie | Developing remote camera methods to quantify the perinatal period of female Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands |
Healthy Ocean P3 and Climate Adaptation and Mitigation: 9:00 a.m.-10:05 a.m. in the Great Hall
| time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Kasey Ingram | Determining the relationship between temperature and body condition index of Caretta caretta hatchlings |
9:16 a.m. | Garrett Hickman | Acoustic soundscapes and vocalizations within sea turtle nests |
9:32 a.m. | Savar Shrivastava | The impact of habitat type on brachyuran crab settlement preferences and abundances in Padilla Bay, Washington |
9:48 a.m. | Sarah Rawlinson | Assessment of the extent of subsurface marine debris on Lake Erie beaches |
Resilient Coastal Communities & Science and Technology: 9:00 a.m.-10:05 a.m. in the Great Hall
| time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Mia Robinson | Validation of NOAA’s Automatic Sonde Preparation, Evaluation, and Calibration (AUTO-SPEC) testing unit on Electrochemical Concentration Cell (ECC) ozonesonde performance |
9:16 a.m. | Sara Gasca | Predicting the Planetary Indices using SOLAR-1 data and machine learning |
9:32 a.m. | Xavia Sampson | Increasing knowledge of water quality impacts from runoff in coastal communities |
9:48 a.m. | Gianna Chacon | Water quality and fish biodiversity across residential water bodies within reserve boundaries |
Scholar check-in: 10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
All other scholars must check in. Please try to keep voices down until all poster presentations have concluded at 10:05 a.m. We encourage all scholars who are checking in to be seated in the Great Hall by 10:15 a.m.
Break: 10:10-10:20 a.m.
Opportunity for poster presenters to take a break. Please be seated in the Great Hall by 10:20 a.m.
Overview of the day: 10:20-10:30 a.m.
Expectations for the peer poster and project viewing sessions and headshot and small group photo availability.
Peer poster and project viewing session: 10:30-12:15p.m.
View posters in the Great Hall or visit the Atrium project table to demo other scholars’ internship products. Poster presenters, feel free to walk around or stand at your poster. Headshots or small group photos are also available.
Lunch on your own: 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Find lunch on your own and return by 1:30 p.m. so sessions may begin on time. There are several lunch options just outside the venue.
Concurrent afternoon oral sessions: 1:45-5:25 p.m.
There are five oral sessions this afternoon. Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies and two Weather-Ready Nation sessions will run from 1:45pm until the break at 3:21 p.m. After the break, there are three session choices: Healthy Ocean, Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies, or Science and Technology Enterprise.
Healthy Ocean 3: offsite link 3:30-5:25 p.m. in the Spring Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
3:21 p.m. | BREAK | SESSION OPENS |
3:30 p.m. | Lorenzo McCleese | Detecting single and compound marine extremes in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem |
3:46 p.m. | Brookelynn Gotschall | Warming seas and shifting species: Detection of harmful algal bloom species in Alaskan arctic waters using eDNA |
4:02 p.m. | Jasmine Engel | Effectiveness of education activities: Communicating fisheries science to local communities |
4:18 p.m. | Emma Cusimano | Nutrient budgets and C. gigas nutrient removal in Puget Sound, Washington |
4:34 p.m. | Maggie Chen | Eddy predictability in the Gulf of Alaska using persistent eddy characteristics on seasonal timescales |
4:50 p.m. | Sofía Brege | Change and recovery in intertidal and subtidal sea star communities following sea star wasting disease in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary |
5:06 p.m. | Hannah Baker | Investigating the utility of SEM-EDS to detect barium in bottlenose dolphin teeth to determine freshwater exposure |
Resilient Coastal Communities & Economies: offsite link 1:45-5:06 p.m. in the Ellsworth Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
1:45 p.m. | Mugdha Chiplunkar | Assessing spatial and temporal coverage of harmful algal bloom sampling on the Florida Gulf Coast |
2:01 p.m. | Iran Rosales Rivera | Using prices to understand fish length in an economic informed stock assessment of Golden Tilefish |
2:17 p.m. | Elise Narimatsu | Evaluating NOAA’s economic value in the Southeast and Caribbean region |
2:33 p.m. | Sam Rickwalder | Building strategic engagements for resilient coasts and communities |
2:49 p.m. | Brennah Lee-Pawlak | Citizen science in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary |
3:05 p.m. | NOT IN SESSION | |
3:21 p.m. | BREAK | |
3:30 p.m. | Arden Rathkopf | Under the rocks and stones, subsurface nitrate pathways to juvenile salmon streams in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska |
3:46 p.m. | Sean Monte | For peat’s sake: Quantifying the ecological services of peatlands in Kachemak Bay through freshwater quality monitoring |
4:02 p.m. | Galen June | Cliffhangers: Population distributions and reproductive success of black-legged kittiwakes in Kachemak Bay, Alaska |
4:18 p.m. | Allie Grasso | Loads of bull: Understanding the growth of bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, to optimize its mariculture in Alaska |
4:34 p.m. | Ella Skonieczny | Mariculture in Alaska: Sustainable insights from the farm as a growing early career scientist |
4:50 p.m. | Alleyah Britton | Measuring glycogen in Alaskan farmed oysters |
5:06 p.m. | NOT IN SESSION |
Science and Technology Enterprise 2: offsite link 3:30-5:25 p.m. in the Fenton Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
3:21 p.m. | BREAK | SESSION OPENS |
3:30 p.m. | Marisol Helms | Visualizing model output for fisheries management decision making |
3:46 p.m. | Clare Harned | Tracking water vapor from the 2022 Hunga volcanic eruption using satellite data and a Lagrangian trajectory model |
4:02 p.m. | Anna Hagberg | SO2… what’s next?: Automating the detection of SO2 interference in ozonesonde profiles in volcanic regions |
4:18 p.m. | Amy Pham | Developing an α-Fe2O3 catalyst for total conversion of atmospheric sulfur species to SOy |
4:34 p.m. | Zach Griffith | Integrated measurement of contaminants in electrochemical ozonesondes |
4:50 p.m. | Rose Cassidy | Thar she blows (again): Leveraging UAS imagery and computer vision for resighting of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) |
5:06 p.m. | José Solorzano | Patterns of subsurface oxygen change in the Central North Pacific: Models and observations |
Weather-Ready Nation 3a: offsite link 1:45-3:21 p.m. in the Spring Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
1:45 p.m. | Zoe Crow | Developing a marine wind and wave height climatology for ENSO phases in the Pacific Northwest |
2:01 p.m. | Peyton Braun | Conditions facilitating the resuspension of volcanic ash at Mt. St. Helens |
2:17 p.m. | Brandon Wegmann | Developing a radar climatology of skillful prognostic signals to enhance tropical cyclone tornado warning lead time across North Carolina |
2:33 p.m. | Diana Suralik | Evaluation of variational bias correction for satellite observations in the Global Forecast System |
2:49 p.m. | Olivia Samolej | The representation of quasistationary waves and associated extremes in climate models |
3:05 p.m. | Jaelyn Longino | The impact of model resolution and physics on fixing the Central U.S. dry bias |
3:21 p.m. | BREAK | SESSION CLOSES. Find another session to attend after the break. |
Weather-Ready Nation 3b: offsite link 1:45-2:49 p.m. in the Fenton Room
| Time | Presenter | Title |
|---|---|---|
1:45 p.m. | Elian Juarez | Influence of ENSO diversity on weather regimes: Impact of ENSO strength and flavor on North American weather regime variability |
2:01 p.m. | Lily Lai | Verifying Weather Prediction Center (WPC) day 3-7 extreme heat hazards |
2:17 p.m. | Jake Kasitz | Evaluating the National Blend of Models (NBM) 5.0 for Eastern North Carolina |
2:33 p.m. | Emily Werley | Hydrology at the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center- Flood verification and impacts |
2:49 p.m. | SESSION END | Find another session to attend after the break. |
Adjourn for the day: 5:25 p.m.
THURSDAY JULY 30, 2026
Scholar check-in: 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Scholars must be seated in the Great Hall by 8:45 a.m.
Professional development sessions: 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Sessions on navigating the federal hiring process, designing your career path, and an alumni career path panel.
| Time | Event | Room |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00-10:00 a.m. | Your Path to NOAA: Federal Resume Writing and Hiring Process offsite link — Kayla Rodriguez, HR Specialist, NOAA’s Office of Human Capital Services. | Great Hall |
| 10:00-10:15 a.m. | BREAK | Great Hall |
| 10:15-11:15 a.m. | Designing your Career Path — Erianna Hammond and Audrey Maran | Great Hall |
| 11:15-11:30 a.m. | BREAK | |
| 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Alumni Career Path Panel: What comes next —
| Great Hall |
Symposium awards and reception: 12:30-2:00 p.m.
Lunch, followed by a presentation from the Office of Education Deputy Director and announcement of awards.
| Time | Event | Room |
|---|---|---|
| 12:30-1:00 p.m. | Lunch. Build-your-own taco bar | Great Hall |
| 1:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. | Leadership presentation — Christos Michalopoulos, Deputy Director of NOAA Education. You may continue to eat your lunch during this presentation | Great Hall |
| 1:30-2:00 p.m. | Announcement of presentation awards and closing logistics | Great Hall |
Symposium ends: 2:00 p.m.
Safe travels!
Acknowledgements
NOAA Scholarship Programs rely upon the support of the NOAA community and its affiliates to ensure scholars receive well-rounded internship and professional development experiences. The success of the scholars would not be possible without the commitment and tireless efforts of the mentors, speakers, and volunteers listed below. We sincerely thank you for your invaluable contribution to the development and success of NOAA scholars and your support of the Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program.
Summer of 2026 internship mentors
Adam Demarzo
Addison Alford
Adrienne Copeland
Alaina Macfarlane
Alex Min
Alice Yeates
Alicia Helms
Alix Laferriere
Allison Santorelli
Amanda Back
Amanda Bradford
Amanda Holdman
Amanda Lee
Amber Fandel
Amy Butler
Andrew Rollins
Andrew Shantz
Andrij Horodysky
Annarita Mariotti
Annsli Hilton
Aranzazu Lascurain
Ashley Elgin
Ashley Marranzino
Ashok Deshpande
Benjamin Trabing
Beth Sanderson
Brian Carroll
Brian Hauk
Britt Parker
Brittney Parker
Burton Shank
Cameron Fairclough
Carolina Behe
Caroline Owens
Carsten Warneke
Cathy Thomas
Charles Kuster
Chauncy Schultz
Chelsie Counsell
Chris Cox
Chris Darden
Chris Kinkade
Christopher Maloney
Christopher Peter
Claudia Cedillo
Cody Pinger
Colby Neuman
Conor McManus
Cory Martin
Dan Gillins
Daniel Leins
Daniel Tripp
Danielle Boudreau
Dave Turner
David Bonnette
David Trampp
Dax Matthews
Donald Rinderknecht
Elaine Vaudreuil
Elizabeth Hoadley
Elliott Hazen
Emily Lemagie
Emily Liljestrand
Emily Sesno
Emma Pontes
Gary Morris
Graham Feingold
Greg Williams
Gus Alaka
Haley Synan
Heather Reeves
Heather Tabisola
Henry Hope
Howard Townsend
Ian Enochs
Ingrid Harrald
Irfan Azeem
Isaac Matson
Jacob Beitlich
Jacob Cianci-Gaskill
Jacob Segall
Jacob Zeringue
Jake Lasala
James Ruzicka
Jamie Rhome
Jasmin John
Jason Goldstein
Jeff Harris
Jen Gardner
Jessica Gwinn
Jessica Hale
Jianhao Zhang
John Carlson
John Krasting
John Moran
Jonathan Gourley
Joseph Caracappa
Joshua Alland
Julia McDowell
Julia Zeh
Justin Arnott
Kari Stlaurent
Katharine Egan
Katharine Mcgovern
Katie Luxa
Katie Wrubel
Keith Kamikawa
Kevin Gilmore
Kevin Laws
Kevin Strongman
Kiera Malarkey
Kimberly Hyde
Kirsten White
Kisei Tanaka
Laura Alaka
Laura Crane
Lauren Sutton
Lauren Van Heukelem
Lauren White
Leah Chomiak
Leif Swenson
Leon Geschwind
Lew Gramer
Liane Bauer
Liaofan Lin
Lindsay Blank
Lisa Uttal
Liz Hoadley
Lorraine Heilman
Madi Gordon
Maria Molina
Marilyn Yuen Murphy
Mark McClernan
Mark Osler
Mark Rains
Mary Hannah Smith
Marylou Staman
Matthew Flournoy
Melissa Cook
Michael Studivan
Michelle L'heureux
Mimi Abel
Min-Yang Lee
Molly McCormley
Molly Utter
Monica Stone
Morgan Simms
Nadir Jeevanjee
Nadir Jeevanjee
Nataly Medina
Nathan Furey
Nathan Malarich
Nicholas Zaremba
Nicole Burnett
Olivia Greenslit
Paige Gardner
Paul Iniguez
Paul McCrone
Peter Kiffney
Peter Mahoney
Phillippe Hansel
Phyliss Stabeno
Rachel Schneberger
Rebecca Cates
Reid Wolcott
Renea Briner
Robert Heitsenrether
Robert Saba
Roger Fuller
Rosemary Kosaka
Ryan Ellis
Ryan Rykaczewsk
Ryan Smith
Sabrina Beyer
Sage Riddick
Sang-Ki Lee
Sarah Stein
Sean Davis
Sean Ryan
Sean Waugh
Seann Reed
Shannon Brown
Shawn Carter
Shawn Murdzek
Sidney Axtell
Stacy Cummings
Steve Mcmurray
Steve Morton
Steven Bograd
Steven S. Brown
Sunil Baidar
Suzanne Kahn
Tanja Fransen
Tashya Allen
Thomas Grafenauer
Todd Miller
Tom Dang
Tomoharu Eguchi
Treena Jensen
Trevor Joyce
Tyler Ruff
Valerie Mikles
Veeshan Narinesingh
Veronica Hardy
Vicki Wedell
Wayne Mcfee
Xuejin Zhang
Zachary Gold
Symposium evaluators
Abigail Furnish
Alycia Triplett
Amadi Afua Sefah-Twerefour
Amelia Ritger
Amy Biggs
Andy Green
Anna Quintrell
Annarita Mariotti
April Croxton
Arthur Wong
Bailey McCarthy Riley
Bruna Sobrinho
Caitlin Wilson
Craig Cockrell
Daniel Garata
Elaina Ateke
Elizabeth Mountz
Erica Ombres
Erinn Bell
Jaclyn Daly-Fuchs
Jessica Gwinn
Kim Corcoran
Lara Hinderstein
Le Jiang
Lindsay Mullins
Mackenzie Griffin
Madi Gordon
Madison Willert
Marissa Jones
Monique Baskin
Nikki Morgan
Olivia Saliger
Patricia Razafindrambinina
Peter Roohr
Samantha Helle
Sarah Stein
Sarah Vogel
Shadaesha Green
Shelby Gunnells
Spencer Showalter
Sreela Nandi
Summer Traylor
Timothy Meisenhelder
Todd Christenson
Toni Parham
Victoria Breeze
William Bolhofer
Symposium volunteers
Adi Hanein
Andrea Sassard
Brandon Gertz
Caitlin Simpson
Christos Michalopolous
Hannah Campbell
Jennifer Hammond
John McLaughlin
Mackenzie Griffin
Maggie Allen
Patricia Razafindrambinina
Pete Roohr
Shelby Gunnells