As I look out of my office window, I see the first snow of 2021—a reminder to me that even with everything that is going on, there is still some normality. Enhancing SAFS through increased diversity is an ongoing priority—the importance of which has been underscored by events this past year. In this issue, learn about some of our efforts and activities to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in SAFS. I also encourage you to view the seminars from this year’s Bevan Series, which are focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Three SAFS researchers have become principal investigators on two of the School’s long-term projects. Although new to their positions, they are not new to SAFS. Rebecca Buchanan and Jennifer Gosselin are the recently appointed PIs at Columbia Basin Research (CBR). Both came to CBR after earning doctoral degrees (Rebecca 2005; Jennifer 2015) and completing postdoctoral research. Jason Toft works on the Wetland Ecosystem Team (WET), where he has been a research scientist since obtaining his MS degree at SAFS in 2000.

SAFS thanks the Miller family and the many faculty, students, and staff for their contributions to this memoriam. Some content was adapted from the obituary written by Craig and Catherine Miller and published in The Seattle Times on November 8, 2020.
On 31 October 2020, Bruce Stuart Miller, SAFS professor emeritus, passed away at the age of 84.
Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Bruce was raised in Iowa City, Iowa, with his three brothers. 

The Chignik Regional Aquaculture Association (CRAA) has been involved with the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) for 40+ years. (FRI’s title changed to Alaska Salmon Program (ASP) in the late 1990s, but the old name is still commonly used in Alaska.) The funding CRAA provides helps FRI maintain important fisheries research in Chignik as well as educate future fisheries scientists.

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is honored to announce the Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA) 2021 cohort. This award provides graduate students with the opportunity to receive policy and communication training before they meet lawmakers. ESA selected 23 students to receive the award including Julia L. Indivero from the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) is pleased to announce the availability of 2021–22 scholarships for undergraduate majors and prospective majors in SAFS.

Herring that spawn at different times of the year are genetically distinct from one another, according to a new paper published Feb 24th in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The study, led by Eleni Petrou and Lorenz Hauser from the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, shows that populations of Pacific herring along the US west coast are genetically structured based on when they spawn and secondarily, where they spawn.

COASST interns work as a team directly with staff and gain valuable, hands-on experience with citizen science programs and the complexities of volunteer-collected data. These positions will involve a variety of tasks that will likely be performed remotely (from home) for the Fall quarter.

The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) and the University of Washington request applications for students in the Mathematical Sciences for a summer internship at the NWFSC. Interns will spend summer (~16 June – 15 September) working on a research project that integrates mathematics with the science that informs fishery managers. A stipend of $2,500 will be provided from the Usha and S. Rao Varanasi SAFS Faculty Endowment for Student Support, the NWFSC and School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. The successful applicant will also be provided with office space at the NWFSC and a NWFSC mentor.

Drs. Elizabeth Miller and Luke Tornabene of the University of Washington would like to solicit applications for a PAID 10-week summer undergraduate research internship sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program will run from June-August 2021 (exact dates TBD). Applications will be accepted until Friday March 12th, 2021.