An Interview with Former NOAA Coastal Management Fellow and University of Michigan-SNRE Graduate, Zach Hecht-Leavitt

Why did you pursue the NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship? 

Zach was interested in applying data management/analysis skills to public, coastal issues. He was particularly excited by the project itself (marine spatial planning), as well as the opportunity to work with former NOAA colleagues to some extent.

What was your position and what did you work on as a fellow?

Zach helped NY state create statistical models of marine species distributions in its offshore planning area to "fill in the gaps" they had in fish, marine mammal, and seabird datasets. He then helped put the results in a broader policy context.

How did you benefit from the fellowship and what was most rewarding? 

Zach enjoyed learning new skills (spatial statistics, computer programming, GIS) and communicating the results to managers and the public.

What during your graduate education best prepared you for your fellowship? 

Specific coursework at the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) at U of M, including: Analysis and Modeling of Ecological Data (Ines Ibanez), GIS and Landscape Models (Dan Brown), and many of the Aquatic Sciences classes (Biology and Ecology of Fishes, etc.) for general background knowledge helped prepare Zach for success in his fellowship.

What do you wish you had done during your graduate education that would have assisted you with your position? 

Zach believes that he probably should have learned Python, or taken learning R more seriously. He says that even if you don't think of yourself as a technical/computer person, having at least a basic knowledge of computer programming will make your life much easier. Zach says the reality is that we spend most of our time in front of a computer, so, having it do more work for you frees you to use your brain more creatively, and spend less time pointing and clicking.

Where are you now? 

Today, Zach is working for a private oceanography consulting firm, doing mostly oil spill impact modeling.

What do you enjoy most about your career? 

Zach likes helping clients understand their modeling process and the results. He also enjoys coding, to some degree.

Advice for new fellows?

Zach says to try to remain optimistic and proactive. He says the fellowship is what you make of it, and, despite the impression you may get, your project may be very nebulous and your role undefined. He suggests viewing this as an opportunity to create your own position, rather than feeling frustrated that there is no place for you.

Recommendations for prospective candidates' applications?

Zach definitely recommends becoming very familiar with the state projects when they are posted online. He suggests tailoring your application to address specific state needs. For your selection week presentation, Zach says don't be afraid to come out swinging and make it clear how you fit with your favorite project(s).

Zach Hecht-Leavitt

NOAA Coastal Management Fellow

(8/2011 – 8/2013)

zhechtle@gmail.com

So long, and thanks for all the fish...

(Apologies for the Douglas Adams reference)

Hard to believe two years have gone by since I started the Coastal Management fellowship.  I had a valuable experience working with the NY Department of State (NY DOS) Oceans and Great Lakes Program.  I had the opportunity to work with lots of data on fish, marine mammal, and seabird distributions, and I was able to learn and apply various statistical modeling and GIS techniques to help "squeeze" more information out of limited data.  It's gratifying to see that some of the resulting maps made their way into the recently-released NY DOS Offshore Atlantic Study, available at http://www.dos.ny.gov/press/2013/atlantic7-10.html.  This study will help NY identify valuable offshore resources, for both recreation and industry, and intelligently plan for competing uses in an increasingly crowded offshore environment.

I also enjoyed working closely with coastal managers to help translate technical products for public audiences, while at the same time creating analyses that were supportive of public needs.  For example, I helped synthesize maps of commercial and recreational fishing intensity as depicted by actual stakeholders.   The fellowship program provided funds to present some of this work at local and regional conferences, where I was able to meet people from state, federal, and private sectors and gather a variety of perspectives on coastal science and policy.  All in all, I practiced interpersonal and technical skills, made valuable contacts, and created products in concert with my fellow Oceans and Great Lakes staff members that I'm definitely proud of.  I'm very thankful to Michigan Sea Grant, the NOAA Coastal Services Center, and NY State for providing this opportunity, and I plan on building on it for the rest of my career!

Zach Hecht-Leavitt

NOAA Coastal Management Fellow

(8/2011 – 8/2013)

zhechtle@gmail.com

NOAA Coastal Management Fellow Placement

Wondering where fellows go on to work after their fellowship?

Want to know if Michigan Sea Grant has nominated a candidate that has gone on to be a fellow?

Wondering which states have hosted fellows in the past?

Check out this helpful infographic put together by NOAA to give a little insight on where fellows have been placed.

Where have the NOAA Coastal Management fellows gone after their fellowship?

An Interview with a former Great Lakes Commission Fellow

In 2003, Jon Dettling spent a year as a fellow at the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Now he is working as a consultant in Boston helping companies like Nestle assess the total environmental impact of their products.

Why did you pursue the GLC fellowship?
As a graduate student in the Department of Public Health at the University of Michigan, Jon focused on the health effects of emissions produced throughout a product’s life cycle. For his graduate project he used toxic emissions data from the Great Lakes Commission and through this connection he learned about the fellowship.

Jon was really interested in better understanding how science is used in policy development. “At the university you are almost too close to a topic and you never see it become anything more than publications. The idea of taking that work to the next step and really making a difference was really attractive.” The Great Lakes Commission, a bi-national NGO that specializes in policy research and advocacy, was an excellent place to learn about how science is actually used outside of academia.

What did you work on as a fellow?
Jon found that the GLC fellowship offered an ideal balance between structure and freedom. He was able to pursue ideas that were closely related to his graduate work on air pollution, but he also had the opportunity to participate in a variety of on-going projects. For example, Jon helped organize a series of regional planning workshops. “The goal was to bring together experts from around the Great Lakes to develop a vision for restoration and sustainability for the region.” This project lead to a larger regional collaborative, which allowed Jon to observe how governors and federal agency leaders come together to debate policy issues.

How did you benefit from the fellowship?
For Jon, the fellowship provided an excellent next step after graduate school. “Compared to the first year in a more typical job at an agency, fellows at the Commission have more potential to develop a broad range of contacts. This wide network can help you transition from school and really establish your own career.”

Jon’s year as a fellow at the Great Lakes Commission actually turned into a permanent job! Toward the end of the fellowship as he was asking for letters of reference, his supervisors suggested he consider staying at the GLC. “Over the course of the fellowship you get really involved with what you’re doing, so it was an easy decision to stay.” During the next four years Jon continued working at the Commission, expanding the Toxic Air Emissions Inventory program and developing the skills that would allow him to start his own environmental consulting business.

Where are you now?
After moving to Boston in 2007, Jon established a North American branch of a small Swiss Company, Ecointesys- Life Cycle Systems. Jon’s company conducts life cycle assessments to determine the total impact of a product throughout its life, “from cradle (extraction of raw materials) to grave (disposal).” This type of analysis can help companies better measure, improve, or communicate their environmental performance. Their approach is gaining momentum and government agencies, like the California Department of Conservation, and NGOs, like the World Wildlife Federation, have begun employing the services of Ecointesys.

What do you enjoy most about your career?
For Jon, the best aspect of developing his own company is that he has the freedom to pursue projects that he finds the most interesting and compelling. He also really enjoys the people he works with, although much of his interactions with his international colleagues is through the phone and internet!

I asked Jon about how working in the private sector differed from his previous work with the Commission. “It’s different. Government agencies and non-profits (like the Great Lakes Commission) have a clear goal of improving and protecting our natural resources. In consulting, the challenge is to ensure that the environmental goals line up with your client’s profit goals. However, once everyone agrees on the objectives, resources can be mobilized and things can move forward more quickly in the private sector.”

Advice for new fellows
Jon encourages new students to turn the fellowship into their own experience. He found that the Great Lakes Commission was really open to new projects- “and it isn’t hard to fit your ideas into the Commission because its mission is so broad!”

Jon is happy to answer questions about the fellowship over email, dettling@glc.org.