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101 posts in Student Spotlight

The multiple evolution of glowing fishes: New paper in Nature by Marine Biology alum

Multiple colored fishes scanned by a CT scanner

A new paper published in Nature Communications on the multiple evolution of glowing fishes, features alumni from the University of Washington, including Jonathan Huie, the first person to graduate from UW Marine Biology.

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May 12, 2025 | Student Spotlight

Congratulations to Mollie Ball, College of the Environment Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist for 2025

Mollie is pictured from behind using binoculars to look out over the coast.

Congratulations to Mollie Ball, named this year as the College of the Environment Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist. Mollie, double majoring in Marine Biology and Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at UW, has been an exceptional student, an outstanding contributor to the College and Marine Biology communities, and a leader amongst the transfer student community.

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May 6, 2025 | Student Spotlight, Featured

Collecting knowledge, skills and experience with the Burke Museum mammal collection

Lauren holds a meaty boat in a lab while conducting a necropsy.

Museum collections tell the story of life on Earth, and are a critical resource for researchers around the globe working on a variety of species, from fish and snails to birds and mammals. In the Burke Museum, the mammal collection is where UW Marine Biology senior, Lauren Grady, has been volunteering for the last two months, building on experience she gained working with the Wood Lab at SAFS.

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Apr 21, 2025 | Student Spotlight, Featured

Fish and Sticks: UW feature story with Ryan Shapero

Ryan Shapero is pictured standing sideways, holding a large drum with the UW logo on it.

Between keeping time for the Husky Marching Band and tossing fish at Pike Place Market, Ryan Shapero, ’27, is as Seattle as it gets. A second-year marine biology student, Ryan loves getting to apply some of that science to his weekend job at Pike Place. He particularly loves when kids come up with the oddest questions. “Multiple times I’ve just been, like, explaining crustacean morphology to a 7-year-old. And they’re into it!” Read his UW feature story.

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Mar 10, 2025 | Student Spotlight, Featured

What reinspired a shift back to studying STEM? Postbac profile with Kylie West

A woman wearing an orange life jacket sits on a boat on a large lake.

In our second profile featuring a Marine Biology postbac student, we spoke with Kylie West about why she chose UW to complete her second undergraduate degree, plus what reinspired her shift back to studying STEM.

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Feb 24, 2025 | Student Spotlight

Return of the postbac: Pursuing a second undergrad degree

Walker Hobson is pictured underwater with scuba diving gear on, holding a crab.

Only a small number of postbaccalaureate (postbac) students are admitted to the University of Washington each quarter, however it’s a common enquiry received by us here at Marine Biology. We spoke to Walker Hobson about his journey to becoming a postbac student, some of the benefits and the challenges, and what he would share with others considering the same route.

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Marine Biology student, Jaycee Williford, receives the Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship

Jaycee Williford, a marine biology student, sits smiling into the camera wearing black shorts and a grey tshirt.

Finishing up his second quarter at the University of Washington – studying Marine Biology and American Indian Studies (AIS) – is Jaycee Williford. He recently received the Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship, which is awarded to Indigenous people interested in pursuing educational opportunities in aquaculture, fisheries science and management or natural resource management.

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Celebrating Women in Science

A collage of photos showing women in science, with the UW logo and the words 'Celebrating Women in Science' in the center against a lilac background.

10 years ago, the UN declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. On this 10th anniversary at the University of Washington, we’re celebrating our women in aquatic and marine science: women who are leaders in their fields, women who are aspiring to be the next generation of fisheries scientists and marine biologists, women who are uplifting and supporting other women in science.

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Shedding light on Dungeness crab in Washington

Two people crouch over a blue rectangle plastic container. One holds a white notepad, the other holds a measuring ruler. An orange magnifying glass sits on the storage container.

For over 20 years, Associate Teaching Professor, Sean McDonald, has been working on West Coast crab populations. Among his favorite study subjects is the Dungeness crab. Despite its very high value both commercially and culturally, scientists know surprisingly little about the iconic crustacean’s early life. In a collaborative effort spanning federal agencies, local government, tribes, non-profits and scientists, the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group (PCRG) has been undertaking a monitoring effort along the Washington coast for larval Dungeness crab, supported by UW students.

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Jan 23, 2025 | Student Spotlight

International Day of Women & Girls in Science – Feb 11

A couple of years ago, we made a video highlighting many of our women in science here at SAFS and Marine Biology. I’ll be doing something similar again this year to celebrate this UN recognized day on February 11, to showcase the contributions of our women in science.
If you would like to be involved, please send me a photo of you doing science (be this in the lab, in the field, in a classroom) and tell me what kind of scientist you are: marine biologist, ichthyologist, salmon ecologist, an aspiring oceanographer, science communicator – or whatever it may be! 

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