September 10, 2025
Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is excited to announce that Danielle Brady, a current graduate student at Virginia Tech, has been selected as the 2025-2026 WSG Keystone Fellow. Danielle will be working with host Puget Sound Partnership.
The WSG Keystone Fellowship seeks to build pathways into marine science, policy and related industry careers for individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. This paid fellowship offers a unique educational opportunity by matching highly motivated and qualified individuals with host offices throughout Washington state. The program offers first-hand experience working on projects that help fellows better understand, conserve and utilize Washington’s ocean and coastal resources. The fellowship is open to graduates and early-career professionals who are interested and engaged in ocean and coastal vocations. The goals of the WSG Keystone Fellowship program are: to create more pathways into marine science, policy and industry careers; identify and elevate high-potential emerging leaders in marine science and policy; and respond to relevant program or project needs of key WSG partners who share and seek to advance the goals of the WSG Keystone Fellowship program.
Danielle grew up in Seattle and brings a unique blend of private sector experience and academic focus on climate change, coastal resilience, and environmental justice. She earned her undergraduate degree in finance and business economics at the University of Washington and began her career working for an investment management firm, where she collaborated with global teams to develop sustainable investment products and strengthen operational systems. While she valued the complexity and pace of the private sector, she felt increasingly pulled toward work that aligned more closely with her love of nature, sense of place, and commitment to community, which ultimately prompted a career shift toward sustainability. Now a graduate student at Virginia Tech studying sustainability and natural resources, Danielle has worked on projects ranging from adaptive management planning for Chinook Salmon to researching toxic legacies in the Lower Duwamish. A first-generation college student and Filipino woman, Danielle is committed to inclusive, system-based approaches that integrate science, policy, and community voices.
Congratulations, Danielle! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish.
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Washington Sea Grant, based at the University of Washington, helps people and marine life thrive through research, technical expertise and education supporting the responsible use and conservation of coastal ecosystems. Washington Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, education, outreach and technology transfer.
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SEP
2025