Katelyn Theuerkauf graduated from NC State University in 2017 with a master’s degree in marine ecology and conservation. Now, she serves as a program officer for the Pew Charitable Trusts, where she uses science to inform environmental policy and conservation efforts.
Pew Charitable Trusts is a nonpartisan organization that uses research and policy engagement to tackle major public challenges. Theuerkauf’s team specifically provides scientific, technical and strategic support for work focused on the protection and restoration of lands and oceans.
As a program officer on Pew’s science team, Theuerkauf leads efforts to identify, develop and apply scientific research to inform Pew’s environmental policy priorities, with a focus on coastal and marine ecosystems. Her team’s work supports policy discussions by ensuring they are informed by timely, high‑quality science. She works with researchers to generate and synthesize evidence relevant to ongoing policy efforts, and she helps translate scientific findings for decision‑makers.
Theuerkauf also looks for collaboration opportunities, and she provides Pew with scientific guidance as it seeks out new areas of research to fill gaps in knowledge.
Theuerkauf’s work combines policy with her love of applied research, she said. Some days, her work means looking for ways to support research into Antarctic food web dynamics, then sitting down with policy-focused colleagues to discuss how that research could impact fisheries management. Other days, she’s discussing what technology is needed to map and manage seagrasses in the Indian Ocean, or how to train local researchers in seagrass data collection.
One project Theuerkauf has helped shape focuses on seaweed farming in the Pacific Northwest. As seaweed farming begins to expand commercially in Alaska and British Columbia, the work has focused on understanding how this industry can develop in ways that support healthy coastal ecosystems and Indigenous and local communities from the outset.
Theuerkauf’s role has centered on bringing science into these conversations. She has helped advance research into how seaweed farms interact with the surrounding environment and how those effects can be tracked in ways that are both meaningful and practical in coastal settings. Alongside other ongoing efforts, Theuerkauf said this work helps inform broader policy and management considerations by grounding them in place‑based evidence from research and the knowledge held by coastal communities.
Watching a project transform from an idea into its final implementation is one of the most rewarding aspects of her job, Theuerkauf said, as she gets to see how scientific input and guidance translates into tangible change.
In the Q&A below, read more about Theuerkauf and her time in the NC State Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, as well as her advice for current students:
How did MEAS help you in your career path?
Often I’m the only scientist in the room with policy teams or decision‑makers. I don’t need to be an expert on every topic, but I do need to be able to quickly apply scientific concepts in new situations. The interdisciplinary nature of the MEAS program helped prepare me for that. By taking a wide range of classes, I built the confidence to step into unfamiliar topics, get up to speed quickly and contribute meaningfully to discussions.
Beyond building research skills, my time working with Dave Eggleston and his lab was especially formative. I’m no longer in the field collecting data myself, but I still need to understand how data are gathered and what the methods can — and can’t — tell us. That experience allows me to help translate scientific work for policy teams and connect researchers with the people applying that information. Having firsthand experience with field research shapes how I approach that role today.
Dave Eggleston’s research program is highly applied, and his work on oyster restoration in Pamlico Sound stands out for how intentionally it brought together scientists, managers and others involved in decision‑making. The research was designed in conversation with those perspectives from the start, which made it both rigorous and directly relevant. Seeing that approach in practice was an important part of my training.
As I’ve spent more time at Pew working on coastal issues, I’ve found myself returning to lessons from that experience. Being in Dave Eggleston’s lab offered an early look at how long‑term, collaborative research can inform real‑world decisions. At the time, I didn’t realize how directly those experiences would shape the way I work now, but they continue to influence how I think about connecting science, policy and management.
What is a favorite class or memory from your time in MEAS?
Some of my most formative experiences were based out of CMAST in Morehead City. Because my fieldwork involved year‑round sampling, my husband and I relocated to the coast and made Morehead City our home. My work included sampling settlement tiles from the docks at Duke University’s marine lab in Beaufort, as well as supporting research on oysters and assessments of salt marsh habitat across Pamlico Sound. It was a busy period that involved extensive time in the field and on the water, and it provided a strong foundation for my work on coastal research and management.
Another standout experience was being awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and through that, I was awarded an NSF graduate research internship. Through that opportunity, I worked out of NOAA’s Beaufort office while completing my master’s degree. I collaborated with colleagues in the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program and conducted a research project on coral reef biodiversity in the U.S. Virgin Islands — an entirely new topic for me. That experience closely mirrors my current role, which often involves stepping into unfamiliar subject areas, learning quickly and applying scientific thinking in new contexts.
I also valued the opportunity to mentor students through the Semester at CMAST program. Participating in that program over multiple summers reinforced how much learning happens outside the classroom. It was rewarding to see students engage directly with research, build practical skills and take increasing ownership of their projects. Watching them move beyond coursework to hands‑on, applied learning was a meaningful part of that experience.
What advice do you have for students?
Two things come to mind. First, I would encourage students to take risks and put themselves out there. You never know what will resonate or who you’ll meet along the way. For example, I met my current supervisor at a scientific conference where I was presenting during graduate school. I wasn’t attending that conference to look for a job, and I didn’t know at the time that he was building a team. The connection happened organically, and it was a good reminder that opportunities often emerge in unexpected ways.
Related to that, I strongly encourage students to seek out mentors in fields they’re interested in, particularly people who can offer perspective on different career paths and what those roles actually look like day to day.
For me, that mentor was Emmett Duffy, who at the time was at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, where I worked in his lab as an undergraduate student. He was a valuable sounding board as I navigated decisions about what to do after graduate school — whether that meant pursuing a Ph.D., applying for fellowships or exploring a career path like the one I ultimately followed at Pew. He helped me understand the qualifications and expectations associated with different options, as well as what the day‑to‑day work in those roles actually looks like. Having that perspective, alongside guidance from Dave, helped me make more informed decisions.
More broadly, one lesson I’ve learned since graduate school is that impact doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from knowing how to apply ideas in new situations, critically evaluate evidence and translate interesting questions or findings into something that can be acted on. While scientific and technical skills are essential, there are also other skills that become increasingly important — communication, collaboration, facilitation and the ability to connect people across disciplines. Those skills can be easy to overlook when you’re focused on coursework or fieldwork, but they are an important complement to technical training.
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Katelyn Theuerkauf contributed to this post.