‘08 Grad Receives Prestigious Marine Policy Fellowship

Nick Battista ‘08 is the recipient of a marine policy fellowship in Washington, D.C. for 2008-2009.  Battista is one of a select number of National Sea Grant College Program Knauss Fellows and will receive his placement later this year.  Battista was nominated by the Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program at the University of Rhode Island (U.R.I.).  Battista is the third Knauss fellow from Roger Williams University School of Law, joining Elizabeth Etrie ‘06 and Jennifer Mehaffey ’07.

Nick has a diverse background in marine law and policy.  He was a member of our Honors Program, earning his J.D. from RWU Law while also studying for his Masters of Marine Affairs from U.R.I.  During law school, Battista was president of the Environmental Law Society.  He also was a member of RWU Law ACLU, the Alliance, and Maritime Law Society.

The Knauss Fellowship was established in 1979 in honor of John Knauss, the founding dean of the U.R.I. Graduate School of Oceanography.  The program provides a unique educational experience to graduate-level students with an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.  The program matches highly qualified students with hosts in the legislative or executive branches, or appropriate associations/institutions located in the Washington, D.C. area.