As a 2024 Knauss Executive Fellow, Becca Lensing will serve as special assistant to the deputy assistant director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Ecological Services Program in Falls Church, VA. During her fellowship year, she will contribute to the development and implementation of national conservation policies, assist leadership teams in addressing pressing ecological challenges, and engage with cross-programmatic projects that advance species and habitat conservation. Becca is excited to gain firsthand experience in how conservation initiatives are shaped at the federal level, build leadership skills, and expand her understanding of the intersection between science and policy.

Becca received her Bachelor of Arts degree in biology and biochemistry & molecular biology in just three years at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA. She moved to Hawaiʻi in 2016 to pursue her Ph.D. in marine biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her dissertation work in the Microbial Ecology and Evolution (ME*E) lab investigated microbial responses and resilience to disturbances (e.g., storms, nutrient loading, biocultural restoration, etc.) within estuarine systems in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa. Becca has also actively engaged in community outreach, teaching students in marine science, and participating in workshops and public engagement initiatives. She is passionate about bridging the gap between science and decision-making and looks forward to using the skills and connections gained during her Knauss Fellowship to promote actionable conservation outcomes at the national scale.