Kaitlin Rommelfanger

2024 Short-Term Workforce Fellow

Following her initial 8-week fellowship, Kaitlin transitioned into a long-term Securing STEM Islands Pathways Fellowship in the Grimes Lab. In this role, she contributed to a wide range of projects, including the Territorial Mangrove Monitoring Program, ongoing data analysis for lab experiments, and the co-authoring of place-based mangrove curriculum materials for the Mangroves in the Classroom program. She also mentored undergraduate and graduate students through data analysis and poster preparation for presentations at the Coastal Estuarine Research Federation Conference and the National Marine Educators Association Conference. In addition, she conducted fish surveys for NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program and helped coordinate the Great Mangrove Cleanup, a large-scale community engagement effort.

Through these experiences, Kaitlin combined her passion for field ecology with skills in data analysis, education, and outreach—further shaping her career path in marine and environmental science. Following her fellowship, she has transitioned to a position with the Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project, Antigua as a nesting technician.