Grace Leuchtenberger, UW Biology graduate student, was named a recipient of the 2026 Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA) by The Ecological Society of America. Grace is one of 20 students awarded the GSPA award this year. Students in the 2026 cohort are engaged in advocacy with an interest in science policy. Awardees will travel to Washington, D.C., for policy, communication and career training followed by meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Grace is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington in the Department of Biology and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Using a combination of predictive modeling, water quality measurements and field experiments, she researches how oyster reefs can influence natural environmental variability. Her research allows her to work across boundaries, engaging with oyster growers, restorers, nonprofits and managers to work toward actionable science that supports coastal ecosystems. When not in the intertidal, Leuchtenberger runs a mental health awareness initiative for marine scientists, through which she created mental health resource workshops for undergraduate and graduate students. Her experiences as a marine scientist and mental health advocate have shown her how government support can facilitate coastal and human resilience, which has fueled her interest in a science policy career. Leuchtenberger earned a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College.

Congratulations, Grace!