RENSE HEATH KELSEY RECEIVES THE 2005 WALTER B. JONES MEMORIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN COASTAL AND MARINE GRADUATE STUDY

Rense Heath Kelsey has won the 2005 Walter B. Jones Memorial Award for Excellence in Coastal and Marine Graduate Study. Administered by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the award recognizes graduate students whose academic study promises to contribute materially to the development of new or improved approaches to coastal or ocean management. A ceremony to honor Kelsey and the other winners will take place on March 9, 2005 in Washington, D.C. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Kelsey is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, where he also earned his masters. Kelsey's research interests include coastal zone management, environmental policy, bacterial pollution, environmental modeling and international development. Mr. Kelsey served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Papua New Guinea from 1995 to 1998.

“From coast to coast, remarkable people are making a difference. These awards honor the coastal and ocean stewards who dedicate countless hours and energy to conserving coastal resources and improving coastal communities,” said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

Under the Coastal Zone Management Act, every two years NOAA honors the achievements and accomplishments of those who make noteworthy contributions in the management of the nation’s coast.

The awards were created to honor the late North Carolina Congressman Walter B. Jones. As chairman of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, Congressman Jones was a strong supporter of the National Marine Fisheries Service and Coastal Zone Management. He provided leadership on numerous legislative initiatives addressing coastal and ocean issues ranging from commercial shipping to oil spill clean-up and prevention to flood insurance reform.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and to providing environmental stewardship of our Nation’s coastal and marine resources.

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