One faculty member at UW Environment was awarded an early-career fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The new Sloan Fellow, announced Feb. 16, is Jodi Young, an assistant professor in the School of Oceanography.

Open to scholars in eight scientific and technical fields — chemistry, computer science, economics, mathematics, molecular biology, neuroscience, ocean sciences, and physics — the fellowships honor those early-career researchers whose achievements mark them among the next generation of scientific leaders.

The 128 Sloan Fellows for 2021 were selected in coordination with the research community. Candidates are nominated by their peers, and fellows are selected by independent panels of senior scholars based on each candidate’s research accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become a leader in their field. Each fellow will receive $75,000 to apply toward research endeavors.

Young is an assistant professor in the School of Oceanography. She studies microbial oceanography, with a focus on the role of marine algae in the carbon cycle. In particular, her research explores polar ecosystems and other extreme environments, and the biochemistry of photosynthesis. Her research combines field work, algal culture manipulations, and biochemical and molecular analyses to uncover the evolution and adaptations of biological carbon fixation in the oceans.

“Half of all photosynthesis happens in the oceans, across an amazingly diverse collection of organisms,” Young said. “My group’s research focuses on understanding the underlying physiological and molecular adaptations of marine photosynthesis. Understanding how marine algae have and will adapt to a changing climate reveals insights into how life on Earth evolved and will respond in the future.”