Claire Eilers, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Georgia’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and based at the UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO), has been named a Presidential Graduate Fellow. The honor is the University’s most prestigious fellowship award for incoming doctoral students.

Working under the guidance of SkIO faculty member Nick Foukal, Eilers’ research interests are in physical oceanography. She is particularly interested in the dynamics of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of ocean currents that helps regulate Earth’s climate by transporting warm water north and cold water south. 

Originally from Chicago, Eilers received her Bachelor of Arts in geoscience at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where she worked as a research assistant on research projects that range from studying beach geomorphology in Western Ireland to examining sedimentary methane flux in the Bering Sea.

The Presidential Graduate Fellowship Award provides recipients with four years of annual stipend and travel support, in addition to departmental assistantships and tuition waivers. Eilers is one of 17 first-year doctoral students at the University to be named a Presidential Graduate Fellow. In total, UGA has 78 Presidential Graduate Fellows currently on tenure. 

Below is a Q&A with Claire Eilers.

SkIO: What are you researching at SkIO, and who are you working with?

Claire Eilers (CE): I am working with Dr. Nick Foukal, so my research is focused in physical oceanography. Specifically, I plan to pursue work related to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which is a major branch of global ocean circulation. We just returned from a research cruise where we installed a mooring array along a stretch of the eastern Greenland shelf that will give us a year’s worth of valuable data about the water flowing southward towards the North Atlantic. We are particularly interested in the freshwater transport in this part of the world because a higher flux of freshwater to the North Atlantic has the potential to alter the circulation patterns of AMOC.

SkIO: What inspired your love of oceanography and, more specifically, your track of study?

CE: Even though I grew up in the heart of the city, I have always been curious about the natural world. Frequent visits to Chicago’s aquarium, where I had the opportunity to work during my junior year of high school, inspired a fascination with and appreciation for the ocean, as did many rewatchings of David Attenborough documentaries. 

SkIO: Why did you choose UGA/SkIO?

CE: I decided to come to UGA/SkIO for many reasons. While physical oceanography is not at the forefront of most work done in UGA’s marine sciences department, it was clear that there were still many avenues to pursue my interests. Dr. Foukal’s current project focused on freshwater transport in the Eastern Greenland Coastal Current will provide an incredibly valuable observational dataset that I’m excited to work with, and I am sure that Dr. Foukal will be a wonderful mentor throughout my studies here. 

The broader SkIO and marine science community also played a role in my decision. The kindness and approachability of all of the faculty and staff has made all the difference when starting at a new institution, and I have so appreciated how welcoming everybody has been. I also had never spent time in the South, so getting to experience a completely new part of the country and coastline really appealed to me. 

SkIO: What are you excited about or most looking forward to during your graduate program?

CE: I am most looking forward to developing as a scientist and researcher with the guidance of my advisor, committee and fellow students. I am also looking forward to making new connections as I interact with new places and people throughout my studies.

SkIO: You’ve just started graduate school, but where do you see yourself in 10 or so years? 

CE: In 10 years, I hope I’ve found myself in a job that allows me to pursue both my research interests and science outreach and communication. There are so many unknowns on the future of our climate and oceans, so I hope to be a part of the scientific community that unravels those mysteries with the goal of securing a better future for our planet. 

SkIO: What do you do for fun, outside of your work/studies?

CE: Outside of school and work, I like to spend time outside, bake, read and do jigsaw puzzles. 

For a full list of 2025 UGA Presidential Graduate Fellows, visit this link. 

About SkIO

The UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) is a multidisciplinary research and education institution located on Skidaway Island near Savannah, Georgia. The Institute was founded in 1967 with a mission to conduct research in all fields of oceanography. In 2013, SkIO was merged with the University of Georgia. The campus serves as a gateway to coastal and marine environments for programs throughout the University System. The Institute’s primary goals are to further the understanding of marine and environmental processes, conduct leading-edge research on coastal and marine systems, and train tomorrow’s scientists.