The Thatcher Prize for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Study

Grace D. Molino Ph.D. ’25 - 2025 Award Recipient

The Thatcher Prize was created in honor of the 21st Chancellor of William & Mary, Margaret, The Lady Thatcher. The award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding student in graduate or professional study. The winner is selected on the basis of scholarship, leadership, character and service. The recipient of the 2025 Thatcher Prize is Grace D. Molino.

At the W&M Batten School & VIMS, Dr. Molino studied how rising sea levels convert coastal forests to salt marshes in the Chesapeake Bay. She completed coursework at the William & Mary Law School and published seven first-author journal articles.

As a Hollings Scholar with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dr. Molino partnered with northeastern communities impacted by climate change and sea level rise. As a Fulbright Scholar, she worked with the Building with Nature Initiative at Delft University in the Netherlands to improve dike safety standards. A Dean’s Fellowship recipient, Dr. Molino is known as a rising star in coastal and marine sciences.

One nominator wrote that Dr. Molino “is a rare student that combines machine learning and satellite imagery with muck boots and sediment cores.” Her research connects geology, ecology, marine science and environmental policy. She engages a wide array of audiences, including residents of Tangier Island, farmers on the Eastern Shore and scientists in the American Geophysical Union. Members of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission asked her to brief them on her marsh migration research.

Dr. Molino’s dissertation identified 300,000 – 500,000 acres of land in the Chesapeake region that will convert to marsh in the next century and found that agricultural land converts faster than forestland. Drawing on her unique background in law and policy, she explored how state-level policies influence hard decisions about whether to abandon or defend property in the face of sea-level rise.

Dr. Molino was the first student to co-teach Coastal Habitats of North Wales, a William & Mary study abroad field course. She has advanced belonging at the Batten School/VIMS, mentored students conducting undergraduate research and engaged with the VIMS Graduate Student Association. She also served as the President of the VIMS Chapter of Women in Marine Science.