Scientific Philosophy
"How can I help you succeed?"
This is the question that I end every meeting with, regardless of with whom I am speaking. My philosophy in science is centered around the idea of service - service to students, to mentees, and to colleagues. The roles that any individual scientist must play during the course of a project has increased, from providing skilled expertise, to being a mentor, and even a successful scientific communicator to a general public. Thus we are tasked with balancing a variety of tasks for many groups of people simultaneously. This has produced more collaborative science across the board, but such growth can become individually burdensome and come at the cost of a supportive scientific community.
I believe it is imperative to reinforce the structures and network that support collaborative science. I do this by prioritizing people's needs as participants in the process of doing science. Emphasizing community helps individuals understand that their presence on a project makes a significant contribution as a whole. I believe that increased participation generates increased buy-in on project goals, and ultimately, more productive science.
I believe it is imperative to reinforce the structures and network that support collaborative science. I do this by prioritizing people's needs as participants in the process of doing science. Emphasizing community helps individuals understand that their presence on a project makes a significant contribution as a whole. I believe that increased participation generates increased buy-in on project goals, and ultimately, more productive science.
Service
I am committed to building a more supportive scientific community. Navigating the path of a career scientist can be daunting for anyone, especially those who come from underserved backgrounds and have never experienced the prescribed paths of academia. As such, I have tried to serve on and create a number of opportunities dedicated to making scientific careers more accessible and transparent.
Most prominently, I co-founded and served as a chief organizer for the student-run seminar series OUTReach (outreachucsb.weebly.com). Our goal was to generate visibility for LGBTQIA* peoples in the life and earth sciences by creating a platform to present research and personal stories. We recruited diverse speakers from all levels of academia to talk to undergraduates in the hopes of demonstrating that being LGBT and a scientist is possible, and that not everyone's path in science looks the same. In concordance with this program, I served on undergraduate-serving LGBT career panels as well.
Within my own department, I have been on a number of graduate student panels aimed at helping students write research proposals. I also co-organized the graduate student symposium for two years, which centers on highlighting graduate level research and coincides with student recruitment activities. Lastly, I ran an eight week long Professional Development & Peer Review workshop for senior graduate students and post docs where we focused on developing materials for the academic job hunt. All of these efforts were specifically aimed at generating a community to help others succeed as scientists.
Ultimately, I believe that by reaching out in diverse ways and to diverse communities, we can strengthen our own science and better enable others to value scientific discovery.
Most prominently, I co-founded and served as a chief organizer for the student-run seminar series OUTReach (outreachucsb.weebly.com). Our goal was to generate visibility for LGBTQIA* peoples in the life and earth sciences by creating a platform to present research and personal stories. We recruited diverse speakers from all levels of academia to talk to undergraduates in the hopes of demonstrating that being LGBT and a scientist is possible, and that not everyone's path in science looks the same. In concordance with this program, I served on undergraduate-serving LGBT career panels as well.
Within my own department, I have been on a number of graduate student panels aimed at helping students write research proposals. I also co-organized the graduate student symposium for two years, which centers on highlighting graduate level research and coincides with student recruitment activities. Lastly, I ran an eight week long Professional Development & Peer Review workshop for senior graduate students and post docs where we focused on developing materials for the academic job hunt. All of these efforts were specifically aimed at generating a community to help others succeed as scientists.
Ultimately, I believe that by reaching out in diverse ways and to diverse communities, we can strengthen our own science and better enable others to value scientific discovery.
Teaching & Mentorship
Attitudes of service extend to my teaching philosophy as well. I have been a teaching assistant on a variety of upper division ecology and evolutionary biology courses, most of which are based around laboratory sections, including: "Introduction to Ecology and Behavior", "Ethology / Behavioral Ecology", "Invertebrate Biology", and "Ecological Responses to Environmental Variables". In teaching, I have found that students are most responsive when they know they are valued as individuals. As such, I make it clear that I am available via email at all times, and in office hours generally. If students need alternative times to best suit their demanding schedules, I am more than happy to accommodate their needs.
I also strive to be a mentor for students, incorporating them into my own research projects. Direct mentorship is the best way to increase scientific productivity and literacy. Participating in other programs at UCSB dedicated to increasing research involvement, I have been a mentor in the Research Mentorship Program (RMP) aimed at placing high school students under the tutelage of graduate students; I have also been a mentor in the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) to pair international students with California-based projects. Besides these specific programs, I have worked with a number of undergraduates in the lab, and I have co-authored one paper with an undergraduate field assistant.
I also strive to be a mentor for students, incorporating them into my own research projects. Direct mentorship is the best way to increase scientific productivity and literacy. Participating in other programs at UCSB dedicated to increasing research involvement, I have been a mentor in the Research Mentorship Program (RMP) aimed at placing high school students under the tutelage of graduate students; I have also been a mentor in the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) to pair international students with California-based projects. Besides these specific programs, I have worked with a number of undergraduates in the lab, and I have co-authored one paper with an undergraduate field assistant.
Communication
Much of my work outside the lab has focused on increasing scientific literacy and outreach to broader audiences than those within a university. I believe that simple exposure at an early age to the diversity of life can help engender a sense of wonderment, propelling kids to at least appreciate scientific and biological curiosity, if not pursue it. In line with this perspective, for two years I was a volunteer docent with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History at their marine-focused Sea Center. There, I met with visitors of all ages to facilitate their hands-on learning with various intertidal organisms. For some, it was their first contact with ocean life.
Expanding my outreach, I have also volunteered in middle schools for a variety of events. I have been a science fair project consultant, going into the classroom and helping students with their experimental designs. I worked with the UCSB SciTrek Program, introducing observational science skills to 3rd graders through hands-on modules. And I have been to elementary school career days to tell kids what life is like as a scientist. In all these endeavors, I strive to present science in an approachable and fun way that helps kids see the value in a biologically diverse world.
Lastly, I have begun to use non-technical writing to enhance my science communication. I participated in the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology science journalism internship to prepare a piece of popular press. This experience was invaluable in helping me see how to make science more approachable, both for my own work as well as others.
Expanding my outreach, I have also volunteered in middle schools for a variety of events. I have been a science fair project consultant, going into the classroom and helping students with their experimental designs. I worked with the UCSB SciTrek Program, introducing observational science skills to 3rd graders through hands-on modules. And I have been to elementary school career days to tell kids what life is like as a scientist. In all these endeavors, I strive to present science in an approachable and fun way that helps kids see the value in a biologically diverse world.
Lastly, I have begun to use non-technical writing to enhance my science communication. I participated in the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology science journalism internship to prepare a piece of popular press. This experience was invaluable in helping me see how to make science more approachable, both for my own work as well as others.
Banner: Flasks growing transgenic yeast cultures to express recombinant proteins. Not only is this system more tractable in the lab, it makes for wonderful hands-on learning opportunities for a variety of students. In the past, I've used these cultures to teach students about microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry.