Community

My values: My metrics of success in science do not only include publications and funding, they further include:

1) Increasing public understanding of and interaction with science and nature

2) Heightening the impact of novel research on management of the environment

3) Building a welcoming field to support and encourage future scientists

4) Increasing the diversity of voices and lived experiences in STEM

Increasing the diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM is a central part of my work as a scientist. Specifically, I want to use my power and privilege to increase the diversity of the Marine Biology field, which, despite slow advances in the inclusion of (white) women, still is overwhelmingly white. In 2014, only 1.8% of PhDs awarded in ecological and evolutionary biology were to Black students. Having a diverse field of scientists will allow STEM researchers to identify more environmental hazards, better develop comprehensive views of ecological processes, and make connections with the public and policymakers.

In addition to valuing the equitable inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM, I also value other types of knowledge, like Traditional Ecological Knowledge, as critical and complementary to western science. I value the work and input of Indigenous peoples, local communities, and those participating in ocean economies as fundamental to our understanding of ecology and to the development of sustainable environmental management.

My actions: I work to make STEM a more diverse field, I use my experience to help others follow my footsteps, and I strive to create a race-conscious, LGBTQ+ accepting, and otherwise welcoming environment in any lab I join or lead. I build local or Indigenous collaborations at my field sites, credit and facilitate authorship for all collaborators, and provide fair and equitable evaluations of any applications I read. I offer transparency in any way I can so that I may grow and others may learn from my successes and failures.

If you are applying to a program that I have been a part of (see my CV), I am happy to talk about the culture there – what the program is like, how to format your application, etc. If you are applying for a scholarship (below) and would like someone to review, edit, or make suggestions on your application, I am happy to talk about that as well. I have some experience with reaching out to potential advisors, the 'unwritten rules' of applying to graduate school, and the many ways to secure funding, and I am always willing to answer questions on the process.