What do you consider your hometown, and where did you earn your undergraduate degree? What was it in?
I grew up in Morgan Hill, California. I wasn't entirely sure what college would look like for me, so I started by taking courses at two local community colleges in the Bay Area before transferring to Iowa State University where I finished my BS in biology and environmental science and then went on to pursue a MS in environmental science.
What graduate program are you currently in, and what excites you most about it?
I'm currently in the ecology, evolution, environment, and society program at Dartmouth. I was drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of the program and the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines. Being a part of the Cottingham & Trout-Haney CoLaboratory has truly been a highlight of my time in this program. An equally exciting highlight are the weekly EEES lunches (EEESLs), a lunchtime seminar series during which EEES students present about their research work. I've seen so many wonderful presentations over the years and I am constantly blown out of the water by the cool and impactful research my colleagues undertake!
What is your area of research? What inspired you to pursue this research?
I broadly consider myself a limnologist, or someone who studies inland waters. Currently my research examines how anthropogenic impacts alter dynamics of terrestrial loading into lake surface waters, and effects of salinization from road salt runoff on freshwater phytoplankton.
I was initially drawn to my current research for the aspect of being able to test user-friendly, low-cost methods for understanding water quality parameters. I am driven by the conviction that everyone should have access to safe, clean drinking and recreational waters, and I hope that the work I do can contribute to both informing safe practices as well as creating opportunities to involve others regardless of academic and economic background.
Your poster was recognized with an award at the Guarini Graduate Student Poster Session–what does this achievement mean to you?
This award feels bittersweet as the grant that funded this research is soon coming to a close. I am proud to acknowledge that this achievement is not mine alone. The work I presented at the Guarini Graduate Student Poster Session was a culmination of multiple years of collaboration with Alberto-Quatrini Li's Reality and Robotics Lab.
I can remember my first day field sampling alongside students from his lab (who are coauthors on the poster), all of them now graduated or close to finishing and moving on to their next endeavors. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them on this work and to continue carrying on the research in new directions.
Which resources, career support programs, or professional development opportunities at Dartmouth have been most valuable to you, and how have they impacted your experience?
This is a tough question because there have been so many wonderful resources at Dartmouth for graduate students that I have been able to utilize. Among those, travel awards for attending conferences from Guarini, funding from the Nuekom Institute to pursue collaborative research using virtual reality, a wilderness first response course offered free of charge, Dartmouth libraries and the wonderful librarians, and the CIMER mentoring training program have all been impactful in helping shape me as a scientist and move forward in my career.
What advice would you give to other graduate students about making the most of the resources available through Guarini?
Attend events and network! Don't be afraid to reach out to others (students, staff, faculty etc) for information on resources or programs that are available and may be helpful to your career.
