Meet the Winners:

What drew you to your current research field?

I have always been a question asker, and I think that is the very core of science. You have to have an innate curiosity to find out how the world works. My parents had the approach of “try a bunch of things, and maybe one thing will click”. My first experiences with the marine sciences, which happened to be marine mammal physiology and adaptation, was what finally clicked with me. Once I had the opportunity to experience research in action, I knew I had found a career that satisfied my curiosity while also contributing to the betterment of our planet. The more I learned about invertebrates, the more I realized how much cooler, weirder, and incredible they are than vertebrates (sorry marine mammals). Octopuses are the pinnacles of invertebrate weirdness and studying them and their role in California’s ecosystems have led to all the opportunities and research projects I have been a part of.

Who most inspired and/or influenced your career?

I was inspired by two amazing women who went out of their way to support me and guide me as a young student. My high school biology teacher, Sabrina Sjoberg was the first person to show me how amazing science is, that it isn’t just memorizing things out of textbook. Science is all about asking questions and testing boundaries. Ms. Sjoberg sought out opportunities for me to participate in and grow and worked with me to identify college programs that would meet my career goals. It sometimes takes only one person to see that spark in you and help you cultivate it, and Ms. Sjoberg was that person for me.

Dr. Shawn Noren was the first professional marine scientist I met. She was an instructor at the California Summer School for Mathematics and Science, and I later job-shadowed her as part of my high school senior project. She showed me the nitty-gritty of research and what a career in marine biology could look like. It isn’t all glamorous. It is hard work, often frustrating, always challenging, but immensely satisfying. She became my role model, and I only hope that I have been able to do the same for the young women in science that I have had the honor to teach and interacted with.

What one thing would you like the public to remember or understand about your research?

Humans can impact the environment in so many more ways than just taking animals out of it. Just like our communities and relationships are complicated, so are animals’. If you knew that there was a t-rex by your house that could eat you if you stepped outside but only in the daytime, you would probably change your behavior. Maybe you would only leave your house at night or invent some elaborate invisibility cloak to hide yourself. If that t-rex disappeared, how long would it take you trust that it was gone and venture outside during the day? Would it change the type of food you ate or the people you interacted with? This is the kind of situation octopuses are in in Southern California. The predators and prey in their environments are disappearing, changing, or returning, and I want to see how they use their incredible problem-solving abilities to respond to these changes.

If you had one piece of advice for someone who wants to pursue research in your field, what would it be?

Be creative and persistent! In this field, you will get a lot of rejection. You will encounter a lot of road blocks. You have to be willing pick yourself up and keep trying. Look for creative ways to utilize skills you have gained in other parts of your life and apply it to challenges in marine research. Sometimes, you also have to be a little stubborn.