Why FSU?

My major professor, Dr. Daniel Okamoto in the FSU Department of Biological Science, is a gem. He is the rare combination of world-class scientist and wonderful human being that I aspire to be. The Department of Biological Science has cultivated a group of faculty and graduate students with similar qualities. During my interview, I had the unique experience of participating in EERDG, the Ecology and Evolution Reading and Discussion Group. Importantly, I saw that EERDG is both a forum for science and a safe space for graduate students to build community and foster wellness. Never had I encountered such a collaborative and supportive culture among brilliant, motivated people. Finally, on a practical note, the cost of living in Tallahassee relative to Southern California, where I’m from, made the whole endeavor financially tenable.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

After my undergraduate studies, I spent nearly a decade working in marine science and loved nearly every minute of it. However, I reached a ceiling career-wise and wanted more intellectual agency to investigate questions I found interesting. I have always wanted to be a scientist, and crafting a career as a scientist is much more straightforward after going through the process of graduate school. On a personal note, I have learned that life is painfully short and fragile. I realized that if I did not commit to my dream, it would not happen on its own and the door to opportunity could close unexpectedly and suddenly.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

Marine ecosystems face overlapping threats from climate change, overharvesting, pollution, and other stressors. To steward these valuable natural resources, we need ecosystem-based management that integrates complex processes across multiple scales. My research builds upon our understanding of the basic processes by which resource limitation and abiotic drivers impact the physiological ecology of kelp forests and coral reefs. I aim to integrate these basic insights into better process-based models to generate expectations for novel conditions that can guide an ecosystem-based management perspective.

Career aspirations

I aspire to obtain a tenure-track faculty position at a research institution. In this role I hope to advance my field through cutting-edge field, laboratory, theoretical and computational methods as well as collaboration with researchers spanning multiple disciplines. Another crucial component of my vision is to integrate the perspectives of a diverse range of non-academics. Moreover, I will aim to improve access to and quality of STEM education, emphasizing science as a method of truth-seeking best applied to complex problems in combination with traditional knowledge of indigenous communities and economic stakeholders. Finally, I intend to weave together these multiple threads of knowledge to provide managers with insight to better steward our natural marine resources.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

First, don’t rush into it! Carefully consider your reasons for committing. Practical: is there a particular type of job you seek? Can you afford it? Philosophical/personal: are you passionate about your subject and do you feel compelled to push yourself to the next level in that space? Second, the graduate mentor/mentee relationship is intimate. Choose your mentors wisely. Interview their students/collaborators/colleagues if you can to get the inside scoop. Finally, life does not begin after grad school; life is right now, so be mindful of the present.

Accomplishments during graduate career

This is the list of the different awards and fellowship I received:

• Moss Landing Marine Laboratory Post-Doctoral Researcher Position
• Smithsonian Institute Anthony Coates Post-Doctoral Fellowship – Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama *declined
• Ben and Karen Thrower Award
• FSU Coastal & Marine Laboratory Matt Beard Award
• Horace Loftin Endowment for Research in Neotropical Environments
• Smithsonian Institute Pre-Doctoral Fellowship – Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama
• Mote Research Assistantship from the William R. and Lenore Mote Eminent Scholar in Marine Biology Endowment at FSU
• Phycological Society of America Grant-in-Aid of Research
• Lamarr and Edith Trott Endowed Scholarship
• Professional Association of Diving Foundation Research Grant
• Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences Zale Parry Scholarship
• FSU PhD Fellowship in Kelp Forest Ecology and Abalone Population Dynamics.

On top of that, we welcomed our daughter to the world during the pandemic, and I made wonderful memories with my son, daughter, and wife despite the challenges!