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Research
Interests:
I have always had a fascination with nature and science, and
as cliché as this must sound, as a child I was enraptured
by Jacques Cousteau and his underwater adventures. I also read just
about every book written by Gerald Durrell, a British naturalist,
and hoped to be a naturalist someday. As a child I spent countless
hours watching ants that I kept in a large bottle - my version of
an ant farm. I found their behavior fascinating, and was amazed
that such simple creatures could collectively act in such a complex
manner. I also spent countless hours reading as much as possible
about ants, other insects, coral reefs, and other ecosystems and
their associated flora and fauna. However, pragmatism overshadowed
childhood dreams, and in college I majored in business in order
to land a good job soon after graduation. This was to help my parents
financially, as we had just immigrated to the country a few years
earlier, and our finances were limited. I did not consider any additional
schooling at that time. However, after four years of exposure to
the corporate world, and after my parents were financially stable,
I had the opportunity to re-evaluate my choices, and life goals.
I attended the College of William and Mary (in Virginia) on an academic
scholarship, and graduated in 1998, with a B.B.A in accounting.
I then worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting LLP, one of
the then 'big-five' professional services firms, for three and a
half years as an information technology consultant. In the course
of my work I had the opportunity to travel and work in cities all
along the east coast of North America, from a project in Toronto,
Canada, to two projects in Miami, Florida. I also had the opportunity
to make a business trip to London, England. My duties included interviewing
personnel of client firms, gathering and analyzing their business
requirements, designing a software solution, and then writing code/programming
to implement the solution. I was a victim of 'downsizing' in February
2002, and took the opportunity to re-evaluate my (albeit short)
career, and my future goals. The occurrence of September the 11th,
where my company lost 5 souls in the planes, and 5 souls from my
W&M graduating class were in the buildings - and I could easily
have been one of those poor souls - really made me reconsider my
life and ponder the meaning of life.
After spending months soul-searching and contemplating the meaning
of life (I have no answers, but the experience was enlightening),
I spent some time exploring careers in dentistry and prosthetics,
and finally decided to pursue a career in coral reef ecology. I
changed careers not for financial reasons, but because I feel that
working in science, and specifically the field of marine biology,
will give me the opportunity to make a positive contribution to
society, and result in personal satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment
- something I had not really received from the corporate world.
I enjoy the opportunity to learn about different organisms, their
behaviors, and their interactions. I have always enjoyed asking
questions, finding answers, and solving problems. I gained substantial
experience in problem-solving, improvisation, innovation, and 'soft'
skills during my consulting career that I hope will serve me well
in my future career in science.
I spent 6 months volunteering in Dr. Mary Hagedorn's lab at the
Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C., assisting her in
conducting research on the cryopreservation of zebrafish embryos.
As a result of that experience, I had the opportunity to travel
to Hawaii and assist with her coral research at the Hawaii Institute
of Marine Biology (HIMB) for two summers. I also had the opportunity
to assist Dr. John Stimson with his project involving the use of
sea urchins for the bio-control of macroalgae that have invaded
Kaneohe Bay. During snorkeling trips, I gained a good understanding
of the structure of patch reefs, the differences in the flora and
fauna between different sections and microhabitats of the same patch
reef, and between different patch reefs within the bay. I enjoy
being in the water and observing the myriad flora and fauna of the
patch reefs within the bay, and these experiences have only reinforced
my desire to become a field biologist, and pursue research in coral
reef ecology. I have yet to decide on a specific project for my
thesis, and am currently exploring different options and gaining
as much knowledge as possible.
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