Environmental Science MS
ENSCI Students Attend Summer Conferences
Over the summer, Environmental Science M.S. (ENSCI) thesis students from the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab engaged in sharing their research at national and international conferences.
Rebecca Roberts and Matthew McGee attended the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists in late June in Tucson, Arizona. The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) was established in 1919 for the purpose of promoting interest in the study of mammals. Both Rebecca's and Matthew's thesis research focuses on studying mammals throughout Salinas Valley.
Joshua Beasley recently attended the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Montréal, Québec, Canada. The Ecological Society of America advances the science and practice of ecology and supports ecologists throughout their careers. Joshua presented research findings based on data collected by undergraduate students via Squirrel-Net course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs).
We recently touched base with Rebecca, Matthew, and Joshua to learn more about how their conference participation helped shape their future career aspirations. Check out their reflections below!
Matthew McGee
"The conference was like a thunderbolt of motivation. I had a blast exchanging research stories with all the folks I met and I have so many more ideas for research I want to do in the future. It also helped me refocus on my thesis, as I'm starting the occupancy modeling phase of my analysis and I'm able to conceptualize it much better after attending talks from other scientists who used OM in their studies. I also had lunch with a mammalogist--Dr. Aletris Neils of Conservation Catalyst--and she gave us some excellent career/life advice that I'm already trying to implement."
Rebecca Roberts
"It was a great experience and I’m glad that I got the opportunity to attend. It opened my eyes to the fascinating research that mammalogists are conducting all over the world. I enjoyed meeting so many unique individuals, all coming together to achieve a common goal. I also really enjoyed learning about the methodologies and study designs behind the many studies presented at the conference. I appreciated how it made me think about ways to strengthen my own research."
Joshua Beasley
"The conference was an excellent learning and networking opportunity for me. I heard about a lot of interesting new research and I met several professors, professionals, and graduate students that I have continued to talk to since returning from the conference. It was also my first time traveling alone abroad, which was great fun and personal growth!"
Dr. Jennifer Duggan, Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab, strongly encourages her students to attend conferences and share their research. While reflecting on this past summer's conferences, she states
"It's really exciting to have students in the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology lab experiencing their first presentations at national conferences. In addition to providing an outlet for the dissemination of our research, conferences provide great opportunities for networking and locating potential jobs and PhD programs."
Congratulations Rebecca, Matthew, and Joshua!