Environmental Science MS
ENSCI Student Presents Rattlesnake Research at Wildlife Society Conference
Katherine "Kat" Molinari, a current graduate student in the Environmental Science Master's program, recently attended the Western Section of the Wildlife Society's yearly conference in Visalia, California from February 3-5, 2025. She had the opportunity to present her research and network with fellow scientists!
We recently reached out to Kat to learn more about her research and experience as a CSUMB graduate student. Check out her interview below!
Did you present research? If so, what was your research about?
Yes! I presented my research on quantifying the antipredator behavior of the Northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) at the Western Section of the Wildlife Society's yearly conference. My research aims to better understand how antipredator behavior may change depending upon human exposure and other variables such as age and temperature using flight initiation distances (FID) and alert distances (AD) as our metric.
How did you discover this opportunity?
Dr. Jennifer Duggan approached me about attending the conference and asked if I wanted to present a poster on my research so far- I gladly accepted!
What was your favorite part of attending the conference?
One of my favorite parts was being surrounded by 900 + scientists. The immense comfort and hopefulness I felt amidst the chaos caused by the current administration was something I didn't realize I needed. Knowing there were so many other people like me dedicated to protecting and understanding wildlife gave me the push I needed to come back hopeful when things feel bleak. I also got to talk to SO many herp people- if you know me you know how magical that was! I got to brainstorm and problem-solve with other snake people, and I can't wait to incorporate some of the suggestions they gave me!
What did you gain from this experience, and does this experience contribute to your career goals?
I gained SO much confidence from this experience! Talking about my research to experts in the field and hearing what they had to say helped break the imposter syndrome that so many of us feel. I also got to network with so many agencies and biologists and see what was out there as far as careers involving herps.
What are your future plans (career, academic, etc.)?
Post grad I plan to continue working at my current job at the Marine Pollution Studies Lab at Granite Canyon while looking for something more within my realm. My ideal circumstance would be to continue field research anyway I can- whether that's through a university position or state agency.
Any advice for fellow students interested in conferences/research?
Go for it, even if it's scary! Being a grad student or early career it may feel like everyone is so much smarter/better/whatever other adjective you want to use but the reality of it is everyone is there for the same reason- to learn from each other and be amongst community! Networking with other biologists was so valuable and the talks I attended were incredibly applicable to my research. I'm so glad I went!
What is your favorite part of being a graduate student at CSUMB?
I have a lot of favorite parts but access to places like the UC Fort Ord Natural Reserve and BLM land for research is definitely my #1. I didn't realize how fortunate I was to have my field site just down the road!
Congratulations on this incredible opportunity, Kat!