12 Questions: Becky Blanchard

1. Where were you before beginning Knauss, and what were you doing there? 

Before the Knauss, I was at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where I’m finishing my PhD in anthropology.  In the fall, I got to teach one of our department’s main undergraduate classes, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.  I had 140 students, and it was a blast.  The previous term I was the TA for the 300-student Human Sexuality and Culture class, so, fortunately, that disabused me of any squeamishness about public speaking.

2. What drew you to the position you chose?

I was eager to work on international issues and to “scale up” from my dissertation research, which is on oyster harvesters in Florida’s Apalachicola Bay and their role in environmental governance.  And since I’m interested in governance more broadly, the Department of State is a great fit.

3. How will you use your background in your new office?

Anthropology tends to be very grounded and empirical, so it helps me to keep in mind that policy impacts real people and places.  Ethnography is also a great tool when I enter a new organization and need to learn the actors and issues (and acronyms!).  I have to be careful, though, because after I tell people that, they tend to get nervous whenever they see me scribbling in my notepad.

Entrance to Apalachicola Bay, FL.

4. What has been the biggest change for you since starting the fellowship?

Coming from writing the dissertation, I’ve had to switch from the mode of qualitative research – in which you invest significant time contemplating problems, deliberating approaches, and gathering and evaluating evidence – to working on tight deadlines and accepting that we must act on information that is inherently incomplete.

5. What have you found to be your most essential piece of 'work attire'?

Probably the badge!  But I definitely wear more suits and less goretex than in previous jobs.

6. Where is your favorite spot on Earth?

I worked on salmon issues before grad school.  Maybe I’m salmon-like in that even though I’ve traveled to amazing places around the world, I am always happy to return to the Pacific Northwest where I grew up.  There’s a certain appreciation in the Northwest for the way that rivers connect people and places, from the mountains to the ocean, and it opens possibilities for how we think about our communities and our responsibilities to one another and to the world we inhabit. 

That got a little serious, so I’ll add three fun factoids:  (1) there used to be nine-foot sabertooth salmon, (2) the return of salmon to their natal streams may contribute up to ¼ of nitrogen in riparian trees and shrubs, and (3) a recent study suggests that the marine-source nitrogen contributed by salmon carcasses may be the reason for some of the Northwest’s great wines.  I used to call such factoids “cocktail party trivia,” but my students would laugh, either because cocktail parties are for old fogeys or because they are embarrassed that this is what I would talk about at parties.

7. What's at the top of your recommended reading list for someone wanting to explore a career in your field?

There is so much fantastic writing in fisheries and maritime anthropology!  One of the classics is James Acheson’s Lobster Gangs of Maine.  A more recent ethnography I’d recommend is Christine Walley’s Rough Waters, about the establishment of a marine protected area off Mafia Island, Tanzania.

8. Personal favorite book?

This is like asking someone to choose a favorite child….  I’ll just say that my most recent non-academic read was Joan Didion’s Where I Was From.

9. What are your hobbies?

I love being outside:  hiking, camping, running, biking, kayaking, gardening.  I think I have the unfortunate distinction of being the only Knauss Fellow to have never been SCUBA diving, and I am eager to change that!

10. What would you be doing if you hadn't gone into your field?

I started college as a geology major, so if I hadn’t been distracted by the people, I would probably be collecting rocks.  My fantasy job, though, would be as a correspondent for This American Life.

11. Who is your favorite historical scientist and why?

Being the first person in my family to pursue a science career, I have really benefited from opportunities to interact with “real” scientists.  So, my answer is not “historical” unless you count “legend-in-her-own-time” status!  I’m fortunate to have had the support of many amazing women in science.  One who has been an inspiration for me over the years is Dr. Amanda Stronza, currently a Co-PI on the applied biodiversity IGERT at Texas A&M.  She sent me to the Peruvian Amazon for a summer on my first research project.  She is very attentive to issues of community participation and empowerment in research and conservation.  Moreover, she’s a tremendous person, and her success provides a model for me and other students she has worked with in terms of building a satisfying career and reaching out to younger scholars.  Mentoring is especially important in encouraging first-generation college students to pursue science.  I heard that Lauren Land started a chapter of EnvironMentors at LSU, and I think that’s fantastic.

12. Any idea what you're doing next year?

I’ll defend my PhD in January, and will be looking at both policy and academic jobs.  My husband is an artist and also on the academic job market, so that makes planning our next move both challenging and exciting!

12 Questions: Olivia Lee

1. Where were you before beginning Knauss, and what were you doing there?

I was in Galveston, Texas finishing up my dissertation on the early migratory behavior of northern fur seal pups. I was also co-teaching a freshman marine biology class at Texas A&M, and trying to train my two dogs to have good leash manners. Unfortunately I am still failing at the dog training. 

2. What drew you to the position you chose?

I was most interested in learning how policies that are designed to protect marine species and environments are implemented. However, I also wanted to stay abreast with marine research and my current position in the Ocean Sciences Division at the NSF allows me to do both. We support the research and ensure that our activities comply with environmental policies, particularly the ESA and MMPA.

3. How will you use your background in your new office?

I come from mostly a marine mammal background, which is very useful because it helps me better understand the concerns raised by our activities, and the potential impacts that we may have on protected species. My research experience has also been useful in participating in research panel discussions, and in communicating with other federal agencies and researchers about both the science objectives and the environmental impacts.

4. What has been the biggest change for you since starting the fellowship?

The fixed work hours, and the amount of time I sit at a desk. As a graduate student, I spent much more time outdoors. I also have an hour-long commute to work each day which is a big change from my 10 minute commute in Texas.

5. What have you found to be your most essential piece of 'work attire'?

A semi-comfortable pair of black high heels, but I still change into flats for my commute!

6. Where is your favorite spot on Earth?

Right now that would be Midway Atoll – lots of warmth, clear lagoon water filled with apex predators, and lots of albatross chicks. I miss those the most.

7. What's at the top of your recommended reading list for someone wanting to explore a career in your field?

I would recommend reading something like Sea Change by Sylvia Earle, or The Human, the Orchid and the Octopus by Jacques Cousteau. If you are serious about this career, the promise of adventure in the ocean will make the hard work worth all the inevitable difficulties and setbacks you will encounter. Things that are worth doing don’t always come easy.

8. Personal favorite book?

Black beauty by Anna Sewell. I love stories from an animal’s point of view.

9. What are your hobbies?

I paint and sketch. Lately I have been doing mostly oil paintings of marine life and dogs. I love to SCUBA dive, but only if the visibility is good (i.e., no more lake diving in Texas) and kayaking is also a lot of fun.

10. What would you be doing if you hadn't gone into your field?

Become a vet, a wildlife artist or the owner of an eco-tourism based B&B.

11. Who is your favorite historical scientist and why?

I’m a big fan of pioneer scientists in marine biology. I admire Sylvia Earle and Eugenie Clark, a.k.a. ‘The Shark Lady’. I met her during an event at Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, which she founded fifty years ago. Much to everyone’s surprise, she accepted an invitation to our intern party after the official event. Something about being passionate about the oceans keeps you young, I think.

12. Any idea what you're doing next year?

I’m thinking of going back into the research field. A post-doc in Australia maybe?

Knauss Fellows Share Their Science

The Knauss Lecture Series of brown-bag seminars kicks off this week at the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring at noon. What a great way to showcase the hard work that got us here! Anna will be presenting on factors that influence disease in blue crabs, and Lauren will discuss the effects of soil stabilizers on microbial communities. Hopefully most of you can make it to see the talks in person, but if you can't remote access is available, contact Lauren for details.

The schedule is lined up through June, but there is plenty of space to add more speakers after that so get your name on the list by emailing the BB committee: Lauren, Denise or Jennifer.

12 Questions: Jennifer Cudney

Executive Fellow within National Marine Fisheries Service

Highly Migratory Species Division


1. Where were you before beginning Knauss, and what were you doing there?
 I was (and still am) working on my PhD at East Carolina University.  Right before I came to D.C., I had a 9 credit hour semester, did two field excursions (one to tag sharks in Massachusetts and one to deploy acoustic gear off Cape Hatteras), defended my dissertation proposal, and passed my comprehensive exams.


2. What drew you to the position you chose?
 My dissertation is on spiny dogfish sharks, which are highly migratory but managed in a difference office.  I picked HMS because the HMS management division was just outside of my comfort zone and I could still work on shark/migratory species management issues.  They work on a wide range of projects that would challenge me.  The HMS division is part of the Sustainable Fisheries Office, which includes HMS and Domestic Fisheries; Domestic Fisheries manages spiny dogfish, so I still have access to people and resources connected to my dissertation topic.  I also felt really comfortable with the people in the office - they are so friendly and fun to work with!


3. How will you use your background in your new office?
 Working with spiny dogfish made me more familiar with the special management considerations for long lived, migratory species.  I also hope to contribute my knowledge of NC fisheries to some projects.  HMS recently took on the management of another species, the smooth dogfish, which is also fished by a lot of spiny dogfish fishermen.  I'm involved with several data analysis projects that require some statistical and GIS skills I acquired as a grad student.  I also hope to go help with a tagging project in Delaware and a 2 week Gulf of Mexico shark cruise.  This definitely will draw on my field experience and my ability to note get seasick!


4. What has been the biggest change for you since starting the fellowship?
 There is a steep, steep learning curve for the rulemaking process because each rule is different, and the preferred language changes all the time.  I am also still trying to get caught up on background reading.


5.  What have you found to be your most essential piece of work attire?
 My "office shoes."  I keep a pair of nice shoes at my desk and change shoes every morning and evening so I don't have to walk to/from work in heels.


6. Where is your favorite spot on Earth?
 Being on or near the ocean is my favorite place to be, so it's tough to pick one spot.  I've enjoyed coastal NC a lot.  Ketchikan, Alaska, is pretty awesome too.


7.  What's at the top of your recommended reading list for someone wanting to explore a career in your field?
 The Great Gulf: Fishermen, Scientists, and the Struggle to Revive the World's Greatest Fishery, by David Dobbs.  This book tells you about the science, the people, the management,  and the compromises (or lack thereof) that have to occur in this fishery.  Although it focuses on the New England cod and groundfish fisheries, there are a lot of references to other fisheries and issues in this book.  


8.  What is your favorite book?
 Harry Potter 7


9.  What are your hobbies?
 Dance, yoga, and biking.  I am going to try to get my husband into kayaking this year.


10.  What would you be doing if you hadn't gone into your field?
 I had two jobs working in wildlife management (coastal birds like plovers, herons, ducks, etc.).  I'd probably be working for the Fish and Wildlife Service at a refuge.


11.  Who is your favorite historical scientist and why?
 Darwin.  He got the ball rolling.


12.  Any idea what you're doing next year?  

I want to be done with my dissertation in 2012.  I am trying to stay open to different opportunities for work - there are so many possibilities that may open up through this fellowship!  If my husband finds a permanent job that he likes, then I'll look for work here.

Art as Fuel for (Climate Change) Thought

One of my favorite things about living in DC is that there is hardly ever a dull moment.  From environmental films and lectures to concerts and readings, I have encountered new and interesting ideas in unexpected places.  This past weekend, I found inspiration at the National Gallery of Art, staring at numerous paintings of one of the most unique landscapes on the planet: Venice, Italy.  The exhibit on display in the East Wing building showcases the work of Giovanni Canaletto and his contemporaries, who depicted Venetian life in the 18^th century.

While moving from painting to painting, I was reminded of two things.  First, that these people were inextricably linked to the sea.  This was a city whose culture quite literally ebbed and flowed with the tide: goods, food, diseases, visitors, floods, and animals all came and went, weather permitting.  Not only did these people live by the sea, but they celebrated by it as well.  Many of their festivals followed lunar cycles relating to the tides and how much water was inundating their city.  One of their largest celebrations took place on Ascension Day and marked the official marriage between city and sea.  Second, I was reminded simply that natural and human landscapes change over time, seemingly drastically. 

While the decorated ships and lavishly dressed Venetian festival attendees have faded with history, two hundred and fifty years have passed and borne a very different connection to the sea through climate change.  For years, researchers and concerned members of the international community have been working with the city of Venice to cope with their growing vulnerability to flooding and sea level rise.  Because Venice was built on the largest mudflat lagoon in the Mediterranean, the city is also sinking.  An article by NPR featuring this conundrum was quick to highlight the positive local attitudes about increased flooding, where many residents have simply taken to moving upstairs!  Despite any Venetian nonchalance, the much-debated and ongoing MOSE project aims to save the city by installing 78 underwater floodgates that can rise from the surface according to tidal predictions. 

Diagram of the MOSE flood gates

This massive undertaking is just one example of the urban climate change adaptation projects that will likely dot the coasts in the future.  It is not an issue of whether human ingenuity can outsmart nature, but more a dilemma of whether we should battle these situations with technology.  In the case of Venice, mitigation efforts are unquestionable and motivated by historical preservation (the unimaginable consequences of inaction being far too great).  But considering the fact that landscapes do change over time, how do we decide what aspects of our own cultural or societal heritage to preserve and how do we decide what will have to adapt? 

It is moments like these when I remember that it is important to be open-minded and well rounded in our thoughts and explorations.  Only diverse experiences can inspire us to think across disciplines to find innovative solutions to resource conflicts and environmental challenges.  These tough issues aside, it was an enjoyable afternoon at the museum and I would highly recommend the exhibit to anyone who enjoys thinking about how the past might shed light on how cultures around the world will adapt and change into the future.  

Read more about the Venice MOSE project on Wiki.

12 Questions: Joe Fillingham

Executive Fellow, NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Office of Labs and Cooperative Institutes

1. Where were you before beginning Knauss, and what were you doing there?

Before the fellowship began I was in the first semester of a PhD program in Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.  I defended and submitted my Master thesis the same semester.  My MS is in Atmospheric Sciences and my thesis was on air-sea interaction  - wave and carbon dioxide exchange modeling over Lake Michigan.  I also worked part time as a sailing instructor at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center where I taught basic through advanced sailing, problem-solving on the water, and weather for sailors. 

2. What drew you to the position you chose?
I chose to work with the office of Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes in NOAA OAR because I wanted to learn as much as I could about the decision-making and planning that goes into the NOAA research portfolio.  I wanted to know why NOAA studies what it does, who makes those decisions, and what kind of research is coming next.  As a PhD student I also wanted to make as many connections to the NOAA labs as possible.

Joe used buoys like this one for his research

3. How will you use your background in your new office?
My education is unique in that it is very interdisciplinary.  My course work was in physical sciences while my lab work and funding came from a biogeochemist /aquatic food web scientist.  The ability to wear different scientific hats allows me to effectively communicate with lab managers and scientists with a wide array of expertise. 

4. What has been the biggest change for you since starting the fellowship?
Relocating to completely different part of the country was difficult and still requires some adjustment.  I find it hard to sit at a desk all day... but compared to Wisconsin, the weather here is fantastic and a welcomed relief!

5. What have you found to be your most essential piece of 'work attire'?
Lots of ties and comfortable dress shoes!

6. Where is your favorite spot on Earth?
I would have to say besides in bed late on a Sunday morning, sailing in early September about 5 miles offshore of Milwaukee, WI on Lake Michigan in 15 knots of breeze on my Dad's Ranger 26. 

Sailing on Lake Michigan

7. What's at the top of your recommended reading list for someone wanting to explore a career in your field?
 Lake Michigan in Motion by Clifford Mortimer

8. Personal favorite book? 
Hard to pin down just one...
  


9. What are your hobbies?
Sailing, surfing, swimming, running

10. What would you be doing if you hadn't gone into your field?
Professional sailor (at least try to be...)  probably working really hard to compete in the Vendee Globe or Volvo Ocean Race.  Possibly trying an Olympic Campaign in the international 470 class.

11. Who is your favorite historical scientist and why?
Clifford Mortimer.  Dr. Mortimer started his career as a physical scientist when he was asked to forecast the D-Day invasion in WWII.  He knew very little about weather and waves but learned what he needed to and ended up following a career in physical limnology founding what is today the Great Lakes WATER Institute in Milwaukee, WI.  He is the author of Lake Michigan in Motion, a required reading for all physical aquatic scientists.  Dr. Mortimer drew every plot in his book by hand!

12. Any idea what you're doing next year?
This all depends!