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!