ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

When I graduated from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I had the opportunity to immediately pursue my passion for marine biology with a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. I traveled to the Cayman Islands, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, and Panama to explore how local communities are involved in sea turtle ecotourism. These experiences shaped how I think about the balance between natural resource conservation and sustainable use. I built on this in my PhD in ecology, evolution, and marine biology at UC Santa Barbara, where I examined how the removal of large predators by fishing alters food webs, while also exploring how sustainable fishing regulations can be designed to minimize these effects. I became a scientific diver and completed more than 700 dives over the course of my PhD. I also became a certified boat captain and drove my team out to the Channel Islands offshore of Santa Barbara.

I moved back to the East Coast for my postdoctoral fellowship at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where I developed expertise in understanding the links between social and ecological systems and how climate change is impacting both marine food webs and coastal fishing communities. In 2019, I had the opportunity to testify to the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife on the effects of climate change on US fisheries. I am now an assistant professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where I am continuing my research on the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems and fisheries.

I am also focused on training my students in science communication to make an impact. I collaborate with government scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), allowing us to integrate research findings with policymaking. My current research examines the climate-driven expansion of the blue crab range north from their native range in the Chesapeake Bay, resulting in rapid increases in abundance in southern New England and first-time occurrences in the Gulf of Maine. My students and I are working with oyster farmers and shellfish harvesters to identify hotspots of blue crab abundance and are using laboratory experiments and historical data analysis to understand how the blue crab range expansion will affect shellfish in the region.

Why biology?

I’ve always been interested in understanding why animals live where they do and the adaptations that influence how they interact with the environment and other species. I chose ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ because it was unique as a liberal arts college where I could play ice hockey and study marine biology. My favorite class at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ was Marine Biology, where the field labs took us to the incredible coastal environments of Maine. I took full advantage of the Coastal Studies Center, conducting experiments for my senior honors thesis on how urchins responded to crab cues, in collaboration with Professor Amy Johnson and Research Affiliate Olaf Ellers. We found that crabs induced the urchins to have thicker skeletons and smaller gonads, affecting the urchins’ growth rate. Our work was published in the journal Marine Biology.

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates interested in your field?

The one-on-one research mentoring I experienced at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ was transformative, giving me an authentic sense of what it means to conduct scientific research and to navigate both successes and failures along the way. My ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ mentors continued to guide me throughout my career, from helping me choose a graduate school to sharing course materials with me as a newly minted assistant professor. Those relationships will last a lifetime!

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

I've begun a PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania in Genetics & Epigenetics. I'm hoping to study RNA in the context of disease and its use as a therapeutic target.

Why biology? 

Biology offers a glimpse into the artistry of nature with its endless levels of intricacy and paradigm-shifting discoveries. At the same time, it enables me to use my curiosity to make a real, translational impact on the lives of others.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

After graduating, I enrolled in a one-year master’s program in bioacoustics in France, where I studied the vocal behavior of the African Penguin. I am excited to continue this work as a PhD student under my current supervisor for the next three years.

Why biology?

Whenever people ask “why biology?” I always think, “What else?” What drew me to the major was not only my passion for animals, but also the broadness of the department. Through the Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology concentration, I gained not only a strong foundation in broad biological knowledge but also specific skills in fields like marine biology and animal behavior, which have been essential in my graduate studies. I would not have been able to pursue my dream of working in animal behavior research without the passionate mentorship of the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ biology faculty.

Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?

Professor Amy Johnson's Marine Biology was certainly a highlight of my ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ career, because it really taught me to think like a biologist!

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates interested in your field?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to people! You can often create your own opportunities by sending a simple email—worst case, you have a great conversation and get some good advice.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

For my last semester at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I studied global health in Geneva, Switzerland. I have since translated that work into an intensive master's program at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the Control of Infectious Diseases. While studying here, I will focus my learning and research on emerging infectious diseases, pandemic preparedness, universal health coverage, and global health security.

Why biology? 

Biology is life in the truest sense; to have a love of biology is to have a love for life. When you have a wonder for living things, a kind of awe for them, you begin to want to spend your life trying to protect and conserve that miracle— in the natural world, in the person next to you, and in those who are thousands of miles away. In short, biology quite literally makes us all human beings, but it can also make us all the best parts of being human. This is probably the greatest lesson I've learned from studying biology, and it's the reason why I chose to continue it after ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ and with my future graduate work and career.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

During my time at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I volunteered with Alzheimer's and dementia patients and researched how crickets heal after central nervous system injuries with Professor Horch. After graduating in 2022, I pursued my interest in the brain and nervous system as a clinical research coordinator at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, where I worked with patients with frontotemporal dementia. This experience deepened my understanding of how brain degeneration affects memory, language, and behavior. I also gained valuable insights into the workings of large healthcare teams, observing how various clinicians—including physicians, nurses, speech-language pathologists, neuropsychologists, and genetic counselors—collaborate to understand rare dementia diagnoses. After two years at UCSF, I applied to medical school and am now a first-year student at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Why biology? 

After taking a psychology class in high school, I became fascinated by the brain and its biological underpinnings. When it came time to choose a major at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I found myself torn between neuroscience and biology. Ultimately, I opted for biology because it offered the flexibility to explore neuroscience while also delving into other subjects that intrigued me. For instance, I was eager to take Plant Ecophysiology, driven by my love for plants (I’m definitely a proud plant mom!). I wanted to understand their inner workings. I also became interested in Developmental Biology, especially the developing nervous system, after one of my neurobiology courses. The labs in the biology program have been a highlight for me, too! In my Intro to Neurobiology lab, my classmates and I created a cricket colosseum to investigate whether the presence of female crickets would heighten male aggression and fighting. In my Developmental Biology lab, I enjoyed drawing the different stages of sea urchin and chick embryo development, which beautifully combined my interests in art and biology. Overall, I appreciate how the biology major has allowed me to explore a wide range of topics—from cellular mechanisms to human systems, and even plant biology—enabling me to see the interconnectedness of life.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

After graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I knew I wanted to go to graduate school but had no idea what I wanted to study—there were so many options! To figure it out, I spent a few years moving around the continent to test different research foci and gain a range of field skills. I worked in environmental education for a while as a naturalist with the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire and the Casper Mountain Science program in Wyoming. I also got a research fellowship with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute studying the foraging decision-making of frog-eating bats in Panamá. I kept finding myself returning to working with birds, however, after internships with HawkWatch International in Utah and the National Audubon Society in South Carolina. I decided to pursue ornithology in graduate school, and in 2024 started my PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying the migration ecology of Kirtland’s Warblers.

Why biology? 

I love biology (and ecology in particular) because of the way all living things are so inherently and inextricably interconnected. I always come back to Charles Darwin’s ‘tangled bank' metaphor when thinking about the ways various life forms have interacted and co-evolved through space and time to create the incredible diversity of life we have today. Of course, this diversity is at risk due to anthropogenic impacts like climate change and habitat destruction, so I also appreciate how biological research allows us to leverage the scientific method to inform better, more effective conservation and management methods. 

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

After ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I worked for a company in Boston called Indigo. I started as an intern, and then became a contracted employee. I worked to help isolate these endophytic microbes—microbes inside the plant from all sorts of different field crops—and we formulated seed coatings to try to help introduce symbiotic organisms into the growing fields for all of these different kinds of crops, like corn, wheat, rice, and soy. I did that for about a year, until I transitioned to the position that I had been working at for the past two years: I became an agricultural scientist for a hydroponic vertical farm called Bowery, based out of New Jersey. I did lots of new product development work for hydroponic vertical farming, as well as a lot of media substrate work. Now, I am a PhD student at University of California, Davis, studying horticulture and agronomy in the Department of Plant Sciences.

Why biology?

Biology is super cool—I love the sciences. I was always passionate about food and agriculture, as they're our most direct connection with the land, and I really wanted to be able to impact environmental issues by pursuing this field. I love the logic of it and how there's so much room for creativity and discovery—nothing's ever set in stone. We're always learning new things, so you're never stuck in one place. There's always more to discover and more to do, and it just can take you anywhere you want to go. It opens up a lot of different opportunities in almost any field you'd want to go into, and it's really nice to have a seat at the table and be in an industry you're passionate about, in a way that you can really impact what's going on.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

In my time since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ in 2019, I worked for about two years as a medical scribe in family practice while simultaneously applying to medical school. This past year, I had the opportunity to complete one year of the Masters in Biomedical Science at Tufts University School of Medicine before being accepted into Tuft's medical school for this upcoming academic year through their Maine Track program. I am extremely excited to be returning to Maine to continue my education, as well as getting further along on my path toward becoming a doctor!

Why biology? 

I believe biology is such an important, interesting, and useful field of study. As an aspiring physician, I was immediately drawn to biology due to my desire to work in the medical field. By learning about the inner workings of the body and how every molecule impacts the way we function, both physically and mentally, I can have a better understanding about how characteristics of different illnesses and diseases may be manifested in patients. I am confident this will aid me in becoming the best doctor that I can be. I also strongly feel that biology, as well as other sciences, are not strictly areas or study where only physicians can benefit. One of my close college friends majored in neuroscience, yet she now works in marketing and project management for an athletic wear brand. Studying neuroscience can help us all to look at things from different perspectives so that we as humans can be more understanding of one another and better relate to each other. This is a value that is important in all areas of life. A subject like biology can also be helpful for anyone who has the desire to learn how we function on a molecular level. This can be enlightening when it comes to what types of lifestyle choices and decisions we can make in order to be the healthiest individuals that we can be.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

After I graduated in 2019, I worked at a lab studying stem cells and regenerative- and cancer biology in the Boston Children's Hospital at Harvard. There, I was a bioinformatics research assistant for two years—physically there for a year and then working from home for the second year due to the pandemic. The work that I did and the research I was able to contribute to was an incredible opportunity. Then, I moved to Pasadena, California, and I joined a biology PhD program at Cal Tech. I've been here for about a year and I'm just going into my second year.

Why biology?

For me, biology is very intertwined with how you study it. Biology has a really unique human health focus and potential impact. In my cancer research, I'm developing a model to help predict particular immune cell types, and various others, to think about what features immune cells need to improve recognition. I feel like these questions are very interesting, and also they're helpful for their impact on human health. That's why I'm pursuing it.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

After graduating, I spent a couple of seasons working at Chewonki as an outdoor educator. I also lived for six months in Peru, working as a resident naturalist in the Peruvian Amazon, and I led a trip along the Appalachian Trail with Chewonki again. I then went to TA a course in Ecuador with Wildlands Studies' study abroad program for college students. The last two years, I lived in Santa Barbara, California, and worked for University of California as a field technician, lab technician, and collections assistant with the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. I worked in the natural history collections there, studying bees, mainly. I also led a photography and ecology workshop for undergraduate students and organized an art show at the university at the end of that. This past summer, I spent five months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, and, now, I have just started as a PhD student at University of California, Davis. I'm studying plant-insect interactions and how they're affected by climate change. 

Why biology?

Biology, in general, allows you to professionally ask questions and to better things. Observing the natural world in a biological or scientific sense goes hand in hand with observing it in an artistic sense, and, for me, those processes feed each other in a very fluid way.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

After ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I went straight to doing a PhD right away. It's a five-year program, and it's a joint PhD program between the Scripps Research Institute in California and the University of Oxford in the UK. I was at Scripps for three years, and now I'm here in Oxford for about two more years!

Why biology?

I loved biology so much in high school. If science is like a pyramid, it's the subject that is on top. It's built on chemistry, physics, and math. For example, right now I'm doing biochemistry and I feel like I'm using some knowledge in chemistry and physics on a regular basis. It's a fun subject because it's so interdisciplinary, and it also has medical applications—you feel like when you're doing research, even though the question can be super basic science, eventually, some of that knowledge can be applied to help people.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

When I left ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, I wasn't really entirely sure what I wanted to do with my major. I knew I wanted to work in healthcare, but I wasn't sure in what capacity. So, right out of school, I worked at a physical therapy (PT) clinic as a physical therapy assistant, just to get experience in the field, and then I decided that I wanted to apply for PT school. I worked for about two years at a PT clinic, and then, after being in the field for a while, I decided that I didn't want to go that route. I was considering the amount of schooling and the cost of schooling. I was kind of at a crossroads, and I wanted to get some more organizational and project management skills, so I worked at a charter high school as a project coordinator. It was really beneficial in helping me gain some of those professional skills that I didn't get working at the PT clinic, and I did it about for about two years and was really grateful for that experience. I still knew I wanted to be in healthcare, so I decided to get my foot into the door and went to school for radiology technologists. I also worked full time overnights at an urgent care center called Solace Health, which was also a really cool experience where I got the chance to work very closely with physician assistants, nurses, and radiology techs. I finished up radiology tech school in May, and, since then, I've been working as a radiology tech at a surgical center in New York. It's been good to finally work in the healthcare field, and, right now, I am setting my eyes on applying for physician assistant school next fall. 

Why biology?

Since I was a kid, I've always been interested in science and how the body works. I've always been amazed with the feats that the human body is able to accomplish. I knew I wanted to do something science-related, and biology seemed like the perfect major for me—it doesn't get more specific than biology. I knew I also wanted to work in healthcare, and I was already thinking about what classes I needed to have in order to apply for schools to get into the healthcare professions. It definitely wasn't easy, and there are times when I wanted to reconsider my decision to major in biology, but I took people's doubts as a challenge. Regardless of what struggles I went through while pursuing this major, I knew I was going to stick with this to prove it to myself and to them that I could accept this challenge and get through.

What have you been up to since graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ?

For about two and a half years, I worked as a research technician at a lab in Boston. Following that, I took six months off and did a bit of traveling. Now, I am at UC San Francisco getting my PhD in cell biology.

Why biology?

I got into biology classes at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ because I thought that I wanted to do medicine, and so I was following the traditional pre-med route at first. For me, taking biology classes at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ was a big part of what made me fall in love with biology research. I really loved the act of taking distant pieces of data and connecting them into like a wider pattern. That was something that you get early on in ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ biology classes that changed the way I think about doing science.

After graduating from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, La’Shaye worked as a lab technician for a year and continued her graduate studies in that same laboratory thereafter. While in graduate school, she used the leaf chemistries of metropolitan plants to tell stories about vehicle emissions. Ultimately, La’Shaye’s research led her to pursue a career in science policy. She notes that she wanted to do something about the air pollution that she was measuring.

La’Shaye is currently working at the California Air Resources Board, where she helps the state to clean the air through strong regulations grounded in science. La’Shaye is very passionate about protecting public health and the environment. Her main career goal is to help create tangible mitigation strategies that address global climate change and urbanization.