Celebrating Women in Science at Scripps Oceanography

Recognized annually in March, Women’s History Month is a time to reflect upon and celebrate the contributions of women to society. In honor of this special month and International Women’s Day on March 8, 2020, we interviewed three inspiring women scientists here at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.

Scripps Oceanography has a long history of women supporting and shaping the direction of the institution, from founder Ellen Browning Scripps to current Director Margaret Leinen. Scripps is made stronger by the women on campus—ranging from faculty to early career scientists to students—who are making waves in Earth, ocean, and atmospheric science research.

In this Q&A, Scripps scientists Maria Vernet, Erica Ferrer, and Julia Diaz discuss their research and path to science, lend advice for the next generation of women in STEM, and more. To learn more about Women’s History Month events happening at UC San Diego, visit https://women.ucsd.edu/.
 

Maria Vernet | Emeritus Researcher, Integrative Oceanography Division

What are you researching at Scripps?

I am marine phytoplankton ecologist with specialization in polar environments, both Antarctic and Arctic. My interests are wide ranging, from taxonomy to primary production, dynamics of plankton communities, planktonic food webs and pelagic-benthic coupling. My approach has been mostly experimental, based on laboratory and field studies, more recently including inverse modeling of food webs. During the last 10 years my projects have concentrated on ice-phytoplankton interactions, studying response of plankton after Antarctic ice-shelf breakup, the ecosystem around drifting icebergs and more recently the influence of glacier meltwater in Antarctic and Greenland fjords. For the last three years, I have collaborated with the tourist ship industry to the Antarctic Peninsula (IAATO) to extend sampling of phytoplankton along the Peninsula fjords, a highly successful approach not only to obtain samples of scientific relevance but also as an effective way to reach to non-scientists and involve them in research.

What words of wisdom do you have for young girls or women who want to get into STEM?

Do it only if you like science. If you like it, pursue it. Make sure to look for a mentor to facilitate your growth as a student and scientist, both professionally and personally. It is important to build a network, that is to say "find your tribe" and cultivate it, supporting others in their challenges and being supported by them. Within your network identify a closer support group of people, consisting of family members, friends, co-workers you can go to when you have different types of challenges, both personally or professionally.

What is one of the challenges you’ve faced over the course of your career and how did you overcome it?

After graduate school, and after 12 years of K-12 and 11 years for the Bachelor, Master and PhD in science I realized I could not do it all. I had to choose between teaching, research, and family. I knew I could do well in two of the three, and I chose family and research, restricting classroom teaching to summer classes. This is something we all face sometime in our careers; if you can't do it all choose the most important to you.

Who is one female role model in your life or career who helped show you the way forward?

Growing up in an all-women's school, I was surrounded by women at varying levels of authority and skills. I never considered a woman could not do something or was unable to make important decisions. In that way I was lucky; I had female figures to look up to from an early age.

You are inspired by… 

Polar landscapes, ice is amazing. I go to polar regions to get in touch with the ocean and nature in general, and although it can be done anywhere, for me the ice is special.
 

Erica Ferrer | PhD Student, Marine Biology

What are you researching at Scripps?

I study "social-ecological systems" in Baja California, Mexico, for the larger purpose of conserving human and non-human life. This means that, in addition to studying the ecosystems of Baja (which are fascinating in and of themselves), I also study the social actors and governance structures relevant to their health and protection. The first portion of my dissertation focuses on the carbon footprint of small-scale fishing in the region, while the second component of my thesis will likely focus on the resilience of life below water. How can communities of organisms support fisheries while recovering from historic levels of overexploitation and adapting to new stressors imposed by climate change? Further, how can science influence policy to reflect a conservation ethic, including our shared hopes for a sustainable future?

What words of wisdom do you have for young girls or women who want to get into STEM?

The first piece of advice, which may seem obvious but bears repeating: if you love something—in this case marine science—pursue it with passion! At times, pursuing a career in marine science can feel like an insurmountable challenge, in part because there are a lot of really wonderful people who want a limited number of jobs. Opportunities can be expensive. And for many people, there exist structural obstacles to entry. So, on some level, you have to have a bit of tenacity and faith that it's all going to work out. My second and related piece of advice is: don't feel too discouraged by rejection. In STEM, and certainly academia, rejection happens. It's part of the process. So, if you get rejected or "fail," take it in, feel sad for an appropriate amount of time (do what you need to do to process that), and then try again! And my final piece of advice is once you've achieved some success, pass it on. Try to open doors for other people.

What is one of the challenges you’ve faced over the course of your career and how did you overcome it?

Many of the biggest challenges I've faced over the course of my career have revolved around the issue of how to support myself and pay for things, including unpaid research opportunities that would eventually prepare me for grad school. Certainly in high school and as an undergrad, it was very difficult to pursue opportunities outside of class. I ended up working several jobs, generally two jobs at any given time, to support early career activities. I have no regrets about this, but of course at the time, it was incredibly challenging to keep up with all the work. (I grew a lot of white hairs, haha.) And this is why I mention faith and tenacity (above); I was able to overcome these challenges and still feel happiness because I felt that all of my work had purpose. Note: My REU/SURF experience at Scripps was my first paid research experience for which I am eternally grateful.

Who is one female role model in your life or career who helped show you the way forward?

Oh my, there are so many! There were actually two female role models from my undergrad life at UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) who truly helped me excel as a young scientist: Nancy Cox-Konopelski and Dr. Kristy Kroeker. Nancy ran the Academic Excellence Program (ACE) at UCSC, where she somehow nurtured the growth of hundreds of students, many of us from underrepresented backgrounds. She was one of, if not the first, female professor figure at UCSC who took a special interest in my academic and professional development. Then, in my third year, I met Dr. Kroeker, a professor of global change biology at UCSC's Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department, who trusted me to join her lab in its very early stages. I was so very fortunate! Between lessons from her and her grad students (Sarah Lummis and Emily Donham), I learned all about California kelp forests and seagrass ecosystems. They taught me how to be a "real" scientist and how to articulate good questions. I will never forget the joy of my first scientific dive!

You are inspired by...

When you work at a place like Scripps, you don't have to look far for inspiration. I mean seriously, just staring out at the ocean feels inspiring! But I would say that my parents never fail to inspire me.

Julia Diaz | Assistant Professor, Geosciences Research Division

What are you researching at Scripps?

Research in the Diaz lab is at the intersection of marine microbiology and geochemistry.  We are interested in understanding how microorganisms interact with their chemical environment to shape the natural world.

What words of wisdom do you have for young girls or women who want to get into STEM?

I got started in this career because, as a young scientist, I loved doing research that I was passionate about. Now, being able to help others achieve their dreams is a huge motivating factor. Over time, my job has evolved, but it has always been rewarding.

What is one of the challenges you’ve faced over the course of your career and how did you overcome it? 

I don't have as much time to do my own lab work anymore, but talking to my team helps me stay involved and excited about science.

Who is one female role model in your life or career who helped show you the way forward?

My mom. She is the strongest lady I know.

You are inspired by...

My family.