I grew up fishing and playing in swamps and lakes in Alabama and making occasional trips with my family to Florida beaches. As interested as I was in finding and catching fishes on those outdoor adventures, I was even more interested in the fish themselves. How could they survive in the stagnant swamp water behind my house? How could they feed in a lake so dark with silt that I couldn’t see more than two inches below the surface? How could they live in salt water that parched me and left me prune-like after a couple of hours of swimming? Such amazing creatures!
At age eleven, my Dad told me that I could have a job studying fish. My entire career could be asking questions about cool fish and seeking the answers to those questions through science. Imagine the possibilities! From that point on, I focused on developing the skills that I might need to answer any questions that came to mind.
I focused on Math, English, and Science skills in school (and continue to develop those skills) while getting as much practical experience in the field and lab as possible. Science fairs in high school, volunteer work as an undergrad, a M.S. in fisheries at the University of South Alabama, running a plankton lab for an environmental consulting firm, a Ph.D. in fish anatomy and systematics at the College of William & Mary – all of these have allowed me to build a diverse skillset to study fish ecology, anatomy, systematics, genetics, biomechanics, sensory biology, fisheries, and more. Eleven-year-old me would be thrilled with the fishy things I have learned. Current-age me is quite happy with my education and career path too.
Todd
At age eleven, my Dad told me that I could have a job studying fish. My entire career could be asking questions about cool fish and seeking the answers to those questions through science. Imagine the possibilities! From that point on, I focused on developing the skills that I might need to answer any questions that came to mind.
I focused on Math, English, and Science skills in school (and continue to develop those skills) while getting as much practical experience in the field and lab as possible. Science fairs in high school, volunteer work as an undergrad, a M.S. in fisheries at the University of South Alabama, running a plankton lab for an environmental consulting firm, a Ph.D. in fish anatomy and systematics at the College of William & Mary – all of these have allowed me to build a diverse skillset to study fish ecology, anatomy, systematics, genetics, biomechanics, sensory biology, fisheries, and more. Eleven-year-old me would be thrilled with the fishy things I have learned. Current-age me is quite happy with my education and career path too.
Todd