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145 posts in Student Spotlight

Inspired by her mother and the mountains: Aashna Sharma writes for Science

Aashna Sharma stands on a wooden bridge over a river in a forested area of India.

Fullbright Scholar, Science contributor, freshwater biologist. These are some of the ways to describe Aashna Sharma, who is currently working with Dr. Julian Olden at SAFS as part of her two-year postdoctoral fellowship. From the foothills of the Himalayas in India, Aashna was recently inspired by the Past as Prologue feature in Science that highlights how different scientists from around the world are shaped by their family and background, and submitted a piece herself.

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Science from the air: NOAA Hollings internship with the Hurricane Hunters

The side of a NOAA plane in a hangar, with decals showing different country flags and red hurricane outlines.

Last year, we spoke with SAFS undergrad, Michael Han, about receiving the NOAA Hollings Scholarship and where this would take him over the next year. This summer, Michael has split his time between NOAA’s HQ in Silver Spring, Maryland and NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) in Lakeland, Florida. His internship has been focused on NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters, aircraft which fly into the world’s worst weather to collect data which assists forecasters in making accurate predictions during hurricanes, and helps hurricane researchers achieve a better understanding of storm processes.

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Climate change and communication go hand-in-hand for PNW Climate Ambassadors

A group of students part of the PNW Climate Ambassadors program, pose for a photo.

We’re living in a digital age, where the ability to find information (or even at times misinformation) is instant wherever you are in the world. This comes at the same time we’re at a critical juncture for climate research, where studying our changing world is more important now than ever. For SAFS graduate student, Amirah Casey, she knows that communication is vital to make impactful changes, and so applying for the PNW Climate Ambassadors program was a no-brainer.

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Genetic metabarcoding to study marine mammals

Arial Brewer in the lab holding a syringe used for DNA work.

Working with Assistant Professor Amy Van Cise in the Whale and Dolphin Ecology Lab, Arial Brewer (PhD, SAFS) and Mollie Ball (BS, Marine Biology) were preparing metabarcoding libraries to study marine mammals. This means barcoding DNA (or eDNA) in a manner that allows for the simultaneous identification of many taxa within the same sample.

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A sweet surprise: Polar bear glucose reveals new insights into their reproduction and conservation

Four polar bears pictured on a snowy landscape looking towards the camera.

Each year, polar bears cycle through periods of intense feasting and prolonged fasting. For reproductive females, seasonal bulking is crucial – it fuels the winter denning and fasting period when they give birth. And when they emerge in spring, it gives biologists a chance to assess populations. A new study led by Sarah Teman explores whether A1c could reveal if a polar bear had recently denned, which – combined with the absence of cubs – may signal reproductive failure.

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Seattle Times story features Ashley Townes’ work counting Chinook salmon in Lake Washington

Ashley Townes stand in Lake Washington at night holding a remote controller to pilot an underwater remote-operated vehicle.

Wearing a bright orange and gray dry suit, Ashley Townes stepped into the murky water of Lake Washington under a yellow moon, at a time when most others are asleep. A recent Seattle Times story features Ashley’s work as a fish biologist and a member of a grassroots group of neighbors who have advocated and fundraised for years to restore Be’er Sheva Park, to restore the shoreline and salmon habitat.

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Building community among students

A group of people sit and stand in a lobby area.

Building community among the different student groups at SAFS and Marine Biology—undergraduates, graduates and postdocs—the SAFS Undergrad Community Building Event was held was held for the fourth year running. Taking place on 13 May, undergraduates were invited to walk around and speak to grads and postdocs about different topics including grad school, what life looks like after graduation, and finding your way in science.

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