Tag: <span>research</span>

The End of My Wilson Era

Recently, my internship organization, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., was ranked the #1 Transdisciplinary Research Think Tank in the world. After spending six months learning and absorbing information from the world’s top minds, I fully understand why they deserve such a ranking. A similar transdisciplinary …

Searching and Researching Down By the Riverside

There is a tendency for estuarine environments–where the river meets the sea–to hold a “nutrient trap” along the stark gradient between the estuary’s upper flow of freshwater and the lower, more dense “salt wedge” of seawater.  This middle portion of the water column tends to be the most ecologically productive–where …

Gaining Wisdom From Wilson

Did you know that Woodrow Wilson is the only president to hold a PhD? I didn’t either, until I began my internship as a Research Assistant at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.  Little did I know that our nation’s 28th president was more than just a politician. …

A Vision and Strategy for Sustainability

It feels like a challenging time to be working on environmental issues here in the United States as a wave of populism and climate change denial seems to be sweeping the country. To gain some perspective on working toward sustainability goals, I spoke with Professor Sue Hartley. Professor Hartley is the Director of …

Trying to Get By Without Science Direct: Learning a Different Kind of Research

When I moved from the academic setting at Bard to Washington, D.C. to start my internship, one of my biggest adjustments—besides dealing with city living—was learning a new style of research.  I’ve always loved research, but in the past, my research has been primarily focused in databases.  My work experience …

How Much Does it Take to Keep the Arctic Afloat?

I’m continuing to feed my passion for all things Arctic (it’s just so cool…) in my second internship, this one with the US Arctic Research Commission (USARC). USARC is a tiny but well-connected Federal agency tasked with helping to steer the large agenda of federal Arctic research. USARC is a hub …

Washington DC: Where the magic happens

The beauty of an internship is that you not only gain on-the-ground experience in a field of interest, but you also get to learn about yourself. Internships are a growing experience and to grow you’ve got to fling yourself out of your comfort zone (see diagram).   This is my …

The Rugged, Awe-Inspiring Alaska Cruise Experience

Many avid travelers desire a rugged, awe-inspiring Alaska cruise experience.  Where families might struggle to decide between Princess, Carnival, or Royal Caribbean, I spent the last month aboard the USCGC Healy , exploring the Arctic Ocean and contributing to the understanding of the chemistry of the Arctic Ocean. One of …

I Can See Russia From My Internship

For the past month, I have been interning with the Ocean Acidification Research Center (OARC) in Fairbanks, Alaska.  OARC is a major contributor of ocean acidification research in Alaska, and has made great strides to better understand variability in the stressors that exacerbate ocean acidification around the coast of Alaska.  …