Fellowship Experiences

Scientist may not be the first profession that comes to mind when thinking of a "creative" career. Vocations like artist, cinematographer, photographer, or novelist may fall much higher on the list. But creativity is a highly underrated research skill, which has become more clear to me as I transition back into academia.

Like many others, I found this window of being home pretty much constantly would be a great time to raise a puppy. My boyfriend was also excited and on board with the prospect that we could have a well-trained and loving puppy hanging out with us. He was also working from home, so it was a no brainer that the timing was right. We were both talking about her before she was born.

This past fall, University of Maryland’s annual Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences (MEES) colloquium looked a little different.

When I first read our project proposal, I remember thinking it sounded straightforward. It neatly laid out a plan to assess the role of native plantings in stabilizing wetlands after an invasive grass, Phragmites australis, was removed. There would be twelve study sites, and we would plant three different native wetland species at each one.

I have never been so aware of the seasons changing until I was forced to watch them from inside.