Fellowship Experiences

Deciding whether to pursue a PhD in a scientific field can feel the same as Hamlet’s phrase contemplating between existence and non-existence. For a young person deciding his or her life’s course, it’s a pretty big decision. A PhD is a long-term commitment filled with a lot of work and little pay. Will you enjoy it? Or will you simply endure it?

To be a shellfish farmer means long days on your feet, embracing harsh weather while lifting heavy cages. It all takes a toll over time. But a day on the water is another dollar in your pocket, so you push through and persevere. I spent many days out in the heat and in the cold grading, counting, and bagging clams and oysters for whoever was hiring for a season.

This is the third semester of my master’s program in biology at Salisbury University, and it has been a long one. On top of completing my final sampling season, taking the last few classes, typing my manuscript, juggling a part-time job, and attempting to have some sort of social life, I also began a teaching assistantship.

The active ingredients in sunscreens and some personal care products, a group of chemicals known as UV filters, have been in the eyes of the public and international regulators for their potential toxicity. 

Anyone who’s ever been to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor understands that there is a big trash problem in the city.