Throughout the BSURF summer program, we’ve had the incredible opportunity of attending an array of faculty talks, all of which were inspiring and insightful, and I’m incredibly grateful for these opportunities. As we near the end of the summer, I want to take a moment to reflect on Dr. Emily Bernhardt’s talk on ecological research and redefining success. Dr. Bernhardt cites her childhood adventures in national parks and her passion for wetland environments as inspiration for her research. Additionally, she grew up working in a hardware store, which she said has been incredibly helpful to her work as an ecologist. Today, her lab studies environments worldwide, from the impacts of acid rain in Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, mountaintop mining in West Virginia, mercury pollution in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon, and greenhouse gases in New Hope Creek right in Duke Forest.
One thing that I found particularly interesting about Dr. Bernhardt’s work is her emphasis on outreach and communication of their research findings to the public. The Bernhardt lab emphasizes data science and visualization, which helps make their research more accessible. Expanding on the theme of communication, Dr. Bernhardt stresses the importance of creating a collaborative environment in the lab. Most importantly, Dr. Bernhardt talked about the importance of redefining success. Rather than focusing on h-indices or other measurements of importance, Dr. Berhardt believes that research success is also measured by public impact and how that knowledge has impacted the communities around us.
I want to express my gratitude to all the faculty for sharing their valuable experiences with us. Special thanks to the BSURF team for organizing these inspiring opportunities. I look forward to the exciting experiences that lie ahead!
