Time Scavengers

What is your favorite part about being a scientist and how did you get interested in science in general?
My favorite part about being a scientist is being able to pursue the questions that pop up in my mind about how the world works and having the ability to share what I learn with others.

I got into science because I was always curious: I always wanted to know what everything was, how everything worked, and why everything is the way it is.

In laymen’s terms, what do you do?
Currently, for my first project, I study the different ways that marine animals make their shells/skeletons affect how they record their growth conditions. My second project will be looking at how a widely-used crystallization method affects this in a lab setting.

How does your research/goals/outreach contribute to the understanding of climate change, evolution, paleontology, or to the betterment of society in general?

Research: My research will help us better understand how the proxies people like paleoclimatologists use are recorded in biominerals. My research will also help us to better understand the different ways that these animals are forming their biominerals.

Goals/Outreach: My life experiences and activism thus far have motivated me to cultivate a career in academia. Growing up biracial and needing to navigate the boundary between my two backgrounds and growing up queer in a catholic household have taught me the lesson that I need to create my own space if I want to truly feel comfortable. As a graduate student, I have created spaces for myself as well as others from marginalized groups (i.e., Queers in STEM, The Center for Diverse Leadership in Science). I want to continue advocating for diversity and inclusion in STEM by challenging stereotypes of who is successful, and I believe that becoming a tenured professor would put me in an influential position to not just create spaces, but a position to effect the current culture at all levels: classrooms, departments, universities, academia, and policy.

What are your data and how do you obtain your data?
My lab specializes is carbonate “clumped” isotopes. Measuring clumped isotopes measures the abundance of carbon-13 and oxygen-18 bonded to each other throughout the crystal lattice of the calcium carbonate shells. Ideally, this proxy correlates with and only with the growth temperature of the crystal and does not require knowing the isotopic composition of the growth medium. We are also able to measure the abundance of carbon-13 and oxygen-18 isotopes in the samples, which can also be used as proxies.

For my research, the samples for my first project are crushed shells/skeletons of a range of marine organisms that were grown in culture at the same conditions. This was additionally done at a range of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations to simulate the effects of ocean acidification. For my second project, we have synthesized amorphous calcium carbonate in the lab. This is typically done via flux (mixing two solutions to achieve saturation). We are then measuring the carbon-13, oxygen-18, and clumped isotope values of the samples while they are amorphous as well as at different points through the transformation. I believe may also test different ways of transforming the material!

What advice would you give to young aspiring scientists?
My advice to young scientists would be to not be okay with how things are or just “deal with it.” If you are the only person like you in your classes or program, that is not okay. I don’t say that to discourage, but to motivate effecting change.

Follow Rob’s updates on his website, Twitter, and Instagram! Also, in addition to Rob’s amazing research he is an active advocate for underrepresented groups in STEM.