Achievement

Outcome: Several of our trainees have completed their PhDs and gotten jobs. Former trainee Suzanne Olyarnik is the Bay Ecologist for the Richardson Bay Center and Sanctuary. Dr. Olyarnik stated, My career goal throughout graduate education was to secure a position as an ecologist with a nonprofit conservation organization. As I applied for jobs, I was able to draw on many IGERT experiences that made me stand out as a unique candidate. Not only did I have an academic degree, but I also had a range of skills and experiences that allowed me to step into my new role smoothly and effectively. Suzanne related that her IGERT training was a big component of her getting this job offer.

Former trainee Kit Batten has been appointed Science Advisor in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of the Interior. Dr. Batten studied how soil microbes facilitate plant invasions. She did an IGERT-funded internship at the National Invasive Species Council, and held fellowships in both science and policy.