National Education Coordinator and Fellowship Manager, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)
“The CIS program and its professors encouraged and facilitated my pursuit of a customized academic path that resulted in a purposeful and satisfying experience.”
The CIS program’s flexibility allowed me to carve an eclectic road during my doctoral degree, combining disciplines both within CIS and other areas in the University. I took advantage of the communication and organizational studies that the program offers, and made it “trans-disciplinary” by adding ocean policy studies from the school of Oceanography. At all times during my studies, the CIS program and its professors encouraged and facilitated my pursuit of a customized academic path that resulted in a purposeful and satisfying experience. I worked with several professors who both challenged me to seek opportunities outside the university and assisted me in the process. As a result, I received NSF funding for my dissertation, established a solid network with people outside the university, and successfully applied to work with the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Washington, D.C., as part of the Coral Reef Conservation Program. I am grateful that the CIS program’s interdisciplinary nature allowed me to advance my interests, as varied as they were, and complete a thoroughly enjoyable doctoral degree.