Gabriela Arango: I’m a new PhD student at UCB and my main research
interest is physiological adaptations for breath-hold diving, specifically
those of sea turtles. Currently, I study the aerobic dive capacity of sea
turtles, a critical feature in determining plasticity of foraging behavior and
the ability of individual turtles to respond to changes in prey distribution
and ocean climate. With this information, scientists, conservationists, and
policy-makers can improve ocean conservation efforts. Since a key difference
between air-breathing diving animals is to whether or not they use their lungs
for oxygen storage when diving, I want to explore the underlaying mechanisms of
that difference. To investigate that, my research will merge physiology and
genetics, as to disseminate the basal adaptations that drive sea turtle’s
oxygen storages when diving, as compared to diving mammals. As a
first-generation student, I was able to attend college, but I spent many years
taking classes without much guidance on how to fulfill my academic
requirements. Until I had a support team from different programs, aimed at
underrepresented students, and mentorship guidance, which helped me to become a
competent student, I was finally able to find and follow my passion. 
Suzana Bandeira: In my journey through
Sciences, I have realized that working with nature and biodiversity is one of
the more pleasant fields. I came to Biological Sciences after having an
incredible biology teacher when I was in High School, and I knew that I wanted
to be able to achieve my goals as a future biologist. I went to Faculty of
Sciences to get my bachelor’s degree in biology, and in my fourth year I
started working with sea turtle conservation and automatically Herps became my
interesting group. Since that I have worked with other reptiles such as lizards
and snakes. I am currently a graduate
student in master’s Program at Villanova University and my focus is in
systematics and the diversity of reptiles in Angola. As an aspiring scientist, I
am considering first continuing on a PhD program to further develop more skills
as a herpetologist.
I consider myself representative of an underrepresented group in science
because, issues of cultural education, economic development, education system,
government policies have made it difficult for African women and people of
color to have the opportunity to do scientific research.
Emily DeArmon: After receiving my B.S. Biology from Bowling
Green State University (BGSU), I worked with NOAA (National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration) as a fisheries observer in association with the National
Marine Fisheries Services. These projects involving conservation and management
of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and Southeast Atlantic consisted of
collecting and analyzing catch and bycatch data. These experiences at sea
encouraged me to complete my M.S. at St. Cloud State University with my
research focusing on the evolutionary relationships of deep-sea fishes. The
knowledge that I have acquired through these experiences has helped me overcome
obstacles and to reach my goal to become a professional in the ichthyology
community. I am proud to be a collections manager and continue to research fish
at the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Knowledge
and experiences are transferable through different paths and each opportunity,
big or small, will move the waves in the right direction. 
Adania Flemming spent her formative years in Trinidad and Tobago, a
twin island nation in the Caribbean. Fascinated by water and aquatic systems
she earned a bachelor’s degree in marine biology at the University of Tampa,
followed by a Master of Science in zoology. Adania is interested in exploring
the ecology of fishes, their role and niche in the environment, their life
history as well as understanding how form relates to function. Adania is also
interested in using natural history collections as a resource to introduce
students of diverse backgrounds to the field of Ichthyology and other
scientific fields. For her PhD she will combine her interest in education with
Ichthyology, through an interdisciplinary research project where she will
evaluate the impact of experiential learning within collections on students
understanding of science and less known scientific fields as Ichthyology. Her
ultimate goal is to work as a researcher and educator in a science center
(museum/aquarium) in Trinidad and Tobago. However upon graduation she would
like to work as museum faculty, between the intersection of the research
collections and the education department. As an underrepresented person in STEM
she would tell her younger self to get as much experience as possible to help
realize one to two main interest and focus on developing her understanding of
those interest. She would also encourage herself to always put her best foot
forward, stay positive and just keep swimming.
Nureen Ghuznavi: I was always interested in nature and biology
growing up, but I came from a family and community where these interests were
actively discouraged. I had to find my own way to connect with my passion but I
was hindered by physical inability from a lifetime spent indoors. In the past
few years I have made huge improvements to my physical fitness by strength
training and swimming, eventually comfortably enough to explore lakes in
Michigan. Getting to observe fish up close in their natural habitat was an
eye-opening experience that focused my interests. I’m unusual in many ways from
most of my peers, being an LGBT person of color. But my struggle to overcome
doubts from myself and others is what gives me a unique perspective and
strengthens my resolve to become a successful biologist. If I could give advice
to my younger self, it would be to forge my own path and not let anyone make me
feel like I’m not capable of overcoming obstacles.
Bryan Juarez is a 4th year PhD student in the EEB program at Iowa State University. In
Mexican-American culture, family is above all else, and we treat other communities
as our own. This means that we both suffer and celebrate together. I treat
science and my colleagues as I treat mi familia, and because of this, I would
tell my younger self to have even more empathy for the struggles of others. In science,
I’ve seen and heard of selfish researchers which, for example, foster toxic
environments and/or take ownership of “their” science/taxon/data at the cost of
secluding others and hindering scientific progress. Science is not something we
should keep from each other, instead, we should be sharing its wonders with the
world. One of my goals is to apply this simple principle to my future research,
teaching, and volunteering endeavors to create inclusive traditions as I pursue
a post-doc and eventually a faculty position. Going forward, I hope to achieve
the level of passion and dedication for herpetology first shown to me by the
faculty and students at UC Santa Barbara, fostered in Dean Adams’ Lab, and
instill this culture of passion and empathy in future mentees and colleagues.
Marina Luccioni is an undergraduate researcher at Stanford
University interested in understanding source and synthesis of biologically
derived toxins, and subsequent effects on human brain function. Growing up
around the ocean, she used to create “1-hour aquariums” for her family on the
beach using empty jam jars. She has since continued to be fascinated by fish,
reptiles and amphibians, particularly poison frogs, which sparked her ongoing
interest in toxicity. Her current
project investigates the "Chief of Ghosts" hallucinatory fish from
Hawaii: how the fish comes to contain and accumulate this marine toxin, and how
the molecules interact with human neural function to produce hallucinations.
She aims to continue this project or related research to a graduate level.As an
underrepresented person in STEM, I would advise my younger self to look out for
ways to make science and scientific projects feel personal and related to her
background and culture(s). Incorporating local knowledge and asking questions
that could relate to home made my work more meaningful.
Natasha Stepanova: I
am a bi herpetologist from the San Francisco Bay Area. Although I always wanted
to work with animals, including a brief time as a child when I wanted to
discover new frogs in the Amazon, it was only when I started working at the
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology that I focused my interests. Topping off specimen
jars, my first responsibility, inspired a deep appreciation for herp diversity.
Further work with Dr. Molly Womack on frog limbs cemented an interest in
morphology, function, and the processes that drive trait variation. I am now a
Master’s student at Villanova University with Dr. Aaron Bauer working on
African burrowing skink skulls. My dream goal would be to work at a museum as
they’re the perfect nexus of my interests: biodiversity research, a vibrant
community, and outreach. As a queer woman, I would tell my younger self to
never let fear hold me back and to seek out a community of LGBTQ+ scientists
earlier.
Emily Virgin is a PhD
Candidate at Utah State University studying the effects of urbanization on the
reproductive physiology and ecology of Side-blotched lizards. Her passion for
studying reptiles was cultivated at her undergraduate institution, Northern
Illinois University, where she studied snake behavior and diet for her honors
thesis. With skills gained from her doctoral degree, she plans to pursue a
career intersecting herpetology and conservation physiology at either a small
academic institution or a zoo. Emily is a first-generation college student who
received her Bachelor of Science at twenty years old and began her Ph.D.
afterwards. If given the opportunity to advise her younger self, Emily would
encourage self-confidence in her own natural strengths and abilities.
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The 2019 Student Diversity and
Inclusion Awards (SDIAs) were designed and proposed as a major initiative of
the 2018-19 Diversity Committee of ASIH and funded through the generosity and
support provided by the Executive Committee of ASIH. The Diversity Committee
also thanks the efforts of the SDIA reviewers for their effort and
thoughtfulness in selecting this year’s recipients. The awards go directly to
students (undergraduate and graduate alike) from underrepresented backgrounds
in an effort to bring the best scientists to the Joint Meeting and support
their cost of attendance, with the ultimate goal being the retention of these
scientists in the study of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles. These awards arose
as a result of analyzing and reflecting on annual membership survey data
collected by ASIH and after examining models used by other scientific societies
to transform the exclusive nature of STEM.
