Love Of Bugs Inspires Scientist
"I love bugs and I think everyone should embrace their inner nerd!"
Hardly the statement one would expect from a stereotypical scientist who peers through a microscope all day. But Carmella Vizza, a fisheries biologist/project manager at Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration) isn't your run-of-the-mill scientist. Keep reading to learn more about how a first grade science teacher helped this Pacific Science Center Science Communication Fellow find her calling as she talks about her interest in bugs, rocks, biology, and more. And be sure and drop by Pacific Science Center to chat with Vizza about her research at our Scientist Spotlight program this Saturday, February 4.
Q: Have you always been interested in science? I spent hours fishing and chasing insects as a kid. I even collected rocks pretty seriously for a few years. My most memorable exposure to science was from my first grade teacher, Ms. Pitou. She was always conducting vivid demonstrations and zany experiments during our science period.
Q: What led you to your field of study? I actually started out as an English and philosophy major in college. I was considering a minor in biology because I had enjoyed my classes in high school. Then I met Dr. Terry Christenson and began assisting him with fieldwork for his study examining the effects of Hurricane Katrina on spider populations in New Orleans. We conducted "beat tests" to look at the diversity and abundance of different spider species, which literally consisted of beating vegetation with a stick and using a tube like a straw to collect the spiders that fell on the tarp below. This technique is clearly not advanced, but I had a blast.
This experience renewed my sense of wonder at the natural world, and I seriously began considering changing my major. After taking Dr. Christenson's animal behavior course the following semester, I was enthralled and decided that I wanted to become a biologist.
Q: In your years of research, what experiences stand out the most? In college, I spent a lot of time in the lab rearing my own colony of spiders. It was pretty amazing to observe their different behaviors from catching prey to mating and caring for egg sacs. For my current project, I get to spend a lot of time in the summer playing in the gorgeous streams of Idaho. We often collect mayflies, caddisflies, and other aquatic invertebrates by turning over rocks in the stream. Nothing is more exciting than seeing an elusive giant stonefly crawl across the surface of the rock you just picked up.
Q: What does science mean to you? Science is the exploration of the world around you through observation and critical thinking.
Q: How do you combine your outreach efforts with your research? I thoroughly enjoy sharing my research with visitors at Pacific Science Center. I love seeing an inquisitive girl get pumped up about measuring fake bugs, and I enjoy watching the boys get as engaged in figuring out how nutrients from salmon get to the invertebrates on land as they do throwing balls into buckets at my station.
The enthusiasm that children and young adults bring to learning is contagious, and it helps me to renew my sense of excitement at what I am studying. Even the parents cannot help but get involved, and they often ask great questions. Those questions give me new ideas and help me think about my research in a broader context.
Q: What do you when you aren't working? What are your hobbies? I spend a lot of time playing ultimate (frisbee), and I coach the girls' team at Ballard High School. I am also addicted to seeing plays. Seattle is a great place to satisfy that craving because there are so many opportunities with the large number of theater companies putting on awesome productions.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the future? I hope to be attending graduate school at Notre Dame next fall. If everything works out, I could be tromping through the ponds of Alaska and studying the invertebrate communities there. Five to seven years after that I would like to continue to grow as a scientist by doing some combination of research and teaching.
NOTE: The Scientist Spotlight program exclusively features Pacific Science Center Communication Fellows who are local science-based professionals trained in communication and committed to sharing their love of science. Scientist Spotlight and the Science Communication Fellowship programs are two new endeavors developed by Pacific Science Center to enhance the experiences for guests while providing in-demand communication training for local scientists. These programs were developed with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and continue to be supported by additional funding agencies such as NASA and NIH. These programs are part of the Science Center's Portal to the Public initiative.
