This week’s PhDetails is with Jimena Golcher-Benavides who does her PhD at University of Wyoming in Laramie. Jimena says that the study of biodiverse habitats motivated her to pursue an undergraduate degree in biology in her native country, Costa Rica. As an undergraduate Jimena assisted several research projects lead by Dr. Maurizzio Protti-Quesada and freshwater fishes, specifically cichlid fishes became her favourite organisms to study. Previously to moving to Laramie, Wyoming, as master’s student in Dr. Axel Meyer Lab at University of Konstanz, Germany, she studied a group of Central American cichlid fishes found only on Nicaraguan crater lakes aiming to better understand the driving, natural forces underlying its colour diversity.
Throughout her studies, Jimena was captivated by both ecology and evolutionary biology, in particular, the idea of some environments being associated with particularly faster rates of species origination motivated her to pursue a PhD in Ecology, advised by Dr. Catherine (Katie) Wagner at University of Wyoming. Jimena enjoys discussing scientific ideas, natural history and sharing knowledge through teaching or outreach activities. You can find Jimena on twitter @memegb or at her website https://jimenagolcher.wordpress.com
Well let’s start off talking about completely unscientific stuff: What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
Pink Floyd
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
I’d say my spirit band is Cultura Profetica (Puerto Rico).
Favourite movie?
Embrace of the serpent (2015)
Do you listen to podcasts? What are some of your favourites?
I really like some episodes in “Criminal” and “Radiolab” , but should listen to more podcasts…
Where do you study and who is your supervisor?
I study at University of Wyoming in Laramie and Dr. Catherine E. Wagner is my PhD supervisor.
What year of your PhD are you in?
This is my 4th year.
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
I am currently funded as graduate assistant through an NSF grant (DEB-1556963) to my PhD supervisor Dr. Wagner. My summer research/field work has been partly supported by grants from the University of Wyoming (Botany Department, Program in Ecology, College of Arts and Sciences and Center for Global Studies) and the Rosemary Grant Award by the Society for the Study of Evolution. Also, I have received support through teaching assistantships for two years. My funding ends Fall, 2020.
Do you have any publications – if so where?
Yes, I have two published articles and one accepted for publication (first one from my PhD!) Here is a link to my publication profile on google scholar HERE
Did you do a masters – where was it and was it about?
I did a masters in Biological Sciences at the University of Konstanz, in Germany. My research was on predator feeding preferences and the implications of selective predation on the stability of stable colour polymorphisms in Midas cichlid fishes from Nicaragua mentored by Dr. Julián Torres-Dowdall, Dr. Gonzalo Machado-Schiaffino and Dr. Axel Meyer, among other members of the Meyer Lab-Evolutionary Biology.
Do you do fieldwork - what is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
Yes, last year’s fieldwork in Lake Tanganyika, Tanzanian side, was incredible! I got to teach for the first time an Intro to R workshop together with my lab-mate Jessica Rick. Then, I got to dive in new rocky reefs found 300 km south from previous field sites and collect data on completely different fish communities. I saw Dr. Andrew Cohen skilfully avoid getting bit by a mamba and witness Dr. Michael Soreghan and his graduate student Courtney Milledge discover new populations of an endemic giant snail! Broadly speaking, one of my favourite aspects about fieldwork is the opportunity to interact with exceptional people, learn and getting to know them a bit better.
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
I applied for 5 other PhDs, I was looking to continue work with Central American cichlid fishes and also wanted to combine ecology and evolution. Most importantly, I was looking for an advisor that I could both look up to as scientist/person and see myself working with.
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during fieldwork – did it work?
Hard to tell, I always bring bodged pieces of equipment to the field! Still, spending days building giant fish enclosures (out of *cheap chicken-wire) and having them disintegrate once underwater in a Nicaraguan crater lake, is my most memorable #Fail.
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
Never to be afraid of contacting and visiting that scientist (or scientists) they admire the most.
How often do you meet with your supervisor?
I meet almost weekly during the semester and mostly via email any other time. I love that my advisor always answers my emails swiftly and therefore I do the same.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
A great advisor provides thoughtful feedback, is understanding/supportive and believes in you!
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
Not devoting enough time and energy into a student’s growth.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
I am identifying mechanisms leading phenotypes to fit better in specific environments and therefore potentially explain present fish diversity patterns or predict future differentiation.
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
R programming language
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
To get a manuscript accepted for publication.
Have you had an academic low-point of the last year – if so what happened?
To have my conference abstract for the Evolution meeting in France rejected…
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
Ole Seehausen
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
B. Rosemary Grant
Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?
(Katie) Dr. Wagner is my academic role-model and the kindest advisor I could have ever wished for. Her research is top quality and she is a scientist with ample knowledge and expertise. Also, Katie is very generous with her time and one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. I hope to be like her one day!
Do you have a favourite paper?
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
Guild of Rocky Mountain Ecologists and Evolutionary Biologists (GREEBS) organized by Dr. William D. Bowman University of Colorado Boulder. It is a small meeting and a great mix of faculty, PostDocs, graduate students and undergraduates in a beautiful research station. A super friendly fun audience and many opportunities for great discussion/networking.
What hours do you typically work?
It varies a lot, let’s say 40-50h a week.
How do you avoid procrastinating?
If your mind and body are balanced then you are more able to focus and use energy effectively. Lists of daily tasks with bullet points also keep me in check.
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
I love acquiring new knowledge and therefore feel very fortunate to be able to do this every day.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
I try to stay emotionally, physically and spiritually balanced. Laramie has hiking /ski trails less than 10 min away, I also love birdwatching, drawing and good conversations.
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
Improve my skills giving talks to the general public
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
More funding to be able to do all my research projects.
What would be your dream job?
I’d love to run a research station with a focus on Limnology in a tropical freshwater lake in Costa Rica (my home country).
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Ideally, I would be able to fund my project to build a research station in a Costa Rican fresh water lake. I would be starting my own lab and receiving invited researchers and student groups from all over to study/learn about tropical limnology.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
Vorschertaucherlehrerkünstlerinwindsurferyogi
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
A Costa Rican fresh water lake.
Do you have a favourite organism?
Cichlid fishes. A brief history on why: I first fell in love with research on tropical freshwater fish diversity patterns in Costa Rica, thanks to a great mentor: Dr. Maurizzio Protti-Quesada. In 2010, I helped visiting researcher Dr. Ron Coleman (CSUS) and his students with behavioural research, specifically finding breeding pairs of cichlid fishes in Caribbean lowland streams. If you ever find a breeding pair guarding fry, you will also fall in love with them. The evolutionary history and astonishing diversity of morphology, coloration, feeding behaviour and life history strategies found in the family Cichlidae made me want to become a cichlid researcher.
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience?
I have deeply enjoyed (and thrived repeatedly;) at the University of Wyoming-Geology Department’s Annual Darwin Trivia. In a more serious note, I gained a lot of experience organizing the student symposium two years in a row, a career advice panel and speaker visits. I have learned a lot from giving outreach talks about cichlid fishes, serving as judge at the Wyoming State Science Fair, among others. Meeting one-on-one with guest speakers, writing retreats, and other short workshops have enhanced my overall PhD experience.
If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be?
I would just further increase funding opportunities for graduate students and the number of invited speakers, workshop opportunities, etc.
What major question in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?
I find that the relationship between fish body shape and trophic position across fish families should be further explored in the context of an inverse latitudinal gradient in speciation rates (Rabosky et al. 2018 Nature). I think it is fascinating to identify patterns in the evolution of body size and trophic ecology across all bony fishes and speculate on putative links between these and trends in speciation rates. I have not yet developed specific predictions yet but could think about it more if someone’s interested in having me as PostDoc .
Congratulations Ji! You are a wonderful researcher and an awesome human being! Many many returns in your brilliant career!
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