This week’s PhDetails is with Alyson Brokaw a PhD candidate in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Doctoral Program at Texas A&M University. Alyson told me that she wanted to be a wildlife biologist since she was in elementary school, and spent her childhood exploring the local Pennsylvania woods with her family. She got her start in ecology as an undergraduate at Cornell University, where she conducted research on tree swallows. After taking a year off to work wildlife technician jobs in ornithology and carnivore biology, Alyson started a Master's in bat biology and have been working with bats ever since! You can also find Alyson on Twitter @alyb_batgirl!
Well let’s start off talking about completely unscientific stuff: What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
A little cheesy maybe, but I think I would say Queen and Journey.
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
I don’t really listen to that much music, and my preferences are pretty random. Looking at my Spotify, some of most recent bands/artists I listened to include Lizzo, The Decemberists, George Ezra and Scythian.
Favourite movie?
Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I’ve probably seen it a hundred times. Other movies I could watch over and over would be The Princess Bride and Mean Girls.
Do you listen to podcasts? What are some of your favourites?
Occasionally, usually in the car for long trips. My husband and I like Wait, Wait… and Ask Me Another. I’ve also listened to some of the Ology podcasts. I’m secretly hoping that Allie Ward is going to call me up to be on a bat-themed Ology episode.
Where do you study and who is your supervisor?
I am at Texas A&M University in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Doctoral Program, advised by Dr. Michael Smotherman.
What year of your PhD are you in?
Finishing up year 4.
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
My first two years I was supported by the Biology department as a Teaching Assistant, and have been supported by my advisor’s grants the last two years.
Do you have any publications?
Currently just one – a natural history note about a “bat fight” (for lack of a better description), but hopefully more soon! I’m about to hit submit on my first chapter from my PhD, and am also working on getting my Master’s work published as well.
Did you do a masters – where was it and was it about?
I did my Master’s at Humboldt State University in Biology. I did playback experiments at bat boxes to see if an acoustic cue would attract bats to those roosts. Social calls were more effective than just echolocation pulses, and might be a promising tool for bat relocation and mitigation.
Do you do fieldwork? What is the best fieldwork you have ever done and what made it great?
I live for fieldwork. I’ve been incredibly lucky to get to do field research in many places, including Argentina and Tanzania as an undergraduate. Most recently I spent two weeks in Belize collecting behavioural data for my dissertation. While it was exhausting and challenging, I was also able to spend time with some amazing colleagues and mentors. Having a bunch of passionate, smart people all working on projects in the field – it made for such an energizing research environment (even if we were all extremely sleep deprived by the end).
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
I applied to 4 PhD programs. I knew I wanted to stay in bat ecology, and was interested in communication, acoustics and behavior. I started by looking for potential advisors who did research in areas I was interested in, and then emailed them to ask if they were looking for graduate students. I then applied with people who responded positively, seemed engaged in the process and were interested in what I had to offer as a student.
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during field/labwork – did it work?
I think I’ve been pretty lucky with field equipment. The most ridiculous thing I’ve probably done is made a camera mount out of PVC pipes for videoing behavioural trials.
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
Having ideas for your PhD research is important, but the hardest part is learning to think bigger. PhD projects tend to have a larger scope, and it can be transition from thinking about short term projects to things that fit in the larger scheme of things. Also, don’t be alarmed if your project topic or ideas dramatically shift by the end!
How often do you meet with your supervisor?
My supervisor and I don’t really have set meeting times. We are both usually around lab, so if something comes up I’m usually able to pop into his office and chat. If there is something more specific – like a grant deadline or paper revision, then I’ll usually try to set up a time for us to talk.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
For me, having a supervisor who lets me work independently is important, but also being available and willing to help. My current advisor doesn’t micro-manage, which I appreciate, but is also almost always available when I need him – even if it is just to talk something out.
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
Apathy. You want a supervisor who cares about your research project, but who also cares about your journey as a student. Supervising a PhD student is more than just supervising research – it is about developing a future scientist.
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
I study the behaviours bats use to follow and find the source of a smell.
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
In February, I completed my candidacy process by presenting my dissertation proposal to my committee. And in April, I was awarded an Ernst Mayr Fellowship from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, so I get to go conduct a portion of my dissertation research in Panama and get mentored by Dr. Rachel Page, an awesome bat behavioral ecologist.
Have you had an academic lowpoint of the last year – if so what happened?
Not necessarily a lowpoint, but I’ve been struggling lately with imposter syndrome, feeling like I’m not good enough or don’t deserve to be where I am. It is so easy to compare ourselves to our colleagues and is easy to forget that most of what we see on the surface is what people are letting us see – you don’t see the failures and doubt. It is certainly something I’m still working on, so there is no magic fix, but I think all graduate students (and academics) should know we aren’t alone in having these feelings.
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
One on the top of my list is Dr. Winifred Frick, a bat researcher at Bat Conservation International (BCI). She’s an amazing scientist and a incredible mentor. I’m lucky I get to work for her through BCI, and she’s helped facilitate some cool science communication opportunities through BCI.
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
I’d love to meet Dr. Dina Dechmann, a bat biologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour in Germany. She does some really cool and creative research on bat behavior and ecology. I’d also like to meet Dr. Mark Willis and Dr. Ring Carde, who have been pioneers in research on olfactory search behaviors in animals.
Do you have a favourite paper?
Not really. The papers I return to multiple times are usually project specific. Right now, I’ve spent a lot of time referring to some of the classic behavioural studies by Elizabeth Kalko, who did early work on bat sensory ecology and is the foundation for the work I am trying to continue with my research.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
Any of the meeting for the North American Symposium on Bat Research. The most recent meeting was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, which was really well organized and made for a really fun time. When I first decided I wanted to study bats, I went to one day of NASBR in Toronto, and was immediately struck by how welcoming and friendly everyone was, even though I was a complete no-body. I’m also the student representative to the board, which has been a great experience in the behind-the-scenes aspect of conference organizing.
What hours do you typically work?
I usually try to go into the office by 9:30 or 10am, and then stay until about 6. I’m not really a morning person (I study bats for a reason!), so like having a more gradual start to my morning. Some days I start earlier or stay longer, depending on my needs at the time. Sometimes I will work from home, especially when I’m writing. Then I can blast music and sprawl out on my floor without being in anyone’s way.
How do you avoid procrastinating?
I think “try” to avoid procrastinating is the key here! When I was studying for my comprehensive exams, I started bullet journaling to help give myself some structure and keep on track. I’m a list maker, and a bullet journal helps me break things down into smaller tasks, which helps keep me from getting overwhelmed. It’s also really flexible, so I can format it however I want, depending on my needs.
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
Being able to check things off my lists, coffee, and fantasizing about the next time I get to be in the field and chasing bats.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
My major hobby outside of science is ultimate frisbee. I play for a local club team, and have also coached the Texas A&M Women’s team the past two years. It’s physical and athletic, which is great for working out stress. It’s also been a great way to meet people outside of my department or even academia. Some of my best friends in Texas are people I met on the frisbee field.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
Read animal’s minds or talk to animals (and have them understand me). As a behavioural ecologist who works in the field, very often the animals don’t behave the way you think, or are difficult to train. If I could just tell them what I want the way I could a human (like “Find the tube that smells the best”), I could spend a lot less time troubleshooting and more time actually doing experiments.
What would be your dream job?
I would love to be a research scientists for a government agency like U.S. Geological Survey or U.S. Forest Service. An ideal situation would be some kind of appointment with these agencies and an adjunct position at a university, so I could still do some teaching/mentoring.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully, finishing up my first post-doctoral position and preparing to start a “real job” somewhere. With so much uncertainty in funding and positions, I’m trying to stay flexible about my future job prospects.
One word to sum up your future in academia:
Uncertain! Though, I think a lot of early career researchers feel the same way these days!
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
I want to improve as an ultimate player and advance into the next tier of play if possible. This past year I tried out for the Austin professional team, and made it as far at the invite try-outs. Next year, I’d like to make the team.
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
For my behavior recordings, I use video tracking software to track the behavior of my animals during my experiments. I also use a lot of R for my data manipulation and analysis.
Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?
Fan-girling a little here, but I would again say Fred Frick. She has a great research program that covers multiple areas of bat ecology, and has been able to translate her research into an NGO setting.
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
I’d love to do field work in Africa or Asia. Much of my work is currently focused on echolocating, New World fruit bats and it would be cool to compare their olfactory behaviors to the flying fox fruit bats. I’d also love to work in New Zealand on the bats there – they have such unique foraging behaviors.
Do you have a favourite organism?
Well this is easy – bats! Harder is having to choose a favorite species…if I had to pick, I’d choose either the little yellow shouldered bat (my study species) or the wrinkle faced bat. If I had to pick a non-bat organism as a favorite, I’d choose tree swallow. They are how I got started in field biology, and their vocalizations are just so happy sounding!
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience e.g. social seminars/group meetings?
During the school year, the EEB affiliated students hold a graduate student run journal club. We meet at a local bar on Friday afternoons, and discuss a paper each week. It’s a good way to get exposure to different areas of ecology, and we can practice our critical reading of papers.
If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be?
One of the great things about the EEB program at Texas A&M is it’s interdisciplinary nature. However, that also means that students and faculty are spread across our rather large campus. Especially as the program grows, it would be cool to start having annual retreats with the focus on bringing everyone together to talk both science and life.
What major question in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?
So much work in the past century has focused on how bats use sound, but ears are not the only sensory organs bats use! It is generally assumed that bats don’t really use smell for many things, and we don’t know very much about the physiology or behavior associated with smell. More people are starting to learn more, but it has been difficult – bats are small, hard to capture and even harder to train (as I am learning). That is one of the exciting things about bat ecology – there is always more to learn!
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