This week’s PhDetails is with Samuel Bedgood who studies at the University of California Irvine. Samuel told me he has been obsessed with marine invertebrates since he was a child visiting state parks in Florida. Samuel completed his undergraduate at Florida State University and moved to Southern California for his PhD. Samuel describes himself as a marine ecologist. Most of his work happens in the field with manipulative experiments, but he also works with tissue samples in the lab to determine symbiont densities, chlorophyll concentrations, and stable isotope analyses. Samuel told me that all of his questions revolve around marine biodiversity, symbioses, and ecosystem ecology.
What is your favourite band/musical artist pre 1980?
Queen
Favourite band/musical artist post 1980?
Sia
Do you listen to podcasts? What are some of your favourites?
Yes! Radio Lab, Science Friday, Freakonomics, Splendid Table, and S-Town
Where do you study and who is your supervisor?
The University of California Irvine with Dr. Matthew Bracken
What year of your PhD are you in?
Finishing my third year
Who’s giving you the money – and for how long?
NSF Graduate Student Research Fellowship for the next two years
Do you have any publications?
One in review and one in prep
Did you do a masters?
I did not.
Do you do fieldwork?
I love doing field work along the central coast of California. It’s such a beautiful area!
How many PhDs did you apply for – what were you looking for?
I applied to five programs. I was looking for a lab that focused on marine ecosystem and biodiversity research.
What is the most bodged piece of equipment you have had to use during field/labwork – did it work?
A power drill to homogenize tissue samples, but I am sure there are many more I can’t think of at the moment!
What one piece of advice would you give to a masters student applying to PhDs now?
Email potential advisors early and follow up with reminder emails if you do not receive a response.
What supervisor traits are important to you?
Excitement and passion for research, encouraging, and a desire for students to make research their own (hands-off independence)
What do you think are the worst supervisor traits?
Lack of communication
In one sentence what is your PhD about?
I plan to answer the question: are sea anemones functioning as animals or plants in their community?
What has been your academic highlight of the last year?
Submitting my first author paper on sea anemone movement
Which academic idol/scientist have you met?
I met Dr. Ken Sebens at the beginning of the year; his work is largely what I based my thesis on.
Which academic idol/scientist would you most like to meet?
I would like to meet Dr. Meg Daly, Dr. Malcom Shick, and Dr. Leonard Muscatine (time travel?).
Who has been your academic role model/inspiration and why?
My advisor, Dr. Matthew Bracken because he is passionate about his research and an excellent mentor! He is a prolific collaborator, hands-on researcher, and excellent writer.
What has been your favourite conference so far – why?
The Yosemite Symbiosis Workshop, it is a small conference (< 50 attendees) so I can talk with everyone before it’s over! I always have great conversations while at this conference/workshop.
What hours do you typically work?
Anytime that works best with my schedule. I have worked 20-hour days and 2-hour days. Sometimes I have to wake up at 2 AM to work the low tide in rocky intertidal tide pools.
How do you avoid procrastinating?
I procrastinate when I need to write most often. I find that setting time aside specifically for writing works well for me. I write in coffee shops and my office.
What motivates you in your day to day PhD life?
I am motivated by the questions that bug me; I always get excited when I can answer something that no one else has ever known.
What do you do when you’re not working – how do you balance it with your PhD?
I have many many fish aquariums, including marine and freshwater. When I am not caring for fish or anemones, I like to kayak, garden, and eat Vietnamese food.
If a genie could grant you one wish to help with your PhD what would you wish for?
Teleportation so that I could visit any field site I wanted whenever I wanted!
What would be your dream job?
A research and teaching faculty at a R1 university
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
At a university conducting research
One word to sum up your future in academia:
Excitement
What do you want to achieve outside of academia in the coming year?
Go on a road trip from California to Florida!
What essential tool hardware/software could you not do your PhD without?
My field fanny pack! Best field gear buy ever.
Where is somewhere you would like to work in the future?
I would like to work in the Florida Keys with a unique species of sea anemone that broods its offspring. I am particularly interested in algal symbiont local adaptations based on host dispersal abilities.
Do you have a favourite organism?
Anyone who knows me knows that sea anemones are my favorite animal. They can be found in almost any marine ecosystem, and they vary in size, shape, color, and ecological adaptations. I am amazed with the variety of symbioses they take part in, and that’s why I study them!
How often do you meet with your supervisor?
During the academic year we meet once a week. These meeting have been incredibly important for my success.
Are there any social interactions/meetings which have enhanced your PhD experience?
My wife and I like to host get-togethers at our house with other graduate students regularly. I also attend weekly graduate student seminar receptions where graduate students, faculty and seminar speakers can interact and eat/drink.
If you could change one thing about your group/department structure what would it be?
I have no complaints!
What major question in your subject area is yet to be addressed – why is it important and why isn’t anyone addressing it?
I think we are missing a method for measuring the direct contribution of symbionts to their hosts (Ex. Algal symbionts and their hosts). Well-accepted mutualistic symbioses can become parasitic or commensal if conditions change, but there is no straightforward way to describe this change. I think there is potential for isotope analyses to help with this, but the interaction is too complex to only describe in this way. It’s a tough one!
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