This month we’re joined by Melissa, an American PhD student studying coral science at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia!
I reached out to Melissa, firstly because of a shared passion for corals (see posts about my experiences and potential career plans) but then became really interested in her efforts to incorporate art into science communication.
In 2018 Melissa founded Emerging Creatives of Science (ECOS): a community using art and storytelling to share marine and environmental science. Check out the website and follow along on Instragram @ecos_sciart.
We hope that you enjoy this conversation. If you are interested in reading other PhD Profiles in the series you can find them all here. If you’re a current or former PhD student and would like to share your own PhD story, let me know!
Please introduce yourself
Hey, I’m Melissa, an international PhD candidate about 2 years into my 3.5-year program at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
When I started, I knew I wanted to work at the intersection of art and science and eventually direct a science communication program. To facilitate this goal and to bring some of my leadership skills to Australia in this manner, I started Emerging Creatives of Science (ECOS) as a community for scientists and artists to collaborate on projects that would communicate environmental issues.
I am still pursuing this career goal and my PhD, but decided to take program leave in 2020 to reflect on my path while COVID-19 provided an easy excuse to get some distance from the PhD.
Back at home in the US, I have already started my networking in the scicomm space and am very happy for this opportunity to start my career in this field. I have seen how a PhD can be life-consuming, and now, with this break, I have been able to regain my confidence and dictate how I want to continue my program.
With goals to establish my own business as a freelance science writer and graphic illustrator, I believe this year will provide me with experience that comes directly from my passion and myself, rather than a degree where someone else dictates my worth.
My advice to students applying to a PhD program (and those currently in one) is to really think about why you want the degree. Then to also have something external from the degree that holds some of your identity to lessen the blows of failures and to keep your own integrity to your desires.
What’s the topic of your PhD?
My PhD research looks at the diversity and potential of recovery from bleaching of the microscopic algae that live in coral.
Providing corals with the majority of their carbon requirement and allowing corals to sustain entire ecosystems, these algae were once believed to belong to one species. But with modern DNA sequencing, scientists have found that corals host more than hundreds of different algae species in the family Symbiodiniaceae.
This genetic diversity gives rise to physical diversity, which may set some algae species or genera apart from others as being more tolerant to warming oceans, a major threat to corals worldwide. Some algal species may be more heat resistant or better at recovery from bleaching events.
My research characterizes the diversity of algal species in common hard coral species of the Great Barrier Reef to understand the baseline diversity in unbleached corals. Then, my work examines both the algae’s ability to recover from bleaching in a coral host and to recover from heat treatments in culture, isolated from the host. The cellular mechanisms and functions that are identified in this process of bleaching recovery can help us determine which algae and corals will be most likely to survive future annual bleaching events.
For a great intro to coral and why bleaching is a big deal, be sure to check out Melissa’s very nicely written (and illustrated!) post here.
PhD Applications
What is your background?
I began by studying marine science undergrad at Eckerd College, where I graduated with a degree in Marine Science and a degree in Spanish. After college, I completed a few internships in marine science research and continued to pursue higher education. I completed my MSc in Marine Science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, where I studied the relationship between giant clams and their symbiotic photosynthetic algae in the Red Sea.
In between degrees I was able to take some time off with trips to Costa Rica where I taught English while becoming a better Spanish-speaker. I then continued research in the field of coral reef ecology and symbiosis genetics and reached out to my current supervisors at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
Why did you choose to do a PhD?
At the time, it seemed like the next logical step in my career, and I have always been one to have a five-year plan at all times. I loved the research topic and was excited to be able to do this research in Australia and get to SCUBA dive the Great Barrier Reef.
Looking back, I think I needed more time to really understand why I wanted the PhD and how it was going to help me get to where I wanted to be career-wise. I have always known that I didn’t want to pursue a career in academic research, but was unfamiliar with non-academic path options.
Although a PhD will help me get further in my career, it might not be the most direct and time/cost-effective way to get there. I have yet to see!
How did you decide on a PhD project?
I decided on my project based on how much I enjoyed my master’s project. I really fell in love with the symbiotic relationship between algae and clams, but I knew that the bigger research questions and bigger environmental impacts were occurring in the research of the coral-algal relationship.
My introduction to the coral-algal research was from Dr. Bill Leggat, who had actually studied giant clam bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef as his PhD research, and I had been citing him many times in my master’s thesis. I thought, ‘I should just email him and see what opportunities there are for this research after my masters.’
So, I did.
He was so happy to hear there was another giant clam enthusiast out there and we had an informal interview for a PhD position about 3 months before I was going to graduate with my master’s. Bill’s expertise had grown from giant clam symbiosis to coral symbiosis, and both his and my previous research guided my PhD project.
What is the PhD applications process like for international students in Australia?
As an international applicant, it is very important to have a published paper. You get graded on a point system based on your accomplishments and each published paper was worth a lot of points.
Also, it is very important and even expected that you have already contacted your potential supervisor as is usually recommended in any graduate program. If the professor wants you in their lab, they find a way to make it happen.
My odds of receiving a scholarship to travel and study in Australia were increased because Bill worked at one university, while his wife (my current primary supervisor) worked at another. That meant I could apply to both schools’ scholarship programs and whichever one accepted me, would be the one I would attend. Either way, I would have both researchers on my supervisory team.
I ended up getting accepted into three Australian universities, two of which gave me scholarships. I had options, which was nice, and I would highly recommend talking to researchers that collaborate with professors from other universities to have higher odds to work on a project with them.
How did you arrange your PhD funding?
For students going to school for a science degree, graduate school should be both free and pay you for your work. Luckily, science lends itself to many full ride scholarships that provide a basic living stipend. I would not have gone to graduate school anywhere that did not offer me a scholarship.
My current funding is through the University International Postgraduate Award from the University of New South Wales, which provides funding for my research, tuition, health insurance, travel relocation fees, visa fees, and a basic living stipend.
Australian students can receive scholarships when they begin their enrolment and even later throughout their candidacy as top-up scholarships. These are harder to come by for international students, a fact I was unaware of before moving to Sydney, so be aware and be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot afford on a student scholarship.
What do you think made your PhD application stand out?
I think my previous research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology stood out as it is an internationally known research university that has great funding for master’s student research, which is harder to fund in the US and Australia. My experience there also gave me an edge because we worked with the most current genetic techniques and applications that many other institutions cannot afford.
I also had a very well-thought out plan for the PhD before even starting as I was also applying for the Endeavour Scholarship, the biggest international scholarship offered for students to study in Australia. The application process for that required high-quality storytelling around who I am and what I aim to research. They don’t just want a list of your credentials, they want to know you and your story. That’s important for everything you ever apply to.
What advice do you have for people applying for a PhD?
- Get to know your potential supervisor by reading some of their papers, reaching out to members of their lab, talking to previous students, etc.
- Set up a good relationship with professors before applying for the program, they can help you make the application specified to the university so you have a better chance of getting accepted.
- Before applying, think about why you want the degree. Think about how it will serve you and your future career. If you can have that mission statement in your mind while you apply and throughout the actual program, you won’t get easily caught up in other peoples’ expectations for you.
- Apply to many different universities with professors that collaborate. University name is less important than your actual project and team.
Life as a PhD Student
How have you found your PhD so far? Has it differed much from your expectations?
People always tell you that a PhD is hard work and will take a toll on your health (mental, physical, relationship, etc.). You think you know what to expect, but you never do. I have realized how hard it is and that people were not exaggerating. It is super important to have a support system – family, friends, a good supervisor – for when the times get tough.
My PhD expectations came from what I knew from my master’s. During my master’s I was encouraged to collaborate and work creatively – this was definitely hindered in my PhD. I had a very supportive supervisor in my master’s, which has not been the case in my PhD.
I also had more financial stability in my master’s at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, but living in Sydney with a small stipend left me living pay check to pay check. Additionally, the PhD requires more effort than a masters. You cannot get by with just a superficial understanding of a topic, you have to know your topic inside out to graduate with the degree. It is hard, but it has many benefits even outside the climbing of the academic ladder.
Is COVID-19 having much of an effect on your PhD? Do you have any advice you’d like to share for coping at the moment?
COVID-19 has definitely had an impact on my PhD and my mental health.
Before COVID was announced as a global pandemic, my partner, who had been living with me in Australia for the first year and a half of my PhD, moved back to the US. We had plans to visit each other so that we could maintain our relationship.
Of course, a month later, we realized that those plans would not happen soon or at all. Research-wise, COVID-19 halted any travel for research, and the rest of my PhD (which was meant to be in the field in the Great Barrier Reef) was transformed into a lab-based experiment. This change in my research plan and the stress of a long-distance relationship made me take a step back and look at what I was sacrificing.
I decided to take program leave in September 2020 to return to the US, aware of the fact that Australia was not allowing non-residents return to the country. I have been happy with my decision to take a break in the midst of all of this uncertainty, but I imagine I would have gladly taken the break even if COVID-19 did not exist.
My advice is to take breaks when you need them. The PhD is your decision, and you should not feel imprisoned by it. There will be many times you feel the PhD guilt, but you have to find a way to not let that control you.
What do you wish you’d known when you started your PhD?
I wish I had taken more time to really think about what I wanted to do with my life after the PhD. I think I allowed myself to get sucked into the world of academia when I knew I did not want to work in academia after the doctorate. If I had a clearer idea or a stronger intention before starting, I would have been able to direct it in a way that aligns with my career goals.
However, goals are always changing, so it’s hard to say that I would have been able to figure out what I wanted without the struggle I have gone through.
My advice would be to think about the PhD as a stepping stone into your future career. If it is not the best path to get to where you want to be, it will seem like more of a sacrifice than it’s worth. A PhD is not just a short-term job, it becomes very consuming. So, do not make the decision to pursue one if you are not at least 98% sure it is what you want.
You’ve now been an international student in a few different countries. Do you have any advice for others who are considering studying abroad?
I would definitely recommend doing research abroad. I did specifically so I could work in coral reefs around the world, considering the US does not have many.
- As an international student, you will be forced to get your degree done in a certain time frame because you only have so many years to be in the country with a student visa. In Australia, you can actually get a graduate visa after you get your PhD to stay and work in the country. In Saudi, it is much more difficult to stay, and the visa process is much more complicated.
- Look for universities that support the costs of visa applications, as they can cost hundreds of US dollars. Even better, find programs that support international travel to visit your family for the holidays. This was offered at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and I definitely missed having those free flights home when studying in Australia.
- Find a lab that supports your mental health and has had happy international students graduate. Those supervisors will be more aware of international student requirements and limitations.
Overall, if you’re considering studying abroad, do it! It’s one of the best ways to live in a foreign country and make a much bigger network of people in your field. Anywhere you go after you graduate will be impressed by that experience and you may never have another chance to live as an expat.
Have you found your PhD stressful? If so how have you handled the stress?
There is no PhD candidate that has not experienced stress during their program. Yes, it is stressful because it holds a lot of weight as your identity and your worth. It is your ideas, your hypotheses, your experiments, so when they fail or do not run as expected, it feels like a personal failure.
It is super important to be connected to the other students in your lab. They will help you remember you are not alone and they will likely be the only other people that understand what you are doing.
I am a big advocate for mental health and destigmatizing it in grad life. While having your support network in the research field, it is also important to have a group of friends outside of your research. That way you can escape your PhD in a group or activity where those thoughts would not naturally come up.
You’re big on science communication, do you have any tips for other PhD students wanting to communicate their science?
Yes, I am very passionate about science communication and wish I had done a degree in that rather than a degree in hard science research.
My suggestion to others that want to communicate their science is to find resources from their university, lab groups, clubs, etc. It is a popular topic now and there are many ways to practice your skills.
Presentations at conferences or at your university are probably the first experiences with scicomm a student will have, but don’t be afraid to push past the traditional forms of SciComm. You can use art and your own personal hobbies to communicate science too. Find something else you love and combine the two with storytelling!
What have been the highlights of your PhD so far?
My highlights are the people I have met. I love connecting with people and collaborating on creative projects, both academics and other. Being a PhD student at the University of New South Wales has opened the doors to so many other opportunities for me to showcase my creative talents.
Although I am at the University of New South Wales to do research, the most rewarding experiences have been all of the extracurricular activities and positions that I have been able to experience. For example, I hosted Artsweek in 2019 at the University of New South Wales where I brought science and art together in a week-long event for undergraduate students.
I also hosted a women in STEM photography exhibit and seminar at the University of New South Wales through a community I founded while in Sydney called Emerging Creatives of Science. These events and connections have been the highlight of my PhD.
How have your dealt with failures during your PhD research?
Dealing with failure is hard for a PhD student. That’s because at this level of academics, we are the students that have been accustomed to getting straight As, high accolades from professors, and support to continue pursuing research. When you get to the PhD, you return to being a small fish in the pond.
Many times successes are not celebrated enough and failures are criticized harshly. Because I have always had a community outside of my research, I can connect with them to help me see the failures as they are, small mistakes.
If you can create a strong relationship with your supervisors, talking to them about your failures is very helpful, because they will usually tell you that what you believe is a failure is actually just a very small mistake that many students make.
Do you have any PhD advice or tips you’d like to share?
In the beginning of a PhD, supervisors are generally pretty relaxed about deadlines and planning. At least this was the case for me. They want to give you time to think about what you want to study, but supervisors can also be a little too distant during your first 6 months. This is the time to get acquainted with the university and the resources they provide. Find the counsellor, the writing coaches, the software, the makerspaces, etc.
Knowing what is available to you will also help you create your research questions.
Also, very early on, you want to create clear expectations with your supervisors. Decide how many times a month you will meet, what things will be prepared for each meeting, the hours expected to be in lab or in the office, how your annual leave works. It gets awkward later if you skip this step and realize that you and your supervisors have had entirely different expectations for the last year.
PhD Completion and Beyond
Do you know yet what you would like to do after you finish your PhD?
This is always a difficult question for any PhD student, and it is still a hard one for me to answer. I know what I am good at and what I enjoy, which is science communication, storytelling and joining art and science to increase public scientific literacy. However, I do not believe a job description exists for my dream career yet. I believe I will create that position for myself.
I would like to be in the forefront of science communication for organizations or my own business that focuses on marine and environmental conservation. Currently I am a science writer for the University of Pennsylvania and a freelance writer and graphic illustrator for science communication initiatives. I am enjoying these roles so much and I am very happy I have had the opportunity to do this work while on program leave.
In hindsight would you choose to do a PhD again?
Yes, but I would redesign it to better align to my career aspirations.
Thank you so much to Melissa for sharing her PhD story. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I did putting it together with Melissa. Find out more about Melissa’s Emerging Creatives of Science on the website and follow them on Instragram @ecos_sciart.
The whole PhD Profiles series is available here. To be kept up to date with more Savvy Scientist content, you can subscribe here:
