Over the first half of my internship with UME, I have experienced the natural learning curve that comes with stepping out of my comfort zone and acquiring new skills. One of my initial hurdles has been adapting to professional communication standards; I have been handling a high volume of email edits, which required getting used to constant feedback and constructive corrections. Navigating this process and aligning my writing with organizational expectations took a bit of adjustment, but it has drastically improved my attention to detail. Additionally, balancing my UME responsibilities alongside an external part-time job has sometimes been a huge bump on the road, requiring time management to ensure neither commitment suffers.
The biggest challenge, however, has been the physical toll of a changing schedule. I am a highly routine-oriented person whose body thrives on predictability, so adjusting to sudden shifts in my internal clock has been demanding. This was especially true last week when I had to manage multiple long drives early in the morning. Pushing my body to start before 5:00 AM and not returning home until 7:00 or 8:00 PM at some point has taken its toll.
Despite these pain points, I am handling the challenges by shifting my mindset to focus on long-term growth. I now view the frequent email corrections not as criticism, but as a necessary way to sharpen my professional skills. Furthermore, the demanding travel days and grueling hours were entirely worth it because of the invaluable professional connections and unique experiences I gained at the conferences. Moving into the second half of my internship, I am embracing this discomfort as proof of my adaptability and professional growth.
Attending the recent conference was an incredibly rewarding experience, Lisa Kuder and Laura Nixon, presented their research. Lisa delivered a compelling talk titled "Using Assertive Natives to Suppress Invasive Species," while Laura addressed a critical environmental challenge in her presentation, "The Battle Against Invasive Arthropods." The event was structured so that participants could earn professional credits, which drew a large, diverse crowd. It was fascinating to get a firsthand look at the inner workings of an academic conference and to witness how deeply engaged the audience members remained, regardless of their age or background.
What made the experience truly special, however, was the moments of recognition throughout the presentations. As my mentors spoke, I found myself easily following their arguments and recognizing the specific topics, methodologies, and studies that I have actively contributed to as part of their team. Seeing the very data and concepts I work on being shared with a broader audience gave me a newfound perspective on the real-world impact of our research. It was both validating and inspiring to see our hard work take center stage and spark such vibrant curiosity among the attendees.
On Thursday, I assisted alongside Holly, Lisa, Kate, and Michael installing a black landscaping fabric for future plant installation which is shown in one of the images below. This will be very useful in future projects of growing native plant species while reducing the number of weeds that one would have to deal with.
On Tuesday I attended the IPAC meeting alongside Lisa Kuder. It was fantastic to see that Maryland is able to take action to finally fight against invasive species and stop certain species being allowed on the market. At this meeting they have settled on a list that will be published to breeders to inform them of plants that will no longer be permitted on the market and a 1-year buffer period to not cause huge financial issues.
On Wednesday, I assisted Holly in counting the Japanese maple scale bark on tape that was collected from one of our sites. This is important because this allows us to know whether these scales or any species in general are active and allows us to know when to inform the public that said time would be the most effective time to apply pesticide. Throughout these days I have learned communication, teamwork, and determination truly help things run in this program. Helping one another to not only to learn but to inform others about ways that could help people be more aware and our environment heal.
On Wednesday, I assisted Holly Greenberg in counting microscopic Japanese maple scale, the eggs appeared purple pink and the crawler's pink. In some leaves there were as many as 65. Finding these little critters allows us to inform the public when it's best to spray their trees to make it most effective.
This is my mentor, Lisa Kuder, giving a talk on, “Using assertive natives to suppress invasive” during the procrastinator conference on Friday.
On Thursday, we prepped and completed this piece of land using black landscaping fabric for future plant installation to suppress the amount of weed growth there.
Comments
Post a Comment