Early Career Committee

The Early Career Committee (ECC) of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) actively acknowledges the challenges many aquatic scientists face during the critical early stages of their careers. These challenges are related to funding, financial stability, mental health, and finding your way in an aquatic science career. The ASLO community offers help and support to early career aquatic scientists in numerous ways to ensure engagement and exchanges with colleagues, support in professional development, and a sense of belonging within the aquatic sciences. Specifically, the ECC encourages aquatic-science early career researchers and professionals to lean on their community for support and guidance. Together, through our shared science and unique experiences, we can address our concerns for the future and continue to grow scientifically and as a professional society.

We actively engage early career researchers through webinars designed to support their development and challenges, networking opportunities, and promoting their attendance at meetings (through travel awards). We have a number of resources and initiatives for early career researchers who have completed their Ph.D. or other highest degree and are within 10 years of graduation. Such activities include our:

Amplifying Voices webinar series
Voices for Wellbeing in Aquatic Sciences webinar series
Publications on 'Diving into Diversity: Harnessing Neurodivergent Strengths to Transform Aquatic Sciences‘, The Silent Mental Health and Well-Being Crisis of Early Career Researchers in Aquatic Sciences’ and ‘Bridging Gaps in Aquatic Sciences: A Conscious Effort Toward Unbiased Scientific Presentations Through Amplifying Voices’
Monthly newsletter keeping early career researchers up to date with our most recent activities and opportunities - read our newsletter here or sign up to our mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter. For China mainland and WeChat users, scan this QR code to sign up for the mailing list:

To get in touch with the committee, please email: [email protected]

Mina Bizic, Chair (to 12/25)
Department of Environmental Microbiomics, Institute of Environmental Technology, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Email: [email protected] | X: @Minabizic
Website: www.tu.berlin/umb/ueber-uns/fachgebietsleitung

ASLO values diversity in Aquatic Sciences, and in this respect, I feel at home!

Hello everyone! It's an honor to be appointed as the chair of the Early Career Committee (ECC) of ASLO. I’ve been an active member of ASLO since 2015. From 2020 - 2022, I served on the ECC and co-organized the Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM22). I received recognition as an “outstanding L&O reviewer”. From July 2022 I am an ASLO Member-At-Large and serve on the ASLO board. In 2023, I became an ASLO Fellow.

I am a Professor and heading the department of Environmental Microbiomics. My research delves into the dual impact of algal blooms on our climate, focusing on CO2 sequestration and CH4 emissions. The latter topic is part of a larger research theme in the department focusing on non-classical methane production pathways. At the ECC, all 12 members work enthusiastically on developing ways to support the early career aquatic scientists from our global community. Since ethnic diversity can promote diverse approaches to our science, in the ECC, we are investing in efforts to bridge cultural gaps and improve the connectivity between aquatic scientists of all colors, genders, sexual orientations, and ethnic origins. Being in a formative stage of their scientific careers, the Early Career Scientists represent a particularly vulnerable group within the society, therefore, by being Early Career Scientists themselves, the ECC is aware of the possible effects academic career has on the mental health at this stage of career. Accordingly, we launched in 2023 Voices in Well-Being webinar series, to equip researchers in aquatic sciences, at all stages of their career, with tools necessary to address their own or their peers’ mental health related issues.

In ASLO, the early career aquatic scientists have a say! Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you want to talk about early career issues or ideas, share experiences, mentor peers, and create impact through community engagement!

Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher (to 12/25)
Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Email: [email protected] | Website: profiles.auckland.ac.nz/rebecca-gladstone-gallagher | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rebecca-gladstone-gallagher-b91a9a9b

Supporting ECRs to navigate their science careers with international support networks, opportunities, and resources designed by ECRs!

Hi from New Zealand! I am a coastal marine ecologist, and my research focuses on understanding how estuarine soft-sediment ecosystems function, respond to changing environmental drivers, and recover from stress. I am deeply interested in testing ecological theories in the field and linking concepts to frameworks that can assess how the cumulative effects of multiple stressors affect coastal ecosystems.

I joined the ASLO early career committee because I wanted to contribute to international initiatives that help ECRs navigate their exciting careers with the support of an internationally diverse network. As a new mum, I am particularly driven to support fellow ECRs with care responsibilities to achieve their goals and find balance. I am honoured to serve on this committee, and I am so excited by the work we are doing.

Heili Lowman (to 12/25)
Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
Email: [email protected] | X: @heili_lowman
Website: www.heililowman.com

Offering support, removing barriers, and creating opportunities for the next generation of aquatic scientists

I am an aquatic biogeochemist and environmental data scientist. My research is focused along ecological margins - terrestrial/aquatic, wildland/urban - and how these environments respond to and recover from disturbance (e.g., warming, wildfire, storms). I utilize a number of data science approaches in my research, ranging from Bayesian multilevel and time series models as well as interactive data dashboards and collaborative coding workflows. As a member of the Early Career Committee, I look forward to contributing to ASLO’s programs highlighting early career voices, promoting international collaborations, and supporting mentorship and skill-building networks.

Bianca Rodríguez-Cardona (to 12/25)
International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Email: [email protected] | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bianca-rodriguez-cardona/ | Website: https://biancarodzpr.wixsite.com/biancarodriguezcardo

Opening doors for the underrepresented

I am an ecosystem scientist focusing on carbon biogeochemistry in freshwater ecosystems. I am interested in how carbon is transported from terrestrial landscapes to aquatic systems and how it’s processed and transformed. As an ECC member, I look forward to engaging with my fellow early career scientists as well as helping each other in our professional development by fostering a support network. As a Latina in a science field, I am interested in helping to provide opportunities for underrepresented communities, especially those in Latin America, to encourage representation and participation in ASLO.

Pascal Bodmer (to 12/25)
Cornell University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ithaca, NY, USA
Email: [email protected] | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pascal-bodmer-00ba452ab

Navigating through the stormy sea of the early career stage, we are in this together!

I am an aquatic biogeochemist working on carbon dynamics in various freshwater systems. My research spans from methane production in sediments to carbon fluxes at the water-air interface and from carbon-related processes at small scales to large-scale patterns on landscape scales.

As an ASLO's Early Career Committee member, I want to support other early career aquatic scientists on our uncertain and challenging journey. We all face similar challenges and obstacles, which gives us the opportunity to work and grow together. Let's do this!

Ngozi Oguguah (to 12/25)
Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research Lagos Nigeria
Email: [email protected] | X: @ngozimoguguah

Building strategic and effective networks

I have a PhD in Fisheries Biology, I work on pollution prevention, monitoring, and possible health effects on humans. I am very passionate about mentoring and capacity building of next generation STEM leaders.

Serving on the ASLO board built my leadership skills and enabled me to learn more about working and serving in a multicultural, multidisciplinary international association.

As an ASLO Early Career Committee member, I want to support other early career members and help deliver ASLO’s objectives to them.

Nikola Stankovic (to 12/27)
University of Niš, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Biology and Ecology, Niš, Serbia
Email: [email protected]| X: @StankovicBioNik

Shape the Future of Aquatic Science: ECRs in ASLO

I am a microbiologist specializing in photosynthetic microorganisms, focusing on their role and potential in freshwater ecosystems. My primary research interest lies in the toxic metabolites produced by these microorganisms and their impact on other aquatic organisms and public health, as well as ecotoxicology in general. I joined the ASLO Early Career Committee to engage young researchers from Serbia and the Balkans in this network and inspire them to pursue research and protection of water resources, which are vital for our environment.

Carolina Barbosa (to 12/27)
Colorado State University, Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Department, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Email: [email protected] | Website: carolinacbarbosa.weebly.com/ | Twitter: @carollcbarbosa | Bluesky: @carolinacb.bsky.social

Expanding the community and sharing opportunities for ECRs as strategies to overcome global inequalities

I am a Brazilian freshwater researcher enthusiastic about water quality modeling, data science and watershed management. My interests span the nexus climate change-aquatic ecosystems-water quality. I’ve joined the ASLO ECC committee because I want to contribute to events and programs focused on well-being and career development in order to expand the community and share opportunities for early career researchers. As an early career Latino woman living outside of my country, I’m especially interested in discussions about the challenges faced by ECRs who decide to work and live abroad and the inequalities of doing science in the Global South.

Raquel Flynn (to 12/27)
Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Email: [email protected] | X: @flyraq

Helping amplify the unheard ECR voices in ASLO

I am a South African currently doing a postdoc in the United States. My research focuses on the marine nitrogen cycle in coastal and open ocean environments, with my current research focusing on the role of phytoplankton in the nitrogen cycle and biological carbon pump.
As a South African, I wanted to join the ASLO early career committee to ensure that ECRs in the global south are included in the ASLO network and know about the amazing opportunities that ASLO has to offer! My goal is to try and find ways to increase the reach of the ASLO ECC, and increase the participation of Africans in the ASLO community.

Ana Cristina Vásquez (to 12/27)
ExploreTerra, UK / Tongji University, Shanghai/ Latin American University of Science & Technology, Costa Rica
Email: [email protected] | X: @criskotsu

Unearth your potential

Geochemist by day, marine policy advisor by night. My academic research focuses on source-to-sink processes, metal cycling, water chemistry, marine geology, and deep-sea mining. My work extends to the Law of the Sea, marine research and ocean governance. As a Latin American scientist, and a member of ASLO-ECC, I want to foster a support system for underrepresented groups and Early Career individuals with multidisciplinary backgrounds, those who discovered their scientific calling later in life, and those facing unique challenges in conducting research in their respective locations. Pura Vida!

Bradley Tolar (to 12/27)
Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States of America
Email: [email protected] | X: @Tolarchaeota | Bluesky: @tolarchaeota.bsky.social
Website: https://tolarchaeota.com

Supporting our diverse community, especially ECRs new to ASLO

I am originally from south Mississippi and moved around the US before landing in North Carolina to begin a faculty position at UNCW. As a microbial ecologist / microbial oceanographer, my research focuses on the role of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea in the nitrogen cycle across coastal and open ocean ecosystems, and how these organisms change over time. My best research week includes a balance of field, laboratory, and computational work, but I am my happiest at sea (as long as the waves aren’t too rough!).

As part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I joined the Early Career Committee (ECC) to continue promoting inclusion and belonging within ASLO and our conferences, assist with the Rainbow Reception and other affinity group meetups, work with ASLOMP and support mentorship for students, and to help make the academic journey for other early career researchers (ECRs) less intimidating. ASLO and its members have been incredible supporters for me since I was a graduate student at my first meeting in 2013, and I want to help grow our community.

Rosaura “Rosie” Chapina (to 12/27)
University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
Email: [email protected] | X: @MysidQueen

One Mission, Many Voices: Supporting the Next Generation in Aquatic Science

I am an aquatic biologist who studies the diel vertical migration of zooplankton in lakes, with a focus on the behavioral ecology of mysid shrimp. I also investigate predator-prey interactions and how habitat influences animal behavior.

I am honored to be a part of the ASLO Early Career Committee (ECC), and I’m committed to supporting and expanding opportunities within the ASLO community—a community that has contributed immensely to scientists around the world.

As a Latina in science, I’m especially passionate about helping others who face challenges in their careers. I believe in the power of collaboration and inclusion, and I’m excited to work together as a team toward our shared mission: advancing aquatic science for everyone.

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