文/ Tiffany Whitfield
Jem Baldisimo博士.D. bet8体育娱乐入口的候选人 生态科学专业他是12名获得奖学金的学生之一 美国生态学会的2024年Katherine S. 麦卡特研究生政策奖(GSPA). Baldisimo is the second student from ODU to receive the award, which recognizes students engaged in advocacy with an interest in science policy. 她和其他获奖者将前往华盛顿特区.C., to advance their scientific careers in policy, communication and career training.
原产于菲律宾, Baldisimo knows the importance of marine sustainability and preserving it for generations.
“The Philippines is the center of marine shore fish biodiversity in the world,”她说。. “我们对海洋资源的称呼是 yamang-dagat翻译过来就是“海上的财富”.’ So my Filipino heritage really inspired me to protect what we have, 因为如果我们不保护自己的资源, 还有谁会?”
Baldisimo received her Bachelor of Science in environmental science from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. After graduating, she took part in a national assessment of the country’s coral reef environments.
“如果你能想象的话, 有7个,641 islands in the Philippines and we were only able to go a small percentage of that, 但是在这个机会中, I was able to travel about the Philippines in the most remote areas with military escorts,”她说。. “I took it upon myself to find a lot of opportunities to not only help my country, but others who rely on the ocean for livelihood and for food security.”
Her research focus is on the extinction risk of fishes in the marine aquarium trade, 她的足迹遍及几个大洲. As a master’s student at the University of Melbourne in Australia, she visited China to research the Yangtze River and help the local government devise ways to promote water conservation.
Through her travels, Baldisimo met ODU Biological Sciences Professor & 著名学者肯特·卡朋特在夏威夷的一次会议上. It turned out that Carpenter was doing research in the Philippines through a 富布赖特奖学金, and this connection inspired her to apply for ODU’s doctoral program in ecological science.
“I wanted to study at an institution that had a lot of research that was not only in the field of marine science, 还有我的祖国菲律宾,”她说。. “Luckily, I was able to get a scholarship to go to ODU and to work with Dr. 卡朋特通过富布赖特基金.”
Baldisimo’s research at ODU focuses on the extinction risk of fishes in the marine ornamental trade, 也被称为海洋水族贸易, and it was influenced by the fishermen she met while surveying coral reefs in the Philippines. The long-term sustainability of the MAT has been questionable because of the high volume of fishes traded between countries like the Philippines and the United States. The direct impact of the MAT on fish populations is even less studied. Baldisimo will investigate how MAT fish populations in the Philippines have been affected by more than a hundred years of human impacts and determine a list of species to be prioritized for research and conservation. She hopes that her research can generate information useful for researchers, resource managers and policymakers investigating and working on the sustainability of the MAT.
Carpenter said Baldisimo has also been a key collaborator in a National Science Foundation-funded Philippines 合作伙伴关系 for 国际 研究 and Education (PIRE) Project.
“Her past experience has allowed her to contribute to our fieldwork in the Philippines, 包括水肺潜水, 鱼识别, market and landing surveys and liaising with local communities and fisherfolk,他说. “She has supported the PIRE Project’s six-week 研究 Experience for 本科s (REU) Program in the Philippines by being a mentor and resource in getting to know Filipino culture and Visayan language.”
除了, Baldisimo is heavily involved in advocating for the success and quality of life for international students, 促进女性参与STEM并改善多样性, 公平与包容. In 2020, she received the Monarch Citizen of the Year award and in 2022 she was named the Ellen Neufeldt 研究生 Student Leader of the Year at ODU’s 学生参与 and Enrollment 服务s 领导 Awards.
在网站登录发布会上, the Ecological Society of America’s president Shahid Naeem congratulated this year’s GSPA recipients.
今年获奖者的水准, as has been true for awardees in our program since its inception, reflects a promising future for ecological research and policy advocacy,他说. “These exceptional students exemplify the Society's commitment to nurturing innovative minds dedicated to addressing our most pressing scientific and environmental challenges."
For Baldisimo, ODU has helped her develop academically, professionally and personally.
“I’m really thankful for the opportunities that were extended to me, 不仅因为我是一名科学女性, 而是作为一名理学院的学生,”她说。. “Choosing ODU was one of the best decisions that I’ve made because it was a pleasant surprise that there was a community here that could really support me every step of the way.”