Overview
Dr. Claudia Benitez-Nelson in the field. Dr. Benitez-Nelson is a professor of geology at the University of South Carolina (photo from Wikipedia commons)
Read the interviews below with Dr. Benitez-Nelson (the linked article includes a video- Dr. Benetiz-Nelson starts at 8:25 in the video)
https://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/about/news/2020/claudia_benitez_nelson_telly.php#.X2p_75NKg6ALinks to an external site.
Write a 300-word response guided by the questions (DO NOT include the questions in your response, please write in paragraph form):
What did you think?
What surprised you about the scientist?
What do you find interesting about their work?
Does this person remind you of anyone? If so, who and can you tell me more about them?
What does this interview tell you about the types of people who study science?
INTERVIEW
What do you study?
I am a marine biogeochemist. I study how material moves from the surface where most organisms live to the deepest parts of the ocean. I further examine the composition of this material and how it enters the food web. This includes nutrients, toxins, and heavy metals that can both promote and hinder organism health.
What drew you to geosciences?
I loved understanding how the Earth worked. I had no idea that you could explain so much about the Earth using basic principles of physics, geology, chemistry and biology. When I teach my courses, we work from basic principles to “build” the Earth.
What do you love most about what you study?
I love that there is so much to explore and learn. It is like a big puzzle that keeps adding layers. I follow what interests me the most and can change direction at any time.
What is your favorite part of your job or what makes you excited to go to work?
Besides the sense of discovery, I love interacting with students at all levels. They ask great questions that really makes me think about my own assumptions and understanding of the topics we are covering.
How did you get to where you are today?
Pure luck. I took an oceanography class in my Junior year of college and fell in love. I had fabulous Professors and Advisors who took the time to point me in the right direction and get me involved in research. I never looked back.
Did you face any challenges in your path to your career? How did you overcome them?
Absolutely. No one in my family had ever done “scientific research.” I had to learn what was expected and how to find out answers on my own. I was surrounded by people of very different backgrounds and few if any “looked” like me. I surrounded myself with supportive people both within academia and in the community. That has always helped me get through the tough times. I also married someone who has always supported me no matter what.
What are you looking forward to the most in your future?
Not knowing what the future holds? I love adventure. I don’t plan to far out. I have several bi research cruises and I cannot wait to go out, collect samples, and see what the data tells us.
What advice would you give to a student starting out who is interested in science?
Find excellent mentors, take as much math and science as you can, and don’t give up. Goals that you have to work for are the best when you achieve them. Always try and ask questions. If you never try, you will never achieve.