Well, hello again…I feel like I met you before, but I can introduce myself again! I am Randi Navarro, a rising senior studying marine biology at the University of Oregon. California-born but Iowan raised, the attraction of the ocean and coastline has never left me. At the young age of 10-11, I had made up my mind that I was going to study marine biology at the University of Oregon; how I came up with this idea is beyond me since I have no family the resides in the state. Nonetheless, after high school graduation came and left, I had no hesitation about packing my bags, driving half way across the country, and blindly running into the next chapter of my life. Although I have overcome many battles on my own, I am glad to tell my 10-11-year-old self that I’ve made it to the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology! Young Randi wanted to learn everything about sharks…hate to disappoint them but it seems that sponges, jellyfish, and various gastropods had peaked my interests these days.
Throughout this seemingly long path to the OIMB, I have faced a lot of criticism. What am I going to do with my degree? What am I going to focus my studies on? How am I going to make a living? And the truth is - I am not sure yet. I have been in an internal fight about serving my community or following my own curiosity through research. I hope that this opportunity to work as an REU sheds some light on with path I would like to pursue. With that said, I will discover more about my passions and organism within Kelly Sutherland and Richard Emlet’s labs studying gelatinous zooplankton. I will be looking at the changes in morphology and swimming mechanisms across various stages in ctenophore development. As a previous OIMB student I feel like I am floating around in a weird limbo. I am struggling a bit to find where I am comfortable among my peers and trying to get comfortable with the reality of troubleshooting in the lab (luckily, I like problem solving, unluckily I don’t like stepping away until a problem is solved) but I can feel it getting better already. When I am not sloshing around looking at the amazing invertebrate monsters that inhabit the tidepools of the Oregon Coast, I am most likely walking my pug, Pigg. In the gaps between, I enjoy playing my bass, learning about aquarium care via volunteer work at the Charleston Marine Life Center, hiking, reading (recreationally), dancing, and most importantly relaxing (it’s good to give the body and mind a little down time).
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Randi NavarroHello-Hello! I am Randi Navarro. I am a marine biology major beginning my senior year at the University of Oregon. Although I was raised in the landlocked Midwest state of Iowa, the enchanting world of the underwater realm has always had a special place in my heart. I am excited to gain some confidence and insight of the world of research with the guidance of my mentors: Kelly Sutherland and Richard Emlet. I will (hopefully) be learning about the life history and kinematics of gelatinous zooplankton. ArchivesCategories |
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