Graduate / Ecology and Conservation Biology: Graduate Admissions Statement of Purpose [6]

I am applying to graduate programs in Ecology and Conservation Biology. Due to the lack of instruction, I'm finding it a little difficult to write a statement of purpose. Here's what I've got so far, and I'd be very grateful for any assistance you can give me. At the moment, this statement is almost 2 pages single spaced.

Many Thanks, Katie

I read the book, One River, during my first internship with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute during the summer of my sophomore year. One River, written by esteemed ethnobotanist Wade Davis, provides an account of tropical biology during the 1970s: a period when botanists were rapidly sampling the forests and documenting new species at an astounding rate. While the knowledge we seek as tropical botanists has changed since Wade Davis' era, one goal has remained. I believe I am an excellent candidate for Oregon State's Botany and Plant Pathology Department's graduate program because I am driven to teach and inspire the next generation of tropical biologists to pursue their interests, as the generation that came before me inspired mine.

Since my sophomore year at the University of Michigan, I have been engaged in research experiences that have deepened my theoretical knowledge of tropical biology and my technical skills with which to study it. In my most recent internship with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, I worked with Dr. L to answer the question that has enthralled many tropical biologists through the years: what mechanisms create and maintain the large degree of plant diversity in the tropics? Our project investigated the possibility that herbivore preferences may cause density-dependent pressure on plants with similar chemical defenses. The rapid coevolution of plant-herbivore interactions could create overdispersion of chemical defense traits, thereby allowing many different species to coexist and creating a mosaic of chemical defenses across the forest landscape.

My role in this research was to conduct large-scale PCR barcoding reactions on insects, to identify the insect barcode and plant barcode from plant material remaining in stomach or mouth parts at the time of collection. In addition to maintaining lab reagents and conducting protocols, I mentored five of my fellow interns in the genetics protocols of DNA extraction and PCR. This experience will prove valuable in my future endeavors as a graduate student mentor. In addition, I plan to use my experience with networks (herbivory and chemical) to aid my future research in mutualism networks of pollination in the lab of Dr. G in OSU's Botany and Plant Pathology Department.

Using this data, we are able to construct a network of plant-insect interactions. Pairing this network with a chemical defense network allows us to assess correlations between the networks. While this research is still ongoing, the preliminary chemical data suggests that there is overdispersion of chemical defense traits at the species level. When complete, this research will confirm or reject the hypothesis that overdispersion of chemical defense traits creates niche partitioning amongst tropical plant species. One future direction for this research is to determine whether defense chemistry is also overdispersed spatially. Another future direction is inquire whether species composition and demographics correlate with the spatial structure of chemical defenses.

In addition to maintaining lab reagents and conducting protocols, I mentored five of my fellow interns in the genetics protocols of DNA extraction and PCR. This experience will prove valuable in my future endeavors as a graduate student mentor. Additionally, working with an herbivory network has provided me with valuable network experience that can be applied to the pollination and dispersal networks of the tropics, which I intend to pursue in my PhD.

Another goal of my PhD will be to practice effective communication of research goals and results. My past experience in this realm has ranged from writing science-based articles for a general audience to conducting academic literature searches for an education start-up company. This experience acting as a liaison from the scientific community to the general public will prove invaluable in my future as a graduate student and beyond. I plan to use this ability to educate the public and inspire the next generation of aspiring researchers.

I wish to pursue a PhD in Oregon State due to the wide range of resources in genomic science available through the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing and the many labs that work in plant genomics. In my future research endeavors, I plan to utilize next-generation genomic techniques to answer ecological questions involving gene flow of natural plant populations.

I would make a valuable addition to Oregon State's Botany and Plant Pathology Department because I readily seek opportunities to learn new techniques and topics outside of my immediate field of ecology and tropical biology. In the fall of 2014, I worked in a plant genetics lab with the goal of sharpening my technical skills in genetics. On account of this experience, I realized that interdisciplinary exchanges facilitate the exchange of technology, methods, and experiences, which benefit the advancement of both fields.

In my future career, I plan to lead a tropical biology laboratory to study the anthropogenic effects of climate change and landscape fragmentation on tropical ecosystems. I plan to use my position as PI of a laboratory to provide opportunities to students to pursue tropical biology research. In addition to research, as my career progresses I plan to write about my experiences and knowledge I gained from conducting research in the tropics. Although many North Americans will never experience them, tropical rainforests play an integral role in global carbon storage and climate regulation. As Davis has done in recent decades, I want to shed light on contemporary tropical biology research due to the fact that is relevant yet underrepresented in present-day media.

(still need conclusion)

Scholarship / Experiences on living in San Francisco and Panama City - Motivation for Pursuing Graduate School [11]

Hi Everyone, I am applying for a scholarship to graduate school in Biology. This is the first paragraph of my personal statement, and it describes my motivation for choosing to pursue graduate study. I would like to know if 1) the theme of the paragraph is important enough to be the thesis of my first paragraph and 2) how I can make this paragraph stronger and more compelling. Thank you in advance!

Since graduating from college in the spring of 2013, I have met hundreds of people, each of whom was unique and taught me something new about the world. I have learned so much from these diverse encounters that, collectively, they have transformed the way I interact with the people around me. Throughout high school, I learned about human's growing assault on the environment and couldn't grasp another way but to become a self-declared misanthrope. In college, I slowly lost my disenchantment and began to see that, as a writer, I possessed a power to change the status quo. I began to write articles for a fledgling magazine that began widely circulating around campus. This experience taught me the power of the pen, but I would still have to confront my fears of communicating face-to-face.

In August of 2013, I moved to San Francisco for a year, and in March of 2015, I moved to Panama City, Panama. Becoming a stranger in two large cities forced me to seek help from acquaintances to find work, housing, and a sense of belonging. While relying on the the communities of San Francisco and Panama City was, at times, very stressful, finding generosity in every encounter dissipated my fear. These experiences have not only transformed me into a better person, but into a better scientist. Living far from home has taught me how to relay my passion for science and my motivation for research to non-scientists, whether that person be a Panamanian taxi driver or my Guatemalan housemate. On account of the warm people who have welcomed me into their lives, I am able to confront what feels uncomfortable and transform my perspective and the perspective of others, one conversation at a time.