MENTOR NETWORK
Maggie Swomley '20
She/Her/Hers
Silverlake, Los Angeles
Oxy Major/Minor:
Biology & Religious Studies Double Major
Current Company:
Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy
Current Position:
Field Administrator
Campus Involvement/Special Programs:
Alpha
Secondary Schooling:
N/A
Favorite MP/Cooler Food:
Cooler fries
Best Oxy Class:
Histology with Dr. Martin
Groups I Identify With:
Women in STEM!
Bio:
I have always been interested in environmental science and biology, so I began working in Dr. Amanda Zellmer's lab at Oxy, helping conduct wildlife research. Dr. Zellmer is an advisor to Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy, so I was introduced to the organization through her. The research aspect of my job includes a lot of hiking in the mountains to set up cameras and collect data as well as identifying the wildlife photos on a database. I meet and coordinate with volunteers weekly who help out with the research. For the educational part of my job, I organize field trips for local kids. Because field trips are postponed right now, I am currently working on creating educational materials that teachers can use in their virtual classrooms.
I'd like to be a part of the mentor network to keep a strong bond between my organization and Oxy - if students are interested in ecology and computational biology, working in Dr. Zellmer's lab is a great way to get experience conducting research, while volunteering for Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy at the same time.
Career Advice:
Develop relationships with your professors and conduct research with them.
STEM majors, take classes where you practice your writing skills. Writing will likely be an important part of any job you have in the future.