SEAS Cruise 2007 : People
Breea Govenar - Postdoctoral Fellow, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- What do you do? Where do you work?
- I am a postdoc at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I am interested in how biological communities respond to environmental changes. As part of my work, I examine the variability in community structure, as well as the causes and consequences of the variability. On this cruise, I will be contributing to an interdisciplinary study of colonization and community assembly at post-eruption hydrothermal vents.
- What is your role on this cruise?
- My primary role is to collect and process biological samples.
- What is your education/training?
- I received a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Tulane University (New Orleans, LA) in 2000 and a Ph.D. in Biology at the Pennsylvania State University in 2005. Since then, I have been a postdoctoral researcher in the Biology Department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
- What inspired you to choose your career & who were your role models?
- I first thought I wanted to be a scientist when I learned about plate tectonics and the 'Ring of Fire' in ninth grade, but it wasn't until I read E.O. Wilson's "The Diversity of Life" that I decided to be an ecologist.
- Please describe your family:
- My mother is an artist and educator. She lives in North Canton, OH. My dad is a writer and filmmaker, my stepmother is a sculptor and video artist, and my brother is a junior in high school. They live in Dallas, TX.
- What are some of your favorite things about life at sea?
- I love being surrounded by the open ocean--smelling the sea, feeling the movement, and looking out on the uninterrupted horizon. As far as working at sea, I like the simplicity of working hard without the disruptions of keys, wallets, phone calls, and traffic.
- What do you do in your free time?
- More than anything else, I enjoy sharing a good laugh with friends whether it is over a long dinner, traveling, or watching movies or sports.
