Q: Academia and teaching has been a big part of your career.
What aspects of that experience have you found particularly applicable to
your work with Cramer Fish Sciences?
A: Although I have been directly or peripherally involved
in academic science for years, I have not taught all that much. However,
the rigor and investigation of academic science have always been appealing
to me. Besides the excitement of being part of a larger group of inspired
and inspiring people on campus, I find that people on both sides of the
academic wall, and the common ecological or fisheries issues involved,
can benefit greatly from the focus of such groups. Academic folks often
have applicable knowledge and skills but aren't always aware of the opportunities
for implementing that knowledge or those skills. Developing successful personal
and professional alliances among academics and non-academics with a common
focus on informed problem solving has been a particularly applicable and
valuable part of my work with Cramer Fish Sciences.
Q: Since working at Cramer Fish Sciences, what aspect of your
job has been the most exciting and why?
A: Many things. Perhaps itŐs the encouragement and support
that enables good science and professional opportunity development while
having the freedom to develop relationships, teams, and skill sets that
address and resolve ecological and fisheries problems outside of restrictive
political or non-scientific contexts.
Q: What non-technical skills have you found to be most beneficial
as a fisheries scientist?
A: Communication, honesty, consistency, and treating people
well. Coincidentally, these skills are also beneficial to any endeavor involving
more than one human.
Q: If you met with a group of high school students researching
careers in environmental sciences, what advice would you give them?
A: I would encourage them to search and find what motivates
them and what they are truly interested in regarding the environmental sciences.
Then we would address where those interests and career opportunities may
intersect. I would inform them that careers can and should be fun, especially
when they incorporate their interests. I would also explain that serious
preparation and work will be involved for such ventures, but that can be
fun while challenging. I would also emphasize the current and growing future
need for skills in addressing environmental problems from local to global
scales. Discussing the road map and possible routes from where they are to
where they would like to be later in life could be valuable.
Q: What aspect of your career have you found to be the most rewarding?
A: Probably most rewarding are the opportunities to develop
and integrate an expanding knowledge base and skill set to define, address,
and resolve interesting ecological and fisheries problems with multidisciplinary
teams in geographical or cultural settings that I enjoy.
You may contact Paul via email by
clicking here.
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