Academia | Ep 01 | Graduate Research Assistant, Jesse Cone
Life as a forestry student solving sustainability one study at a time
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Season 03 (Academia) | Ep 01 | Graduate Research Assistant, Jesse Cone
In this episode, our host Nicole Felts interviews Jesse Cone, an M.S. graduate research assistant at Louisiana Tech University. Jesse researches loblolly pine response to drought, which has immediate implications for sustainability.
Jesse has already procured a position post-grad with the U.S. Forest Service in the Tahoe National Forest. Tune in to the interview to hear his advice for how to establish your scientific career!
Join us as we explore how research in academia informs sustainability decisions on multiple scales.
Below are two photos of Jesse’s work in the field.
Trench with shovel
Throughfall exclusion shelter, to simulate drought conditions
In this episode, Jesse shares with us…
What day to day work looks like as a graduate assistant
How forestry materials sequester carbon and promote sustainability
Why plant conservation and forestry is a cornerstone to stopping climate change
His story as a vegetarian, and how that influenced his work
His perspective on conservation work
How to get your dream job in science!
Jesse and Nicole share their wisdom about
The value of networking for future opportunities
Taking advantage of resources as student workers
Pragmatic decision making from undergraduate to graduate studies
How capitalism informs science
Challenges and rewards of fieldwork and research
Ethical implications for different types of research
The importance of work-life balance!
Connect with Jesse
Check out the 21st Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference where Jesse’s thesis presentation won an award
Article about Jesse from Louisiana Tech University
Drought tolerance may be the key to future wood production by Jesse Cone
Resources Jesse mentioned
Purdue University - where Jesse did research work
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Science
Nicole mistakenly said this paper that was heavily criticized about tree planting was published in the journal Nature; the paper was published in the journal Science. (Timestamp: 20 minutes, 21 seconds)
Job Resources
Great opportunities for recent graduates to gain experience (Undergraduate, graduate, post-doc, etc.) Here’s an example of a unique opportunity
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Job Board
A conservation job board that has tons of opportunities in wildlife and plant science ( entry-level positions, graduate opportunities, and advanced positions)
For all government hiring professional work
Job board specifically for academia (graduate opportunities, research assistant positions, and faculty positions)
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Brooke Christiansen, Website manager/ designer & podcast logo creator
Stacey Davies, Podcast editor & sound designer
Paula Lee, Podcast assistant & show note designer
Nicole Felts, Podcast host/ producer & project manager