By Tiffany Whitfield
Jem Baldisimo is pursuing a Ph.D. 他是富布赖特学者和弗吉尼亚海洋基金研究生研究员. Recently, she was awarded the Ecological Society of America’s 2024 Katherine S. McCarter 研究生 Student Policy Award (GSPA). Because of Baldisimo’s advocacy work and her interest in science policy, she and the other awardees will travel to Washington, D.C., to advance their scientific careers in policy, communication, and career training. 她非常认真地对待自己在科学领域的有色人种女性身份，并相信她的菲律宾血统和导师帮助塑造了今天的她.
Baldisimo is one of the 12 recipients as part of this year’s award. She is the second student from ODU student to receive the GSPA award. 此外, 她将利用她在过去十年中获得的所有技能和倡导经验，为与国会山的立法者会面做出贡献.
Originally from the Philippines, 巴尔迪西莫知道海洋可持续发展的重要性，并为子孙后代保护它. “菲律宾是世界海洋沿岸鱼类生物多样性的中心，我们对海洋资源的称呼是 yamang-dagat, which translates to riches of the sea, 所以我的菲律宾血统真的激励我去保护我们所拥有的，因为如果我们不保护自己的资源，还有谁会呢,巴尔迪西莫说. “In the initial stages of my career, when I graduated from college a lot of the work that I did was in the Philippines.”
While in her homeland, 她成为了全国珊瑚礁环境评估的一部分，这使她有机会前往菲律宾各地的78个城市. “If you could imagine there are 7,641 islands in the Philippines and we were only able to go a small percentage of that, but in that opportunity, 我能够在军事护卫下在菲律宾最偏远的地区旅行,巴尔迪西莫说. “So, 我承担起自己的责任，找到了很多机会，不仅可以帮助我的国家，还可以帮助那些依靠海洋谋生和保障粮食安全的人.”
她的研究重点是海洋水族馆贸易中鱼类的灭绝风险，并将她带到了几个大陆. Baldisimo的环境科学学士学位来自菲律宾马尼拉雅典耀大学. 她在澳大利亚墨尔本大学获得环境硕士学位. Working as an environmental scientist, 她能够与矿业和电力公司合作进行环境监测和合规项目. 也, 在我读硕士期间，我在中国为一门课做过研究，我们与长江沿岸的社区进行了交谈，帮助当地政府制定促进水资源保护的方法,巴尔迪西莫说. “Working in science has really helped me to use my background, 做研究, and travel巴尔迪西莫说.
Because of her travels, she met ODU’s Biological Sciences Professor & Eminent Scholar Kent Carpenter, Ph.D. 在夏威夷的一次会议上，这促使她认真考虑ODU作为她的博士项目. “Dr. Kent Carpenter did a lot of work in the Philippines, 我想在一个有很多研究的机构学习，不仅在海洋科学领域，而且在我的祖国菲律宾,巴尔迪西莫说. “Luckily I was able to get a scholarship to go to ODU and to work with Dr. Carpenter through the Fulbright.”
Carpenter works in molecular systematics and population genetics. 他是一名鱼类学家，但同时他也是最靠谱的网赌软件国际自然保护联盟海洋生物多样性部门的负责人,巴尔迪西莫说. “We manage most of the Marine Red List assessments for the IUCN, 世界上评估所有多细胞植物保护状况的权威机构是谁, animals and fungi, and we now focus on extinction risk assessments of marine fishes.”
Baldisimo目前在ODU对海洋观赏贸易中鱼类灭绝风险的研究, also known as the marine aquarium trade (MAT), 在她参与的一项全国珊瑚礁生计调查中遇到的渔民对她产生了很大的影响. 由于像菲律宾和美国这样的国家之间的大量鱼类贸易，MAT的长期可持续性受到质疑. The direct impact of the MAT on fish populations is even less studied. Baldisimo将调查菲律宾的MAT鱼类种群在一百多年的人类影响下是如何受到影响的，并确定一份优先研究和保护的物种清单. Baldisimo hopes that her research can generate information useful for researchers, resource managers, and policymakers investigating and working on the sustainability of the MAT.
According to Carpenter, Baldisimo has been a steadfast doctoral student. “Jem一直是我的国家科学基金会资助的菲律宾国际研究和教育伙伴关系(PIRE)项目的主要合作者. Her past experience has allowed her to contribute to our fieldwork in the Philippines, which involves scuba diving, fish identifications, market and landing surveys, and liaising with local communities and fisherfolk. 她支持PIRE项目在菲律宾为期6周的本科生研究经验(REU)计划，成为了解菲律宾文化和维萨扬语言的导师和资源.”
另外, 她积极倡导国际学生的成功和生活质量, promoting women in STEM and improving diversity, equity and inclusion. While at ODU, she has worked to make science more inclusive. Baldisimo获得了2020年君主年度公民奖，并在ODU学生参与和入学服务领导奖上被评为2022年Ellen Neufeldt年度研究生领袖.
“I am thrilled to welcome this latest cohort of 研究生 Student Policy Awardees,” said ESA President Shahid Naeem. “The caliber of this year's awardees, as has been true for awardees in our program since its inception, reflects a promising future for ecological research and policy advocacy. 这些杰出的学生体现了协会致力于培养创新思维的承诺，致力于解决我们最紧迫的科学和环境挑战."
For Baldisimo ODU has helped her develop academically, professionally and personally. “I’m really thankful for the opportunities that were extended to me, 不仅因为我是一名科学女性，还因为我只是一名理学院的学生. There have been a lot of opportunities for mentoring not just from my supervisor, but also from the faculty and from the college. 在这里的六年里，我真的能够养活自己，并获得了学院提供给我的很多资源，为此我真的非常感谢. 真正的, 选择ODU是我做过的最好的选择之一，因为这里有一个社区可以真正支持我的每一步，这是一个惊喜.”