Ethan Lynch

       My professional career is guided by my professional mission statement “to increase environmental stewardship by collaborating with diverse communities to advance biogeochemical systems knowledge and advocate for its integration into civil systems”. The inspiration for my mission comes from the 2009 publication, “A Safe Operating Space for Humanity”, by Dr. Johan Rockström and colleagues. In the paper, Rockström et al. quantified the status of nine critical planetary system boundaries and concluded with a call for urgent scientific inquiry into planetary boundaries for the common benefit of humanity. Discovering Rockström et al.’s publication was the moment I realized my scientific curiosity for biogeochemistry intersected with the need for scientists to help solve the increasingly urgent environmental challenges that society faces. My undergraduate academics, extracurriculars, and research experience all demonstrate a commitment to achieving goals aligned with my professional mission.

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      As an undergraduate, I prepared for a career as a biogeochemist by double majoring in Geochemistry and Biology. I felt that pairing a Geochemistry B.S. with a Biology B.S. would give me a robust and wholesome perspective on biogeochemical systems. Classes in Environmental Geochemistry and Microbiology were especially pivotal in affirming my interests in biogeochemistry. Conversations with graduate students during my sophomore and junior years helped me identify elective classwork to learn increasingly relevant skills such as coding in R, modelling systems in Stella Architect and Igor Pro software, visualizing spatial data in ArcGIS, and analyzing statistics in JMP Pro and SPSS. My nomination for the annual Jack M. Brownstein geology department award for excellence in academics and positive community influence demonstrates my ability to be academically successful while balancing extracurricular commitments.

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      Outside of the classwork, I advanced my mission through commitments as a Geology and Biology Teaching Lab Assistant (TA), being a Lead Resident Advisor (RA), and by developing and leading the first inaugural summer Anti-Racism book club for S.T.E.M. faculty, staff, and students. Serving respectively as a Biology and Geology TA for undergraduate students helped me learn the value of presenting knowledge in a variety of formats to effectively communicate scientific ideas. The value of this skill reveals itself in my mission statement as a desire to help create scientifically informed communities. Similarly, my experience leading a group of ten RAs during a global pandemic for 2+ years taught me how to communicate effectively, balance commitments, practice wholistic well-being, and collaborate with colleagues amid stressful environments. The interpersonal skills I gained as an RA are relevant to all professional settings. These same interpersonal skills were necessary in the organization of a S.T.E.M. community Anti-Racism book club in the summer of 2021. I was motivated to systemically create a space for S.T.E.M. communities at my school to learn about and discuss social justice problems to better prepare S.T.E.M. professionals to advocate for racial justice in their careers. The book club reflects a foundational belief of my mission statement that society’s challenges are best solved by intentionally inclusive and diverse communities that are simultaneously scientifically informed and engaged in allied advocacy to promote justice for all. These extracurricular experiences reflect the necessary collaboration between community and science to solve modern challenges.

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      Another significant commitment I made as an undergraduate was to the research experience. Entering college, I wanted to get involved with research. I took initiative as a freshman and reached out to faculty whose research aligned with my interests. I began working in research labs and continued doing so throughout my undergraduate career. Four years of undergraduate research taught me how to apply the skills of scientific inquiry to approach questions and confirmed a passion for research. Cumulatively as an undergraduate researcher, I wrote and received three grants funding three biogeochemistry research projects. These projects resulted in six professional presentations, a published report, and the future co-authoring of a research manuscript. Highlights include being selected as a sophomore to be one of two University of St. Thomas undergraduate student representatives to present research to state legislators at the “2020 Minnesota Scholars at the State Capitol” showcase, presenting at the Annual Ecological Society of America Conference in August of 2020, contributing to a report published from the St. Croix Watershed Research Station, and completing a research project from ideation and experimental design through data analysis and manuscript writing.

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      In combination with my classwork and extracurriculars, my research experience refined my academic interests and motivate my next professional development steps. Specifically, I am interested researching the chemical economy that drives biogeochemical systems through an analytical toolbox of isotope chemistry, redox chemistry, spectrometry, low temperature geochemistry, and molecular microbiology techniques. My career goals lie at the intersection of my scientific curiosity, my professional skillset, and the environmental challenges facing society today. In my career, I will likely pursue work in academia or the government advocating for the integration of biogeochemical systems knowledge into civil systems. I believe that either career path will allow me to advance biogeochemical systems knowledge through research and influence civil systems through education and informing policy. Ultimately, my mission statement will continue to guide the work I pursue in my professional career.

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Last edited May 2022