Dear all: Thanks to those of you who responded to my original post! I have not yet met this student, so some of these suggestions may not be relevant for her, but I wanted to share a condensed version of the responses with ECOLOG to help others in similar situations.
Many people commented on computer-related skills she could learn/employ that do not require field work, would keep her in the wildlife biology field, and would likely make her highly competitive for jobs after graduate school. These included GIS, processing of remotely-sensed data, and various quantitative skills (statistics using R, bioinformatics using Python, etc.). Others noted that she could conduct theoretically-based research and/or develop research questions that can be tested with museum specimens. Others commented about specific activities she might be able to engage in that could have a limited field component: --urban ecology studies --monitoring amphibians using calls --bird counts --camera trap data --images/data from drones --boardwalk accessible field sites Several people described group approaches to field work, and how she could potentially gain all the field help she needs from fellow students or technicians while she still designed the studies, analyzed the data, etc. Here is an REU program specifically targeting students of all physical ability levels, including those in wheelchairs: http://www.bakeru.edu/canopy A webpage devoted to Ph.D. students with chronic illness or disability: https://phdisabled.wordpress.com/ Finally, several people mentioned that federal agencies in particular are ADA compliant, and she should explore future career possibilities there. Thanks again, Laura Laura Gough, Professor and Interim Chair Department of Biology University of Texas Arlington Arlington, TX 76019-0498 817-272-2872 [email protected] http://www.uta.edu/biology/gough/lab/index.htm -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Gough, Laura Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 9:55 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ECOLOG-L] advice for disabled student seeking grad program in wildlife biology? Dear all: A student has contacted me who wants to pursue graduate studies and an academic career in wildlife biology. Tragically, she fractured her back two years ago and is currently confined to a wheelchair. There is only a remote chance that she will be able to walk again. I am reaching out to the Ecolog community to see if any of you have ideas for how she can pursue her dream if she is not physically able to conduct field work. Please respond to me off-list. Thanks in advance, Laura Gough Laura Gough, Professor and Interim Chair Department of Biology University of Texas Arlington Arlington, TX 76019-0498 817-272-2872 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> http://www.uta.edu/biology/gough/lab/index.htm
