Katherine Charton, who recently received her PhD in Integrative Biology, was a WISCIENCE STEM Public Service Fellow in 2023. She is now a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Institute on the Environment and the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center at University of Minnesota working on climate adaptation in the natural resource sector. She previously earned a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from University of California, Berkeley, and has loved getting to live and work in many different parts of the country as she’s progressed through her early career. Outside of school, she enjoys swimming, kayaking, reading, and cross-stitching.
What was your favorite part of the STEM Public Service Fellows program?
Considering how academic research can serve communities can be challenging, but learning and doing so with a group of peers was incredibly rewarding. I learned a lot from the different viewpoints and experiences of my fellow STEM Public Service Fellows, and together we built a learning community in which it was safe to explore these challenging ideas.
How has this program helped you achieve your career goals?
Not only does the STEM Public Service Fellowship provide a strong scholarly foundation in community-engaged research, it allows Fellows to apply these academic ideas in a real-world setting. Working directly with the Wisconsin Institute on Climate Change Impacts developed my professional skills in synthesis research and communication, which just so happen to also be large parts of my first postdoctoral job.
What is one of the most valuable things you learned as a Fellow?
I work in the field of applied ecology, and therefore my research goals typically include informing decision-making. Decision-makers in my field include not only land managers and owners, but also, increasingly, policymakers. The STEM Public Service Fellowship has helped me better contextualize my research for relevant decision-makers in the communication formats best fit for them.
Learn more about STEM Public Service Fellows.