- Candi Spier
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science
I am an adventure seeker. The adventures are not always geared to getting my adrenaline pumping, but also getting my mind turning. In essence, I am fascinated by extreme environments; how to physically survive them and how to scientifically understand them. The best way to introduce you to my sporadic life is to say that I enjoy air, land and water – and any combination or variation thereof.
I grew up in Ohio where my parents and siblings had the most influence in my life by providing me with experiences, opportunities and challenges. They encouraged and supported my decision to play volleyball while attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. During college, I also participated in the study abroad program and took off to Australia. With the ocean so close, I hopped in the water and became a certified SCUBA diver. It is then that I realized that the aquatic environment can be a challenging place to survive, as well as an interesting environment to study.
Immediately following this excursion, I did not jump directly into the water, I jumped aboard an airplane. I was fortunate enough to collaborate with college friends and as a team we were accepted into NASA’s Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. We developed a project on land, under normal gravity conditions, and then we boarded the airplane known as the ‘vomit-comet’ (KC-135A) and took our experiment and our bodies into near-zero gravity conditions. Along with learning how to develop and execute a research project, this experience taught me the importance of outreach. I came to appreciate how valuable and effective hands-on experiential learning could be, and I yearned for ways to gain my own experiences.
I joined the AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps in an effort to give back to my community and to get involved with a variety of experiences. It was a nomadic, physically challenging life-style, but not intellectually demanding. After the ten-month term, I jumped into graduate education and applied to Dr. Kaattari’s lab at the College of William & Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science. It is here that I could finally merge my undergraduate study of molecular biology and biochemistry with the aquatic environment that had intrigued me early on. With an interest in environmental science and a working knowledge of biochemistry, I am currently working on developing a biologically-based sensor for detecting oil pollution in water in near-real time.
