Kendall Valentine (2020)

“With the support from The Wetland Foundation, I was able to travel from Baton Rouge, LA to San Diego, CA for the 2020 Ocean Sciences Meeting and present my research. I gave a talk titled “Suspended Sediment Dynamics, Marsh Accretion, and Cold Fronts in Coastal Louisiana,” which was a great opportunity for me to share some results from an upcoming paper from my dissertation. I received a lot of useful comments and suggestions, as well as questions that will help in writing the manuscript! On top of that, my research has significant implications for coastal restoration projects, and I was able to chat with stakeholders about how my results could inform these projects. Presenting at the meeting provided the necessary space for me to interact with these stakeholders.

While at the meeting, I was also able to attend MANY talks and posters to learn about other active research in coastal systems around the world and make connections with scientists at other institutions.  This is particularly valuable to me, as I am graduating with my PhD very soon and am on the job hunt!  Additionally, I was able to help guide the undergraduate student researcher that I advise around his first conference and show him what conferences are all about. Overall, The Wetland Foundation’s support to attend the Ocean Sciences meeting furthered my science, career, and mentorship skills.”