Another IE3 Intern Awarded Fulbright to Chile: Christina Murphy

Noted on July 25, 2008 by Natanya in

Christina Murphy, a senior in Fisheries and Wildlife (College of Agricultural Sciences), International Degree, and University Honors College at Oregon State University, has been awarded a Fulbright to return to the Estacion Costera de Investigaciones Marinas (ECIM) in Las Cruces, Chile to conduct marine research. ECIM is part of the Pontifica Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile and is internationally known for the quality of its work. Two of the head scientists at ECIM are OSU alumni and have strong connections with Dr. Jane Lubchenko and Dr. Bruce Menge at OSU.
Christina Murphy participated in an IE₃ Global Internships internship at ECIM during the summer of 2007. During her time there, she focused on intertidal ecology. For her project, she specifically focused on a species of intertidal predatory crab, Acanthocyclus gayi. Upon her return from her internship, Christina commented that “Before this internship I had planned to move directly into a PhD in fisheries ecology. Now, I am applying for a Fulbright to return to Chile to continue my research before entering a graduate program. In general, going abroad again gave me a chance to look at my life and values out of my normal context. I have a much clearer perspective when I can look into the situation rather than out from it.” Now, Christina’s dream has come true. She went on to say that “I want more than anything else to return to Chile on a Fulbright and begin a new project at the station. I need the experience of complete integration and international research. While I found the internship exceptionally valuable, I need more time to continue to become a part of the lab and of Chile. Values such as patience will be essential in my return to graduate school and my large life dream of becoming a professor/researcher.” Christina gained a lot of practical skills in her internship such as adaptability, patience and understanding. She describes how they relate to a career in science: “Let’s face it: in science, things rarely work out perfectly. Adaptation is yet another tool of the trade. I think that learning to adapt to a variety of situations has helped keep me thinking creatively and constantly problem solving. Understanding is another valuable tool that I will use in my future. Once again, a lesson that falls as a cornerstone of science. The struggle for understanding will shape the rest of my professional career. It is the wellspring for project ideas and research topics.”