Hello my fellow curious critters and welcome back to The Friendly Neighborhood Shark Lady! It is finally time for another Scientist Spotlight! This month’s scientist is Dr. Alycia Lackey. She is currently an assistant professor at the University of Louisville, but I met her while she was doing postdoctoral research in the lab I worked in at Murray State University. Dr. Lackey also happens to have said one of my all-time favorite quotes. She walked into the lab, took a deep breath, and said, “Smells like ethanol, smells like science.” I swear I am going to make t-shirts with that on them one day. Anyway, it is my absolute pleasure to introduce to you Dr. Alycia Lackey.
What made you want to become a scientist?
For me, it’s a combination of loving to spend time in nature and to solve puzzles. As a kid, I loved playing outside in the stream in our backyard and taking apart my toys to see how all the parts fit together. A career as a biologist lets me figure out how things in the natural world work.
When did you know you wanted to become a scientist?
I liked a lot of subjects in school, including science, writing, and music. In my senior year of high school, AP Biology was my favorite course, so I decided to major in biology in college. I didn’t really know about the possible career paths, but I knew I wanted to spend more time thinking about biology. It wasn’t until my junior year of college when I started doing undergraduate research that I decided I wanted to go to grad school. Essentially, I’ve been following my interests and letting that guide each next step even without knowing what the final outcome might be.
What did you do to become a scientist?
I think people become scientists when they go through the steps of the scientific method, and so many people experience being a scientist through K-12 and college education experiences. I suppose there is another level of ‘becoming a scientist’ when someone decides they want to be a scientist for their career. My scientific career path has included gaining undergraduate research experience, earning a Ph.D. in biology, expanding my expertise through two postdoctoral research positions, and starting a faculty job.
What does your typical day look like?
Research and teaching are the primary components of my job. I start almost every day with 1-2 hours of writing or data analysis. This work allows me to publish the research I have been doing or to write funding proposals for future work. On some days of the week, the rest of my day involves teaching or preparing class materials. On other days of the week, the rest of my day involves meetings with collaborators or members of my department or working on research projects. As a PI leading my own lab, “working on research” involves planning and conducting experiments as well as ordering supplies and managing a budget.
What is your favorite thing about being a scientist?
There are always more things to learn and new puzzles to solve.
One thing I love about biology is how complex the outcomes can be. Maybe we think that warmer temperature due to climate change will increase how fast a salamander grows, but it’s always more complicated than that! Growth rates interact with available resources and the presence of predators, oxygen and nutrient levels, animal behavior in new environments – all of that!
What is your least favorite thing about being a scientist?
That sometimes non-scientists distrust scientists or their results. I am so enthusiastic about what science can teach us, and I love learning from data. But I have to remember how not everyone thinks that way. One of the fun things about being a scientist is communicating ideas to others, and as scientists, we need to think of lots of different ways to share that information so that people with a variety of perspectives have the opportunity to experience it.
What is your favorite random science fact?
I don’t know! I think it’s just the fact that there are so many things to know. It’s always fun to have someone tell me a new science fact. My kids are a great source of fun facts about animals. Today at dinner, my five-year-old told me how fast a capybara can run. I had no idea it was that fast!
How did you decide what area of science to specialize in?
My college courses and undergraduate research experience really piqued my interests in evolution, ecology, and behavior with an emphasis on organisms and populations.
If you weren’t a scientist, what do you think you would be doing for a living?
I think many career scientists have a backup plan in case things don’t work out. I have daydreamed about owning a coffee shop / local artists’ store with stationery, art prints, and handmade jewelry. Honestly, my current job of running my own lab is a lot like owning a small business.
Other jobs I’d like are also sciency -- science museum education or science writing and editing. But in general, I’d like a job where I help others learn new things.
What area would you NEVER want to study?
Economics and politics.
What is your favorite animal?
So many! But I have to say that every time I see a salamander is just as exciting as the last. That never gets old.
What do you like to do when you’re not being a scientist?
I love being outdoors hiking or kayaking. I also love dancing. I’ve been taking dance classes since I was a kid. I love lots of different styles, including ballet, hip hop, and Latin.
What is your favorite memory from the field/doing research?
I have been incredibly lucky to do fieldwork in beautiful places like coastal British Columbia and in the Rocky Mountains. So for me, I love the still beauty of those places – taking in gorgeous views while working with fascinating organisms. That is such an amazing part of my job.
Thank you so much for coming by and learning all about Dr. Lackey’s journey to becoming a scientist! Much like Dr. Lackey, I decided to study biology in college because I loved spending time in nature and solving puzzles. As I learned more about science through middle and high school, I realized that it was the key to solving so many puzzles about the natural world I had always been curious about. There is always something new to learn! I know I am extremely grateful that Dr. Lackey was able to take some time out of her busy schedule to share her story with us, so let’s all give her a big thank you! I’ll see you all back here for more science fun soon!
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