Dominique Maucieri

Meet Dominique Maucieri, UVic Women in Sciences Webmaster, Graphic Designer, and Ph.D. candidate studying ecology in the Bates Lab!

Tell us about yourself. 

I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Bates Lab at the University of Victoria. I look at how heat, hunger, and habitat loss affect marine invertebrate communities. 

What is a fun fact about yourself? 

I often work with animals and wildlife and have been bitten by some unique animals, including many bats and a shark! It was just a tiny pyjama shark, but I have a little scar on my finger to prove it. 

How did you first get involved with UVic Women in Science? 

I reached out last year because I wanted to find another way to give back and do outreach. When I was younger, I didn't know that being a scientist could look like the way I am a scientist now. I always try to reach out and talk with communities and classrooms to show, especially young girls, that there is a place for us in science, and you don't have to sit in a lab with a lab coat and swirl little beakers to be a scientist. There are so many ways to be a scientist!

What are your future career goals? 

I am interested in staying in research after my Ph.D. I am still determining exactly where I will end up, but I am interested in the teaching and lecturing side. I could also see myself enjoying being a coder for some ecological organizations or companies where I could help to analyze and make sense of data. 

Is there any field of research you are particularly interested in? 

I am an ecologist, so I study how animals and plants interact with each other in the environment. I study marine environments specifically and love reef systems, both coral and rocky reefs. I look at community ecology, not just one species, not just individuals themselves, but looking at all the species in an area and how they interact with each other. 

How did you discover your interest in science? 

My route to discovering my interest in science was all over the place. In high school, I was good at biology and chemistry but couldn't envision a future career in these subjects. I started undergrad expecting to go into something like medical illustration, which was my way of being artistic and incorporating science. Then, in my second year, I took an ecology course as a degree requirement, and I was sitting in the class continuously amazed that you can study animals as a job. I did my undergrad at the University of Calgary, and at the time, they were pushing the honours program, so some friends and I decided to sign up. During the honours program, I realized I liked doing research and having autonomy over my general areas of study and what I was doing daily. After that, I decided to do my master's and Ph.D.

What is your favourite non-stem hobby/ activity? 

I think I have two modes in terms of hobbies. I'm either in classic outdoorsy Victoria person mode and am outdoors climbing, hiking and scuba diving, or I am in grandma mode, knitting, baking, and crocheting. I have many hobbies that I am not the best at but enjoy!

What advice do you have for people looking to get into your field? 

My advice for those interested in grad school is to be confident in yourself and just go for the opportunity. It is better to be rejected than to not try, and the most challenging part is to get your foot in the door. My advice for undergraduate students is that many people know what they want to do, such as being a marine ecologist and end up focusing only on marine ecology. I didn't know what I wanted to do after my undergrad, which I believe helped; I got a very broad and diverse undergraduate experience. I got to work with trees, bugs, maps, and many different things, preventing me from being restricted to one set of ideas. I have a holistic and eclectic view of ecology, which benefits my research now. 

What is your favourite way to relieve stress and recharge after a long day? 

I really enjoy cooking at the end of the day. Going home and doing something like cooking feels mindless but allows me to destress at the end of the day, and then I can spend my evening doing something a little more enjoyable. 

What media have you been consuming recently? TV, music, podcasts, movies?

I am currently reading an ecology-based book called "Bear Without Fear" by Kevin Van Tighem. It is a history of bears in the Rocky Mountains, and the author also went to the University of Calgary. It is non-fiction but pulls in ideas from his life, what he has witnessed, and how ecology changes. It is a fun environmental read!

Who is someone that inspires you and why? 

I don't necessarily have one person, but the people who most consistently inspire me are all of my supervisors. I have worked with Dr. Amanda Bates and Dr. Julia Baum, and seeing how they can accomplish so much and their devotion to science is extremely inspiring. 

What do you find most challenging about your degree? 

One thing we talk about so often as grad students is that we have this one looming task: completing our dissertation or thesis. It seems impossible, and in my case, I have four years to complete it. Figuring out how to break it up into all the little things you must do along the way and keeping yourself accountable are two of the hardest parts of coming from undergrad, where everything is so structured. 

What do you feel you have gained by being a part of UVic Women in Science? 

I love hearing the stories and seeing how being a part of the community of Women in Science or just anyone in science has affected people, as well as hearing about how people got to where they are and how they want to continue to improve things. It is just so inspiring to get to know all the amazing people involved.