Dr. Lotterhos was the Principal Investigator on the Research Coordinated Network for Evolution in Changing Seas that ran from 2018-2024. This network of almost 400 marine scientists and evolutionary biologists from around the world is working to understand how marine species are evolving in response to climate change, including warming and ocean acidification. Our lab led network activities, including coordinating working groups and organizing workshops.
For more information, visit the RCN's website.
As part of this network, we developed and ran a Virtual Lab Meeting Program. Developing robust professional networks can help shape the trajectories of early career scientists. Yet, historical inequities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields make access to these networks highly variable across academic programmes, and senior academics often have little time for mentoring. Here, we illustrate the success of a virtual Laboratory Meeting Programme (LaMP). In this programme, we matched students (mentees) with a more experienced scientist (mentors) from a research group. The mentees then attended the mentors’ laboratory meetings during the academic year with two laboratory meetings specifically dedicated to the mentee’s professional development. Survey results indicate that mentees expanded their knowledge of the hidden curriculum as well as their professional network, while only requiring a few extra hours of their mentor’s time over eight months.
Figure (right): Illustration of the LaMP program by Christina Chung.
Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B