Naomy Robalo Moreno double majors in Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Marine Biology. Originally from Cape Verde, she is the first in her family to study ocean and conservation science. She came to URI uncertain about what she wanted to study and, through the encouragement of her mentors and advisors as well as coursework and fellowship experience, developed her identity as a student scientist. Below is a Q&A with Robalo Moreno and CELS Communications Fellow Yvonne Wingard about Robalo Moreno’s degree path, her advice for other students, and more.
Which fellowships did you complete during your time at URI, and what did those experiences involve?
In 2022, I was awarded the Science and Engineering Fellowship, and I worked with Lisa Tewksbury in the Biocontrol Lab. Then in 2023, I was awarded the RI NSF EPSCoR’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), where I worked with Dr. Colleen Suckling on URI’s Bay Campus. I started out mainly just taking care of the insects in the Biocontrol Lab and working with sea urchins at the Bay Campus aquarium. But I had to learn how to advocate for myself to do more hands-on research. Eventually, I got to travel to Maine for a week, where I helped a grad student set up his research. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my major(s), and I remember talking to the assistant dean [Michelle Fontes] at the time, and she told me to apply for the Science and Engineering Fellowship, so I did and I really liked it. It opened up my world to the possibilities of my majors.
What skillsets or knowledge did you gain from these fellowship experiences?
I learned a lot, especially research-based skills like how to gather data, surveying, and being more organized with data. I also learned how to make research posters and pull data from the information I gathered. In SURF, I learned how to come up with a research topic, conduct research and pull it all together. I also learned a lot about how to communicate with your professor – making sure everything is clear and they know what you’re doing that week, etc.
Have you ever encountered dealing with “imposter syndrome” and if so, how did you navigate or overcome that feeling?
Yes, I have. I’m an immigrant. I came to the United States when I was 12, so imposter syndrome was a big thing in middle and high school, and especially in college. I felt like I wasn’t at the same level as my peers, especially on the research/scientific side. Students would talk about the research they got to do in cool places or working with animals, and I didn’t really get to do those things. I felt behind and like I wasn’t in the right place. When I started my internship, it got worse, because they would talk about terminology that I didn’t know. I was feeling like, do I deserve to be here? Am I in the right place? I haven’t really solved that; I always feel like that. But I just started telling myself it’s not fair to be like that to myself. I am the first person in my family who wants to work with animals and the ocean, so I’m starting from scratch. I figured that while I didn’t get that experience [in research and science], I will find ways to get it now.
Who have been your most influential mentors at URI?
Aura Fajardo Grandidge, assistant dean for diversity and student success initiatives, is #1 – she is my mentor. She’s very inspiring and she pushes me to go out and learn stuff and find experiences. She’s really good at being there for her students and the people around her. When I’m down, I can talk to her. She helps me find different ways of seeing things. Also Scott McWilliams in the NRS department is a really great professor. He’s also my academic advisor. He’s very good at teaching, and his classes are very insightful. He knows how to explain things and make sure students have real-life experiences. As an academic advisor, he’s responsive and sets meetings where when you leave, you feel prepared for anything.
What are your plans after graduation?
I want to work and gain experience in land or ocean conservation research and then go on to graduate school. I want to go back to Cape Verde to work and study there, maybe become a professor. I just want to go back home and help my community. When Cape Verde was colonized, the Portuguese introduced Prosopis pallida, or mesquite, to help with erosion, but the plants suck all the water around them so that other native plants can’t grow, so the land is left very dry when it’s not raining. When I started working in the biocontrol lab (which uses insects for biocontrol), I felt like this could be something used to solve the plant problem in Cape Verde. l was thinking maybe I could find a native insect in Cape Verde that could kill the tree but doesn’t stop the other plants from growing around it.
What advice do you have for students looking to study science or conservation, or who are applying to these fellowships?
1). I would say not to limit yourself and go with whatever opportunities are presented to you. Even if you don’t like it, you’re going to get some experience from it.
2). Be open to learning and new experiences. Be an open book and gain and absorb as much knowledge and experience as you can. And don’t think that you don’t belong. Because if you’re there, you’re there for a reason. Even if you feel like you shouldn’t be there, there’s a lot of others who feel the same way.
3). Don’t be afraid to reach out. The whole staff of CELS and the Dean’s Office are awesome – they really care about their students and are very involved. People like Dr. Forester, Dean Becky Sartini, Aura Grandidge, and Kristy Levinson were all really helpful resources, and they inspired me to pursue these research opportunities. If you have any problems, you can always go and talk to them!