Source: Southeast Asia Center Blog

Conservation & Language Study

Published Feb 16, 2016

This week we will hear from our alumna Linda Uyeda. She finished her PhD in Wildlife Science last summer, and her research brought together STEM and area studies. More importantly, Linda's career path is inspiring.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Southeast Asian studies rarely intersect. In fact, they typically do not appear in the same sentence. But in the case of our alumna Linda Uyeda, the two must be combined.

For her PhD, Linda studied "monitor lizard behavior and human dimensions" on Tinjil Island, Indonesia. Her research combined both "conservation biology" and "international conservation". Linda took her first trip to the island through the International Field Study Program in 2008. At the time, she "didn't really know much about Indonesia." So, after the trip, she "wanted to really get serious about Indonesian language study."

Thanks to the FLAS Fellowships, Linda was able to improve her Indonesian for research. For subsequent trips, she "interviewed local Indonesian villagers to learn about their perspectives and attitudes towards wildlife." Linda commented, "I feel for conservation measures to be successful, the two [STEM and Southeast Asian studies] must often go hand in hand."

Beyond research, knowing Indonesian helped Linda connect with Tinjil Island on a personal level. "Being able to speak Indonesian allowed me to have much more meaningful experiences beyond my research; after a while, living on the island was like being with friends and family," she explained. Also, the alternative is rather grim. "It would have been very lonely staying on the island for months at a time without being able to have conversations in Indonesian!" Linda said.

Like her research, Linda is not typical. She's very brave and inspiring. Before entering the PhD program, she already had two careers under her belt: 10 years as a gymnastic coach and 5 years as an informal educator and zookeeper. Of course, she "was really nervous about going back to school" after such a long break. "Back when I was an undergraduate, we used to have to register for classes by using a touch-tone telephone," Linda recalled. But the transition wasn't as difficult as she had expected. Her advice for balancing work and school was to focus on one thing at a time - and be in the moment.

Interview

We haven't had the chance to meet. But I've learned a lot about you through your website. I thought your career path and journey through graduate school were really interesting. Before you received your PhD in Wildlife Science from UW, you were a Gymnastic Coach (1994-2004) and Zoo Keeper (2007-2012). And it seemed that you went to back school when you were working at the Woodland Zoo. Could you talk a bit about why you wanted to go back to school for your MA in International Studies (2010) then PhD in Wildlife Science (2015)?

As you noted, I worked as a gymnastics coach for quite a few years after completing my undergraduate degree in Zoology. So after transitioning to a career as a zookeeper and informal science educator, I really wanted to further my knowledge of wildlife and to broaden my understanding of current conservation issues. I went back to school as a graduate student in 2007, completing the Master of Science in Biology for Teachers (MSBT) program. Through the MSBT program I studied conservation biology and teaching methods, and was able to carry out an independent research project through the International Field Study Program-Indonesia.

The MSBT program gave me a great background in science teaching methodology and I learned about the ecological aspects of conservation biology. However, I realized I would also need international awareness and savvy to effectively carry out field research and to aid in the development of global conservation programs, so I continued on, completing the MA in International Studies with a focus on International Conservation.

I was really excited about the opportunity to design and carry out an interdisciplinary research approach based on what I had learned in each of my masters programs. Through my PhD research as a wildlife science student in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, I was able to study both monitor lizard behavior and human dimensions.

And was it a difficult transition for you to go back to school?

At first I was really nervous about going back to school. It had been many years since I had completed my bachelor’s degrees and I realized I was a bit out of touch with some of the everyday technology being used at the university level. Back when I was an undergraduate, we used to have to register for classes by using a touch-tone telephone! In the end, the transition wasn't as painful as I was expecting. I think being eager and just plain excited about my programs really helped.

Do you have any tips for graduate students about balancing work and school?

I think the most important thing for me was being focused at each thing when I was actually doing it. Sometimes I would catch myself worrying about work when I was at school or vice versa. When I was able to concentrate on just whatever I was doing in the moment, I was a lot more efficient. Of course, that's often easier said than done!

I saw that you worked with Professor Randy Kyes. In fact, you participated in the International Field Study Program on Tinjil Island, Indonesia, and your dissertation was on the water monitor lizards inhabiting the island. Randy once joked that the program was the original "Survivor" before the TV show appeared.        Was the living condition during the program that tough? What was your experience like?

Tinjil Island will always hold a special place in my heart! Depending on when you go, it can range from being pretty comfortable, to feeling extremely difficult. No matter when you go, it is definitely not a cushy place compared to perhaps to the typical living conditions most Americans might be used to. I found the rainy season to be particularly challenging. Simple tasks such as hanging my clothes to dry and using my radiotelemetry equipment in the forest during heavy downpours were more difficult for sure!

And what was it like to study the interface between animals and humans on Tinjil Island?

While I was on Tinjil I had the opportunity to observe wildlife, and to also talk with the Indonesian staff and fishermen there about their perspectives. I found it incredibly enriching to be able to hear their thoughts and opinions about the animals we all knew so well from the island.

I always find meeting new people fascinating. But lately, what fascinates me more is how I meet new people. Our Indonesian language instructor Pauli and my colleague Linda gave me your contact info because they thought you would make a great profile for the weekly newsletter. I'm assuming that you knew Pauli and Linda because you took Indonesian for fieldwork.

What role did Indonesian play in your research?

To be honest, before I was accepted to the International Field Study Program – Indonesia, I didn’t really know much about Indonesia. I think the first time I even heard what bahasa Indonesia sounded like was during the IFSP prep course with professor Kyes. While the prep course was excellent and armed us with essential basic Indonesian skills, after my first trip to Indonesia in 2008 I returned to the US realizing that I wanted to really get serious about Indonesian language study.

I was fortunate in that I was awarded a Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship to study Indonesian for two of the three years I studied it at UW. Also, I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to study with Bu Pauli at UW. Not only can we study a less common language such as Indonesian here, but we have a wonderful and engaging instructor to learn from!

And what kind of project would it have been had you not had the language training?

Throughout my field work, I was often the only American/English speaking person in the area, so I needed Indonesian skills simply to carry out every day communications. Needless to say, much of the research would not have been possible if I hadn't been able to communicate. It would have been very lonely staying on the island for months at a time without being able to have conversations in Indonesian! Being able to speak Indonesian allowed me to have much more meaningful experiences beyond my research; after a while, living on the island was like being with friends and family. Of course, I also conducted interviews with local villagers as part of my research, so Indonesian language ability was vital for that component of my work as well.

Do you think it's possible to combine STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and area studies? Or that the STEM fields would benefit from area studies?

I definitely believe it is not only possible, but in many cases essential to combine STEM and area studies! In my case, I studied the ecology and behavior of monitor lizards, and also interviewed local Indonesian villagers to learn about their perspectives and attitudes towards wildlife. I feel for conservation measures to be successful, the two must often go hand in hand.

I also saw on your website that you just landed a new job in California. Congrats. Could you talk a bit about your job as a Research Associate with the Great Basin Institute? What will you be doing? Is there room for you to apply the skills and languages that you learned at UW? And will you be back on Tinjil Island to do more research soon?

Thanks! Actually, I am just starting a new position as a California Condor Biologist for the Santa Barbara Zoo. I am brand new to the position, so I can't say for sure exactly which skills I will be using.... although I have no doubt that my interdisciplinary experiences will prove beneficial! As for Tinjil Island, I do not have a definite plan to return in the near future, but I definitely hope to be back to Tinjil Island someday.