accidentally tried to post this with attachments...dumb! Clearly this individual will find working out in the field a challenge, however, this need not exclude her from persuing a widlife degree.
>From an employment perspective, most wildife jobs are not fieldwork-based, they are office-based. These jobs involve a lot of pushing paper and evaluating issues and policies in consort with designated proposed actions. Therefore, I see no reason the student should be concerned from an employment perspective, whether that be with a consultancy, state or federal government. If the student desires to pursue a research-career, this disability should not hamper her either so long as she makes sensible choices in what direction she takes. Certainly, the theoretical underpinings that drive conservation and management decisions would be no more difficult for this student than for any other student of similar intellectual capacity, devotion and drive. If the student is more interested in working with the wildlife directly it will require careful budgeting to include techs, postdocs, etc. who are physically able to perform the duties which her disability prevents her form doing directly. Obviously, there are some things this student would find a serious challenge. However, the field itself is not that shallow that a person with mobility issues cannot contribute in an important and viable manner. Consider this, I know of several collaborations among individuals where one does almost 100% of the field work, and the other does almost 100% of the labwork. I also know a few partnerships in which one person writes grants and papers while the other person performs the lab and field work. None of these cases involve disabled persons, but there is no reason that a disabled person could not develop such collaborations to move his/her ideas forward. I personally, having advised a few graduate students and having taught plenty of doctoral students as doctoral faculty (though not advised doctoral students), I would have zero problem taking a physically disabled student as a graduate student in the field of conservation or environmental science providing they had the intellectual skills, drive and focus to perform as expected as a doctoral student. In fact, I have been working on several studies over the past few years that are specifically wildlife conservation related and yet involve little to no fieldwork. Graduate school is about how good a head you have on your shoulders and how good you are at problem solving. IF you have the brains, the dedication and the drive to do the work, I don't think this disability will be at all a problem. There are also numerous studies that can be formed by watching and observing in which mobility is less of a factor. IF confined to a wheelchair, there are even field studies that could be implemented. Obviously, adjustments and contrivances would be , but it can be done. With today's technological tools available (GPS, cameras, and even drones) why should she be concerned? Our jobs are becoming increasingly arm-chair activities whether in policy or on-the-ground consevation. Tell her to go for it. I am not currently with a grad program, but feel free to have her contact me for further ideas and info. I spent a ton of time around disabled students while in school, and the one thing I learned is that there are a ton of things she can do. Here are some reprints of wildlife conservation studies I did. some are pretty important, three are VERY important and most are minor. They are all 100% doable by a person in a wheelchair. Here is an interesting article worth reading: http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/17250/title/Scientists-With-Disabilities-Must-Confront-Societal-As-Well-As-Physical-Challenges/ Malcolm On Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 1:42 PM, Malcolm McCallum < malcolm.mccallum.ta...@gmail.com> wrote: > Clearly this individual will find working out in the field a challenge, > however, this need not exclude her from persuing a widlife degree. > > From an employment perspective, most wildife jobs are not fieldwork-based, > they are office-based. These jobs involve a lot of pushing paper and > evaluating issues and policies in consort with designated proposed > actions. Therefore, I see no reason the student should be concerned from > an employment perspective, whether that be with a consultancy, state or > federal government. > > If the student desires to pursue a research-career, this disability should > not hamper her either so long as she makes sensible choices in what > direction she takes. Certainly, the theoretical underpinings that drive > conservation and management decisions would be no more difficult for this > student than for any other student of similar intellectual capacity, > devotion and drive. > > If the student is more interested in working with the wildlife directly it > will require careful budgeting to include techs, postdocs, etc. who are > physically able to perform the duties which her disability prevents her > form doing directly. Obviously, there are some things this student would > find a serious challenge. However, the field itself is not that shallow > that a person with mobility issues cannot contribute in an important and > viable manner. > > Consider this, I know of several collaborations among individuals where > one does almost 100% of the field work, and the other does almost 100% of > the labwork. I also know a few partnerships in which one person writes > grants and papers while the other person performs the lab and field work. > None of these cases involve disabled persons, but there is no reason that a > disabled person could not develop such collaborations to move his/her ideas > forward. > > I personally, having advised a few graduate students and having taught > plenty of doctoral students as doctoral faculty (though not advised > doctoral students), I would have zero problem taking a physically disabled > student as a graduate student in the field of conservation or environmental > science providing they had the intellectual skills, drive and focus to > perform as expected as a doctoral student. In fact, I have been working on > several studies over the past few years that are specifically wildlife > conservation related and yet involve little to no fieldwork. > > Graduate school is about how good a head you have on your shoulders and > how good you are at problem solving. IF you have the brains, the > dedication and the drive to do the work, I don't think this disability will > be at all a problem. > > There are also numerous studies that can be formed by watching and > observing in which mobility is less of a factor. IF confined to a > wheelchair, there are even field studies that could be implemented. > Obviously, adjustments and contrivances would be , but it can be done. With > today's technological tools available (GPS, cameras, and even drones) why > should she be concerned? Our jobs are becoming increasingly arm-chair > activities whether in policy or on-the-ground consevation. > > Tell her to go for it. > I am not currently with a grad program, but feel free to have her contact > me for further ideas and info. > I spent a ton of time around disabled students while in school, and the > one thing I learned is that there are a ton of things she can do. > > Here are some reprints of wildlife conservation studies I did. some are > pretty important, three are VERY important and most are minor. > They are all 100% doable by a person in a wheelchair. > > Here is an interesting article worth reading: > > > http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/17250/title/Scientists-With-Disabilities-Must-Confront-Societal-As-Well-As-Physical-Challenges/ > > Malcolm > > On Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 9:54 AM, Gough, Laura <go...@uta.edu> wrote: > >> Dear all: >> >> A student has contacted me who wants to pursue graduate studies and an >> academic career in wildlife biology. Tragically, she fractured her back two >> years ago and is currently confined to a wheelchair. There is only a remote >> chance that she will be able to walk again. >> >> I am reaching out to the Ecolog community to see if any of you have ideas >> for how she can pursue her dream if she is not physically able to conduct >> field work. >> >> Please respond to me off-list. >> >> Thanks in advance, >> >> Laura Gough >> >> >> >> >> Laura Gough, Professor and Interim Chair >> Department of Biology >> University of Texas Arlington >> Arlington, TX 76019-0498 >> 817-272-2872 >> go...@uta.edu<mailto:go...@uta.edu> >> http://www.uta.edu/biology/gough/lab/index.htm >> > > > > -- > Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP > Environmental Studies Program > Green Mountain College > Poultney, Vermont > Link to online CV and portfolio : > https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO > > “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich array > of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a > many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers > alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans.” > -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 > into law. > > "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - > Allan Nation > > 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert > 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, > and pollution. > 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction > MAY help restore populations. > 2022: Soylent Green is People! > > The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) > Wealth w/o work > Pleasure w/o conscience > Knowledge w/o character > Commerce w/o morality > Science w/o humanity > Worship w/o sacrifice > Politics w/o principle > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any > attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may > contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized > review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not > the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and > destroy all copies of the original message. > -- Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP Environmental Studies Program Green Mountain College Poultney, Vermont Link to online CV and portfolio : https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans.” -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 into law. "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - Allan Nation 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) Wealth w/o work Pleasure w/o conscience Knowledge w/o character Commerce w/o morality Science w/o humanity Worship w/o sacrifice Politics w/o principle Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
