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BACKGROUND
I am driven by an insatiable curiosity about the natural world. While growing up, my favorite activity was exploring, and the best expeditions involved being in the water where I could observe fish. I was intrigued by how well adapted fishes are for life in water. Despite my desire to “go live with the fish,” I had to accept that humans aren’t built for an aquatic lifestyle. So, I did the next best thing and became a fish biologist. Ever since, my professional trajectory has led me to many spectacular explorations, from Alpine Lakes to Grand Canyon.
Over my career, I worked at various institutions in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Currently I am an endowed professor at the University of Arkansas. My technical expertise extends across multiple disciplines, from genes to riverscapes, straddling freshwater and marine fishes, and ranging from southwestern desert springs to Himalayan rivers. I use a variety of methods, from traditional fisheries techniques to molecular genetics—in short, the right tools for the question at hand.
The big picture perspective of my research is to explore the ecological and evolutionary processes that have shaped fish biodiversity, and if we understand these underlying drivers, then we can manage and conserve these processes to sustain fish populations and the habitats upon which they depend. But this complex research must be translated into actionable solutions for resource management and long-term conservation. Therefore, an essential part of my research program is effective communication, and I adopted the ABT (And, But, Therefore) Narrative Structure as standard framework because it is the best tool for simple, clear, and concise communication and for tailoring messaging to specific audiences.
Conservation problems are complex, and given this, my research approach is multidisciplinary and highly collaborative. This requires bringing together teams from academic institutions, state, federal, tribal agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The professional tracks represented in AFS are thus familiar to me and I can personally relate to their perspectives, organizational mandates, and institutional culture.
My formal training focused on technical skills, which have promoted my scientific research and scholarly accomplishments. But I also realized these skills are insufficient to effectively engage with other people. To succeed as a professional, one must have good communication and leadership skills. So, I went back to school and pursued training outside of science because I wanted to learn from mentors who specialize in such skills.
I learned active listening skills via an Improv for Scientists course led by an actor, and I am now more receptive to the needs of diverse stakeholders. I collaborate in online ABT training with Randy Olson, and we have subsequently coauthored a practical guide for applying ABT in all communications, The Narrative Gym for Science for Graduate Students and Postdocs. And the book is useful for scientists at any career stage! In addition, I also enrolled in workshops led by retired Navy SEALs, because they are the best at providing leadership for highly skilled teams performing optimally under uncertain conditions—just like fisheries biologists exploring novel research ideas.
AFS INVOLVEMENT
I joined AFS 20+ years ago and I have remained active as my career shifted from Western to Midwestern USA, and now the southern region, with activities extending across AFS Chapters, Divisions, and Sections. My engagement spans a multitude of activities at all societal levels, to include committee and leadership roles, student mentoring, organization of networking events, workshops, and cosponsored symposia.
Rather than offering an exhaustive list of my AFS service, I instead provide a few select examples relevant to the role of the AFS Second Vice President. These include service on the Governing Board and Management Committee, President of the Genetics Section, and 10+ years as liaison to the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH).
I am also an AFS Fellow, an honor I truly appreciate and recognize as an acknowledgment of my long-term commitment and its many contributions to AFS. But the Colorado State Student Chapter Outstanding Mentor Award (received while an assistant professor) remains very meaningful to me. It is an acknowledgment that my involvement in AFS at all levels has had a positive impact on other members, especially students. Many have moved forward, pursuing successful careers in fisheries and assuming leadership roles in AFS. That is what I find truly rewarding.
I also find my current role as co-chair of the AFS Strategic Positioning Committee (SPC) particularly exciting. It allows my experiences not only to surface but also assist AFS towards a successful future. We have a clear societal mission, but members are less clear about our trajectory for a successful future in a changing world. The role of the SPC is to help AFS membership define its vision by identifying long-term strategic goals (i.e., 30+ year moonshots) that will help prioritize activities and align our programs and initiatives. The opportunity to define “moonshots” has energized AFS members at all career stages, but especially our younger members. If a member wishes to assist AFS in building a successful future, then please join one of the “Futurecasting” workshops organized by SPC (also watch for our upcoming Fisheries article on AFS Strategic Positioning).
In addition to my AFS engagement, I have extensive service experience in other professional societies, and this gives me a broad perspective on societal governance, operations, and financial management. I gained insights into societal business as a student representative on the Executive Council of the European Ichthyological Society. My 20+ years of service on the ASIH Board of Governors has familiarized me with the nuances of societal governance. I understand editorial operations and logistics as derived from my role as Editorial Assistant of ASIH’s journal (then published as Copeia). I have extensive experience with conference logistics and financial planning that stem from my 8-year role on the committee that organized the annual conference for the Joint Meetings of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. And finally, given my role as treasurer/secretary of The International Biogeography Society, I am cognizant of financial realities, such as balancing of revenue streams with expenditures.
Therefore, my nontraditional fisheries background and experiences have provided a more global perspectives for AFS governance, organization, and leadership, and is grounded in the realities of stakeholder needs.
VISION
AFS fulfills an essential role in advancing fisheries science, training professionals, and providing cohesion with the fisheries community. But scientific societies struggle to remain relevant in a changing world. Therefore, we need a bold vision to formulate the role we wish AFS to fill 30+ years from now, so we can prioritize and sustain those services that will be of value to both members and stakeholders.
My vision is for the AFS to harness its “superpower,” so that we can be successful in an unpredictable future. And this superpower is the diversity of our disciplines, professional trajectories, and demographics, as represented across our membership. This is what makes AFS unique as a scientific society, and which endows it with a powerful combination of knowledge, expertise, involvement, and the capacity to lead global fisheries into an uncertain future.
Some might perceive this diversity as a force that pulls AFS in different directions. The solution? Let us all agree with what we all care about—fishes and their habitats. This is our core mission—to conserve and sustain fisheries resources by advancing science, sharing knowledge, and developing fisheries professionals. We can combine our diverse experiences, knowledge, and skill sets by focusing on what unites us. We, as a team, will help facilitate our mission to succeed in an uncertain future.
So, what is needed to mobilize this unified vision of a future AFS?
- Respect of each other’s knowledge, skills, experiences, and perspectives—at all levels.
- Prioritize services relevant to members and stakeholders as a prelude to sustained revenue.
- Long-term strategic goals (30+ year) to guide decentralized operations.
And how will AFS implement this vision?
- Simple, clear, and concise communication to engage members, stakeholders, and the public.
- Adaptive planning to guide programs and initiatives towards strategic goals.
- Leadership at all levels to promote decentralized operations.
AFS needs resilient leaders, dedicated to serving and promoting the membership, and disciplined enough to pursue relevant programs and initiatives. Financial responsibility must be an imperative that will sustain our community of fisheries professionals going forward, where change is our only certainty.
My own professional trajectory has been defined by change and I thus view it as an opportunity to adapt, innovate, and improve. We must think outside the box, look for the best solutions as employed in other disciplines, including actors, communication experts, or Navy SEALs. I have employed this mindset throughout my career and will apply it again as a complement to the existing AFS leadership.
In closing, my affiliation with the AFS leadership team, and the potential for service as AFS Second Vice President, are honors that clearly come with obligations. If elected, I will help AFS leverage its superpower as a global society of fishery professionals and accomplish both its mission and its successful future.
