CERF 2025 Collab Session C

Wednesday, 12 November 2025  |  3:00 PM – 4:30 PM ET

ICC Open Session

Rising TIDES Alumni Connections

Description 

This collab session will bring together all alums of the Rising TIDES program, to serve as a space to catch up, make connections for future collaborations and projects, and discuss the impact Rising TIDES has had on your career and research. 

Facilitators

  • Allison Fitzgerald, New Jersey City University
  • Jennifer Zhu, Billion Oyster Project

Charting the Current: Navigating Careers with Clarity and Values

Description

Our paths are often not straight lines, but thoughtful routes shaped by lived experience and purpose. In uncertain times, building a meaningful career isn’t only about following a fixed map. It’s about learning to chart and adjust your course as it unfolds. Like navigating a river or an open sea, career paths are shaped by shifting currents arising from policy change, economic headwinds, social movements, or personal pivots. This session invites you to step into the role of navigator, equipped with clarity, values, and community.

Through stories from professionals across sectors, we’ll explore how others have found direction in the face of change, made values-driven career decisions, and stayed adaptable without losing sight of what matters most to them. We’ll talk about how to move forward when the route isn’t clear, and how to build a career that reflects who you are and what you stand for, even in unpredictable conditions.

Participants will hear from speakers whose journeys reflect the realities of students, early-career professionals, and those navigating uncertain waters or recalibrating their course. Through conversation, reflection, and connection, this session offers tools for navigating the career current with intention, resilience, and integrity.

Facilitators

  • Kristy Lewis

Research Challenges and Opportunities at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions

Description 

Conducting research and teaching at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) presents many challenges but also unique opportunities. Our goal is to bring together graduate students who are considering seeking PUI positions with early-, mid- and late-career faculty to discuss specific areas of concern in PUI research settings. The session will be a mixture of short presentations from PUI faculty, combined with discussion break-out groups, concluding with inspirational remarks and advice from a senior faculty member at a PUI.

Facilitators

  • Amanda Croteau, University of West Florida
  • Lisa Waidner, University of West Florida

Create Space for Authentic Science Storytelling Through Your Unique Lens

Description

Calling all creatives, scientists, storytellers, and more! In this interactive session, participants will reflect on mindful prompts and even practice intentional doodle skills to communicate their science story. Rae Quadara, also known as Rae Rae The Science BAE (biologist | artist | educator) will facilitate this discussion to foster authenticity, belonging, and community in this physical space while participants practice exercises and utilizing mindful tools to bring with them into all spaces they occupy. Please note, no art experience is required to bring out your unique science story; this session is all about the creative process.

Facilitators

  • Rae Quadara, Rae Rae The Science BAE LLC

Building Resilience in Galesville, MD: A Collaborative Future Vision

This session highlights the innovative designs developed by three student/faculty teams as part of a coastal resilience design competition focused on Galesville, Maryland. Teams will present actionable solutions addressing shoreline erosion, stormwater management, flooding, and cultural preservation in this historic Chesapeake Bay community. Discussions will integrate technical expertise and community engagement to explore how these ideas can be implemented to enhance resilience.

Facilitators

  • Roberto Rovira, Florida International University
  • Jori Erdman, James Madison University
  • Tiffany Troxler, Florida International University