Marina Blackman
Biological Sciences
Columbia, Md.
What was your favorite class and why?
My favorite class at Cornell would probably be NTRES 3150: Conservation Bioacoustics. I first heard about this course from a then-Ph.D. student I was working with, Dr. Dawn Parry, at the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She suggested that I take the course so I could expand my knowledge about foundational topics of the field, become more equipped with the tools and techniques used for recording and studying wildlife, and learn how to ask questions about and design studies centered on marine life.
In addition to the invaluable experience I gained working with Dawn, this course provided me with an incredible toolkit for understanding sound: What it is, its physical properties in different mediums and how that affects how animals in different habitats utilize it to survive. I also learned how different technologies work to capture sound for analysis, and what the scientific method looks like in this field to investigate the soundscapes of a variety of ecosystems.
I even had the opportunity to apply these fundamental concepts in a field component of the course on the Big Island of Hawai’i during Winter Break. There, I worked with marine mammal experts from the Hawai’i Marine Mammal Consortium to contribute to a group project comparing passive acoustic monitoring and long-term visual surveys as monitoring efforts for Humpback whales traveling to Kawaihae Bay on the Big Island. The memories we made there together are some that I will cherish forever.
What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you?
My main extracurricular activity is being a student advisor for the Office of Undergraduate Biology at Cornell. I have always been so excited to share about the opportunities I have found here, including my time at Shoals Marine Laboratory the summer after my freshman year, the Conservation Bioacoustics course, the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Program, and other programs and courses. I know the profound impact these opportunities have had on me as a student and as a person. They have shaped the way I think about science and research, provided me with invaluable skills in marine biology, and introduced me to some of my closest friends.
As a learning assistant for a required major course last semester, I led a workshop on engaging in ecology fieldwork at Cornell, sharing with first-year students about some exciting ecology-related field courses, internships and programs they could explore. I also gave them advice about how to stay motivated and enthusiastic about their goals in ecology, even when facing challenging foundational courses that do not feel directly connected to this topic.
It felt so good to read through the reflections some of my advisees wrote about my presentation, realize that it made them feel inspired to engage in work similar to mine and feel seen in their passions within biology.
What are the most valuable skills you gained from your Arts & Sciences education?
One of the most valuable skills I have gained is definitely learning how to ask for help when I need it. When I think about the first classes I took here at Cornell, I remember feeling so overwhelmed trying to tackle courses that were much more rigorous than I was used to.
However, I found that professors in every course emphasized the resources that were available to help us fully understand the material and excel in the class. Once I started attending study center hours and meeting with some of my professors, I was able to better retain the course content, feel more confident in my abilities to apply that content for exams and assignments and become increasingly motivated to keep applying myself so I could get the most out of my classes here.
What have you accomplished as a Cornell student that you are most proud of?
I am most proud of stepping outside of my comfort zone to find some of my most fulfilling experiences here. I stepped into undergraduate research assistant roles that have allowed me to experience so much growth as an aspiring marine biologist.
In addition to my work at the Lab of Ornithology, I also engaged in marine biology research through the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Program. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I worked as an undergraduate research assistant as part of the Commons Biodiversity Project. Driven by the collaboration between scientists from Cornell University and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, the Commons Biodiversity Project aims to apply environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques to help conserve the Crocus clams (Tridacna crocea) native to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
I also spent six weeks in the summer of 2024 as an undergraduate research assistant in the Cheong Lab at Cornell to complete training on environmental DNA techniques for tracking the Rusty crayfish, an invasive aquatic invertebrate species in the Cayuga Lake watershed.
The following summer, I spent six weeks in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia as an undergraduate research assistant at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. In this position, I worked alongside a fellow Laidlaw scholar to track the presence of the giant clams T. crocea and T. squamosa in different ocean habitats there. In addition to gaining research experience, we also explored Terengganu and nearby areas, learning more about both marine conservation and fisheries practices that take place there and forming a better understanding and appreciation of Malaysian culture and customs.
I was able to engage in hands-on conservation work, and also see firsthand other modes of marine wildlife conservation such as fish and oyster farming, an experience that was truly incredible and eye-opening. I'm excited to learn how taking care of marine ecosystems can take so many different forms, which inspires me to take any action I can to protect wildlife in this biome of natural life.
How have your beliefs or perspectives changed since you first arrived at Cornell?
I have learned that when I use my own personal passions to fuel my work, that project or experience becomes so much more engaging and exciting for me.
When I took BIOMG 1350: Cell & Developmental Biology, I learned that I could use my own artistic skills to redraw some of the diagrams and processes relating to cell machinery. I had fun reproducing these diagrams, and found that creating my own little characters made it much easier for me to memorize the parts and steps of these processes.
As a huge fan of The Muppets and Jim Henson’s work, I jumped at the opportunity to engage in a final research project for my VISST 2000: Visual Studies course my junior spring that described Robin the Frog’s physical metamorphosis from a tadpole to a baby frog. And for LSP 2100: Intro to Latinx Studies, I worked with my TA and professor to create my own comic book celebrating Latinx artists in the U.S. comic book industry, a project that is very important to me as an Afrolatina artist myself.
I feel so proud looking back on my coursework at Cornell, as the projects and study techniques I got out of each class represent how I engaged with the course material to produce something that feels very "me." I have found so much enjoyment in putting myself into the work that I do.
Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series. Read more about the Class of 2026.
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