University of Oregon

Nicholas Hayman

Nicholas Hayman — Master’s student in Biology at San Diego State University (San Diego, CA)

After getting a passion for marine ecological research at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, I decided to pursue my Master’s in Biology at San Diego State University. I am a student in Brian Hentschel’s lab and my thesis project is studying the combined effects of water flow speed and sublethal exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos on the predator-prey interactions between an estuarine fish (Fundulus parvipinnis) and an infaunal polychaete (Polydora cornuta). In addition to my research, I do scientific outreach through the graduate student organization, the Marine Ecology and Biology Student Association. These activities include showcasing my and my colleagues’ research at the SDSU marine lab, the Coastal and Marine Institute, as well as going into K-12 classrooms to teach the students about the marine systems in San Diego and demonstrate ecological concepts. I anticipate graduating in spring 2015 and hope to move into a career doing research with a governmental agency. The professors and my peers at OIMB inspired me and helped me discover how amazing the oceanic world really is. The intensive, hands-on classes and the bonds formed between students and professors were invaluable. The most useful thing I learned at OIMB was how to be a proficient researcher through the numerous independent research projects.