Amy Chiuchiolo, Graduate Student
Virginia Institute of Marine Science

When Amy isn’t studying or working, she can be found cycling, waterskiing, or hiking. She also enjoys going to the gym for a workout. Amy participates in cycling races. Amy answered these questions in August, 2001.

Why are you a scientist?
I like research. I like being out in the field and in the lab. It is interesting to find out answers to questions. I like the environmental aspects of science. I’ve done fieldwork in a rainforest and I’ve worked in an eco-toxicology lab.

What is science?
Science is asking questions and finding answers.

What skills and qualities are
necessary to be a scientist?
A lot of science is repetitive, so you need to be able to do things over and over. For example, you might need to count bugs many times as replicates of an experiment. It is important to be precise. You can’t say "this is good enough". You can’t contaminate things, for example. When entering data (in a computer or on a lab sheet), you have to check things over a lot. You have to be very careful with details. You have to be imaginative, too, in thinking up projects. A scientist has to be curious, always wanting to find answers to interesting questions.

What is most enjoyable about your job?
I like the lab work and the fieldwork. I like getting results from an experiment. I enjoy plotting graphs and working up the data.

What frustrations do you face with your job?
Nothing, really.

When you go out to make field observations,
what do you plan to do when you aren’t working?
I’ll take books to read, and I’ll listen to books on CD. I’ll use the exercise equipment in the workout room, and I’ll take photographs.

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