STRIDE Student in the Spotlight: Julia Stepanuk
Julia Stepanuk is a STRIDE Fellow and PhD student in the Department of Ecology & Evolution, studying within the lab of Dr. Leslie Thorne.
A native of Philadelphia, Julia earned her B.Sc. (Honours) from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, and completed a GIS certificate at the University of Maine at Machias. Julia has spent many years working on the ocean, both with the Sea Education Association and with whale watch companies in New England.
Growing up on the water, surrounded by people who were interested in marine life and conservation, “I realized how much I want to bring facts and accuracy into the interpretation of data of hot topic conservation issues and conversations.” Julia’s research utilizes aerial surveys through the use of drones to track schools of fish in New York. Using the drones to measure whale body mass indexes, she is able to measure the health of the ecosystem.
“The most challenging part [of graduate study] is finding time and space to compartmentalize planning fieldwork, coding, or just thinking about dissertation. Blocking out chunks of time to do the necessary things without getting sidetracked” is a constant challenge.
When she can find some downtime away from her research, Julia enjoys being active with hobbies such as running, snowboarding, and doing yoga. A figure skater since the age of 5, Julia took some time away from the sport after high school, but has recently picked it up again with an ice dancing class at a local ice skating rink. In fact, she has started taking some PhD friends ice skating as well. “It’s really fun to teach them and watch them succeed and have little accomplishments each time they go! I can’t wait to watch them blossom into the beautiful, angelic skaters I know they can be.” Julia says that ice skating is a great outlet for stress-relief for when the PhD process gets difficult.
Julia cites having a very long list of people who have inspired her. She says they are, “primarily women who have opened up doors and spaces for me to feel comfortable learning, and who have given me support and advice from when I was 11 years old until now, who have all helped shape who I am today.”
When asked to discuss her future plans post degree, Julia expressed an interest in combining her interest in science communication with the skills built into the PhD in a creative way, possibly in some capacity where she can teach.