From Smithsonian fellow to research botanist
For this week’s column, I interviewed , a research botanist at the who specializes in lichens, which are symbotic systems of multiple species growing together.
“The hardest part about getting a job as a lichenologist is to convince people the importance of hiring a lichenologist,” Dal Forno told me.
An interest takes root
Dal Forno was born and raised in Brazil. During her freshman year at the , she attended a workshop that featured two visiting lichenologists and she was amazed by their work. To learn more about lichens, she volunteered, interned and sought out mentorship by one of the visiting lichenologists.
After graduating with her bachelor’s in biology, she joined ’s lab at the and earned her master’s in botany. She then did a one-year land-management internship at The Audubon Center of North Woods (now called the ) in Sandstone, Minnesota, where she helped teach classes for the public.
She then began doctoral studies of lichens at with of the biology department and of the Chicago-based Field Museum. In 2015, she earned her Ph.D. in environmental science and public policy.
It was then that Dal Forno decided to pursue a nonacademic career.
She secured a National Science Foundation-supported postdoctoral fellowship at the . She explored various lichen collections and addressed questions related to systematics, the microbiome, evolution and genomics.
She then won the Smithsonian’s two-year , which enabled her to continue working with the same group of lichens but ask new questions about them.
The daily life of a lichenologist
After her Smithsonian fellowships, Dal Forno received a job offer to work as a research botanist at the .
BRIT is a nonprofit scientific research and learning center. Since its founding in 1987, its collections have grown to . The institute’s specimens, library (physical and digital) and other resources are available for use by scientists and other professionals. The institute also does significant public education. (BRIT recently merged with the .)
“For my work, I take an integrative approach or integrative taxonomy. I go to the field. I collect samples. I look at specimens under a microscope. I also do the genetic work for those specimens. My day-to-day (schedule) can be really flexible, but I'm either in the lab, in my office or in the field,” she said.
Careers for lichenologists
Dal Forno was the first lichenologist I’d ever met. I asked her about career options for lichenologists.
Museum scientist: As I explained above, Dal Forno was a postdoctoral researcher at the . A museum, she said, is a good place for lichenologists to dive deep into research, curate and educate the general public.
Full-time researcher: Research is not limited to just academic institutions. Museums, botanical gardens or herbariums all need lichenologists who work on a range of projects.
Various lab jobs: Lichenologists have a strong foundation in biology and botany. They can work as lab technicians or managers within or outside of lichenology. Their skills can be applied to labs that focus on genomic analysis or molecular biology.
Curator: There are about 20,000 known species of lichens, and there are untold numbers that are yet to be discovered, collected and analyzed. On field trips, Dal Forno collects multiple samples; upon return, she processes and incorporates them into the herbarium. Curators ensure best care practices of specimens in collections to understand classic taxonomy/systematics and to facilitate research, exhibits and acquisitions.
Federal or state employee: Governments even need lichenologists. “Lichens can be used as bioindicators of the air quality. There are lichenologists that are employed at the state or federal levels who investigate community patterns and threshold levels of pollution utilizing lichens,” she said.
Advice for job seekers
Even though she is a lichenologist, Dal Forno’s advice can be applied to any scientist who is interested in a career path beyond academia or industry.
Value every step of your career path: Just as lichens are hiding at plain sight, there are many science careers we still do not know about. Take time to determine what you want to do. Dal Forno said that she knew she wanted to focus on lichen research very early, but she acknowledged that is not always the case. She recommended interning at different places (labs, museums, etc.) to explore your passions and maybe discover something new about yourself.