Professor Ehrenfeld's legacy as an educator and a mentor

Background/Question/Methods

The symposium will conclude by discussing Dr. Ehrenfeld’s legacy as a mentor and educator and will highlight the continuity of her work through the scientific careers of her advisees. It is often said that she was ahead of her time as a woman pursuing a career in ecological research. She served as a role model to young women (and men) in the sciences in terms of successfully balancing career and family. In the minds of her advisees, Joan set a dauntingly high standard. She had high standards for her advisees and students, and expected from them the same level of self-motivation and dedication that came naturally to her. She enjoyed encouraging her mentees to perform beyond the level they thought possible and displayed a mischievous delight in asking thorny questions during oral and preliminary exams. The number of former advisees who have pursued successful careers in ecological research speaks to her nurturing side and the guiding role she played in the professional development of her mentees. Her lab functioned as a community, and Joan organized hiking and canoeing trips and dinners at her home to encourage the lab’s collegiality. Several of Joan’s advisees were from overseas, and she helped them feel at home; some of them later returned to their mother countries and established successful ecological careers.

In addition to her advising duties, Joan took her commitment to undergraduate and graduate education very seriously, consistently dedicating significant amounts of time to updating her lectures with the latest studies from the scientific literature or changing the flow and visuals in an attempt to better reach students and convince them that chemistry was not scary or boring. She peppered her lectures and reading lists with literature and scheduled weekend field trips to get students out of the classroom. Her goal was always academic rigor, and she continually challenged students to rise to her high academic standards. As a result, she earned her students’ respect and admiration.

Results/Conclusions

Dr. Ehrenfeld touched the lives of her advisees and students, many of whom have gone on to continue her work across a wide range of ecological sub-disciplines. Her emphasis on the utility of both basic and applied research is reflected in the careers of her former advisees, who further ecological knowledge through research at universities and government laboratories, management and policy work with NGOs and government agencies, and outreach through agriculture and education efforts.