NIPAM PATEL: 18 years
ago was the first time
I was invited to
the MBL to teach
in the molecular
evolution course.
It's been just an
incredible experience--
the energy of the students,
the energy of the faculty,
the chance to do new things.
That's really the amazing
thing about this place,
is the convergence of the
people, the equipment,
and the organisms
that can be worked on.
[AMBIENT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
 PLAYING]
I just love coming
in in the morning,
and being able to
see that stuff.
There's always great
excitement with that.
My vision for the
MBL is to make it
vibrant to the outside
community, year-round,
to increase the diversity of
organisms that are readily
available here, and the other
is to expand the education
component of the MBL.
It's always been an
unbelievable place for education
in the summer, but to
expand throughout the year.
I'm very excited to
continue to have a lab here.
I think it's hard if you become
divorced from the research,
and yet you're trying to
guide the research mission,
and you don't know what
the challenges are, what's
working, what the
newest technology is,
what's exciting in the field.
The Marine Biological
Laboratory way of doing science
is to try risky things, to make
new things work, whether it
be the marine system, meaning
organisms here, or really
the ecosystems level of study,
which is also so important.
going forward is
that ability to be very
collaborative, very
creative, and very brave.
