Environmental/Natural Resources Specialist III Calvin Rezac grew up in Minnesota exploring the outdoors with his family and later in college with mentors and colleagues. If you’re interested in knowing more about what a scientific researcher does, or maybe in becoming one yourself, then you’re in for a treat! This interview is chock-full of excellent advice plus personal stories of Calvin’s journey to developing a career that doesn’t feel like “work”.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR MDWFP’S MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE?
I started my position with the museum in March 2021.
WHAT’S YOUR WORKDAY LIKE?
My workday varies based on what time of year it is.
In the spring/summer you can find me on the water working on various research projects related to native fish and freshwater mussels.
In the fall/winter, I spend my time at my desk or in the collection where I’m busy writing reports, publishing said reports in scientific journals, preparing for future projects, or processing specimens into the collection.
I also participate in other aspects of the museum throughout the year including aquarium feeding shows, trail maintenance, outreach events, exhibit installation, and assisting on projects with other field biologists.
ANY FUNNY WORK STORIES?
I have a terrible memory, but a recent one comes to mind.
In the fall of 2021, we were working on a mussel survey of the Big Black River.
The Big Black River flows into the Mississippi River and has a population of American Alligators that we’d often see while conducting our surveys. Even though we’ve never had a problem with them, and they actively try to avoid us, they’re often on our minds when conducting mussel surveys.
Well, to get to the point, our field technician and I found a remote-control alligator head online and decided to play a practical joke on one of our colleagues.
As we were boating to our sites for the day, we carefully hid the remote-control head and began to fill our friend’s head with worry by pointing out each passing gator.
Once at the site, we got in position and waited for the moment he dove underwater. When the timing was right, our summer technician launched the gator head toward him.
As he surfaced, we collectively yelled “GATOR!!!” and pointed in his direction as the remote-control head sputtered near him. He reacted in a high-pitched squeal, and we busted out laughing.
The plan had worked to perfection!
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
I grew up in the country outside of the small community of New Prague, Minnesota about 40 minutes south of the Twin Cities.
I was raised on a small family farm next to my grandparents and spent a lot of my childhood exploring the family woods and learning about whatever critters I could find; however, small fish or “minnows” were always my favorite.
I graduated from New Prague High School and took a few classes related to ecology including a Fisheries and Wildlife class that showed me a career in conservation could be possible.
After high school, I attended South Dakota State University (SDSU) for a B.S. degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. Attending SDSU ultimately kick-started my path towards a career in conservation.
A major influence on my career was getting involved in the student subunit of the Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS). I received a lot of career advice and guidance thanks to the many graduate students and professors that I was introduced to through AFS.
Through their advice, I took fisheries technician positions in Western South Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana, and Texas. The experience I earned in these positions was invaluable and confirmed to me that a career in aquatics was something I wanted to continue pursuing.
Upon completing my bachelor’s degree, I turned my focus to graduate school positions down south. Not only was it an opportunity to escape the arctic tundra I called home, but it also was a pursuit to observe some of the most scenic and biodiverse aquatic systems in the United States.
Thankfully, I got accepted into the University of Central Arkansas and joined the Adams Fish Ecology Lab. I got everything I was hoping for when I accepted the position at UCA and then some! I learned from great scientists and completed a thesis project on fish community change since the 1970s in the Spring River within the Ozarks of Arkansas.
I currently call Mississippi home and have enjoyed getting to learn more about the state. In my free time I enjoy fishing, hoping to see a Minnesota sports championship before I die, and watching whatever new movie/series Marvel, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, or Lord of the Rings puts out.
I also have a wonderful girlfriend Emily and a corgi named Murphy that keeps me busy!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?
In the beginning, my reasons for pursuing a career in aquatic conservation were to work in a position where work didn’t feel like a chore and to be able to satisfy a desire to help conserve our native species.
From an early age, I grew up experiencing and appreciating nature with my family. Some of my favorite memories include traveling with my grandparents in their RV to national parks, fishing on Lake Superior with my uncles, camping in Wisconsin, and paddling around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I think a lot of these experiences were major reasons why my passion for conservation grew.
However, as I developed more in my scientific career, I didn’t realize how much I could enjoy research. It takes a small army and a lot of work to complete a project, but the results are rewarding. I enjoy learning and at the end of a project, I always feel like I’ve learned so much.
HOW DOES YOUR JOB CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?
My job can be broken into two parts.
Firstly, I plan and assist with status assessments of rare and declining fish and mussel species within the state of Mississippi.
Mississippi is home to one of the most diverse aquatic ecosystems in the U.S. and many of these species face threats like habitat loss from ongoing land-use practices. The way I look at it, each project I’ve been a part of feels like a story yet unwritten. Sometimes the stories are positive, sometimes the stories are concerning.
It’s my job to take on the challenge of understanding the complexity of nature, unravel the “numbers”, and produce something with biological meaning. The goal of each of our projects is to further advance our understanding of the current status and future threats to our native species.
Secondly, I help assist with the daily management of the Ichthyology and Freshwater Invertebrate collection located at the museum.
The museum is an incredible resource for researchers and academics and can be thought of as a library.
In our collection, each jar or “lot” of fish is like a book, and we’re the librarians. Researchers from other intuitions request these “lots” for scientific research and it’s our job to make sure that we can locate these specimens and get them in the hands of the researcher as quickly as possible.
Because of our collection, researchers have been able to describe new species and document changes to the distribution of our native and non-native species within the state.
ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT INTERESTED IN A BIOLOGY OR MUSEUM CAREER?
1) Take opportunities to learn and gain experience early. Don’t wait until later in your academic career. Take those opportunities to join a professional society or student-led conservation club right away.
Apply for internships and join a research lab if it is available to you at your university. If you don’t get a paid internship, volunteer as much as you can.
Schoolwork is important, but relevant experience is what will help separate you from others with the same degree.
2) Build a relationship with a mentor or role model in the field. Being able to have a person who has been in your shoes before and can help teach you the ropes of a profession is a huge factor in starting a successful career.
3) Lastly, realize that being outside with the sun in your face and wind in your hair is only a portion of the job, so develop your skills in writing, public speaking, statistics, and interpersonal relationships as well.
