Dr. Elizabeth Smith, research scientist, Center for Coastal Studies Graduate Faculty, Department of Physical & Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi

Q. What does your typical (if there is one) workday look like?
A. If I'm in the office, I spend about an hour on mail and e-mail correspondence; two hours in meetings with students and research assistants; an hour on the phone responding to immediate questions/requests; four hours writing proposals and scientific reports; and two hours reviewing papers/theses/reports. If I'm in the field, I spent about 10 hours hours surveying wetlands, birds, water quality, or I may be traveling to scientific meetings.

Q. What do you like best about your job/career?
A. I like having so many different opportunities to conduct research with bright students and the opportunity to make a positive impact on wetland conservation.

Q. What do you find most frustrating?
A. There's never enough time in a day to do everything.

Q. What kinds of experience and coursework should a student focus on to pursue a career like yours?
A. Take as many different biology and ecology classes as you can take: plant taxonomy, vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, biochemistry, landscape ecology, estuarine ecology, wetland ecology, coral reef ecology, etc.

Q. What is your all-time favorite Web site and why?
A. www.travelocity.com because I get to travel a lot! I have been to Australia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Canada, Mexico, and from Alaska to Cape Cod, California to Florida all in the past few years, learning about different ecosystems and presenting my research results.