All about Calvin

Some images from Calvin's seminar, including
sites he has studied. In his own words, "I
study failures."

Friends, as many of you know, I collaborate closely with a maritime archaeologist, Dr. Calvin Mires. The marine debris project that we just got funded will support Calvin for 3 years, and we both see that time as an opportunity. Over the next 3 years, Calvin will hopefully become much more integrated in WHOI research and develop new collaborations and projects. Calvin's been a WHOI employee since 2019, but since he's worked part-time and primarily remotely, not many people have met him in-person. The marine debris project will change all that. 

The first step in introducing Calvin to the broader WHOI community was to schedule a seminar. The Biology department weekly seminar series is a platform for scientists in the department to discuss their research, answer questions, and build relationships. I just so happen to be one of the co-coordinators for the seminar series, so I booked Calvin for a slot and made sure his talk was advertised across the institution. About 30 people came in-person or on Zoom, which I consider a success. I have to admit - Calvin's talk was a pretty good advertisement for our lab! He told the story of his own career, including how an archaeologist ended up in the Biology department (something that Calvin still finds amusing), and then delved into the research questions that interest him the most. 

We were hoping that one or more scientists would ask questions or come chat with us after the seminar to identify themselves as possible collaborators. It worked. A toxicologist from my department approached, and we had a great conversation about how shipwrecks could serve as study sites for understanding adaptation to environmental stressors. I walked away very excited about the research possibilities. 

Calvin's 50th birthday dinner!

Just a week later, there was another day all about Calvin: his 50th birthday! I was honored to be included in the celebration. Many of Calvin's collaborators become close friends, so the group that gathered included partners from our Stellwagen project, who I've only seen sporadically since 2020. Calvin's closest collaborator (his wife) and his longest-term project (their daughter) were also there - it was great to catch up with them. This is one of the things I love about science: the people you work with very quickly become your community, and the line between friend and family tends to blur. Science builds community. 

I'm grateful that I get to collaborate with Calvin and glad we got to celebrate his work and his birthday!