Tina Cheng, PhD •  Quantitative Ecologist

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I am a

QUANTITATIVE ECOLOGIST

Tina Cheng, PhD

Presented by Bat Conservation International
MY PATH

How I became an athlete, outdoors enthusiast, and quantitative ecologist.

MAJOR INFLUENCES

  • Animals

    I’ve always had this strong affinity for animals and wanted to be with them all the time. I think this part of my personality has actually led me to do what I currently do.

  • My Sister

    My sister was like my mentor. She also studied biology but went on to become a doctor. We had a shared love of ecology and I always like to think that if my sister can do it, I can too.

  • David Attenborough

    He’s one of the world’s most famous biologists and natural historians. I was inspired by him to work in natural history filmmaking, and this experience renewed my confidence and desire to work in ecology.

Science taught in the formal way didn’t come easily to me.

In undergrad, I struggled a lot with my grades, but I found a lot of success and inspiration from hands-on lab and field work. Rather than letting my discouragement lead me to quit, I decided to stick it out and use my strengths to guide my career as a scientist.

Major Milestones

My Love for Animals & Nature

Even though I grew up in the city, I’ve always loved animals and nature. These interests guided my career path for the rest of my life.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

During my Master’s program, I was able to figure out which disease was harming salamanders in Guatemala and Mexico, which made me feel more confident about my abilities as a scientist. Using this newfound confidence, I decided to look into Ph.D. programs.

Finishing My PhD

By the time I finished my PhD, I became passionate about data science and learned how to use statistics to help conserve bats. When I entered my PhD, I knew very little about statistics and programming. Now, I have a job where I use both in order to protect bats.

Things I learned

along the way:

  • Grades aren't going to determine everything.

    After transferring to UC Berkeley in undergrad, my GPA tanked. This really hurt my confidence and I thought I wouldn’t succeed at a career in science. However, I had accumulated a lot of great lab and field work for my resume. I had good references and experience - which did help me in my career path.

  • I have to be 'field hardy' at my job.

    One of the unexpected requirements of my job is to be “field hardy”, meaning I can thrive in really remote international areas where I’m basically camping as I’m doing the work. It’s not your average camping trip, it requires someone who is physically and emotionally on top of their game despite the difficult situations in these remote environments.

  • I don't have to have a big plan.

    Pursuing the things that I love, however seemingly different or misaligned they are, has gotten me this far. I don’t want to rely on a big life plan because I am too excited by all of life’s possibilities and adventures.

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Tandem Photo • Illustrator: Eira Gemanil

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