Women in Ecology – Angela Strecker

If you’ve been following our Women in Ecology series, you’ve probably noticed a few common themes: the value of mentorship in STEM fields is highly important, and gender diversity in the workplace continues to be a challenge. We’ve also heard repeatedly about the importance of diverse representation in STEM fields to inspire and retain young scientists. By fostering a workforce that reflects many backgrounds and experiences, students and early-career scientists will be more apt to see themselves in the academic science environment, which will support diversity in STEM as a whole.  

We recently discussed these topics with Dr. Angela Strecker, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Watershed Studies at Western Washington University. Strecker talks about her career path into ecology, and she describes how she’s learned to open up about her own experiences to help students, and the important work she does related to invasive species’ impact on our environment.