Computer Science + Ecology/Ethology/Conservation biology = ?

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    • October 8, 2014 at 7:00 am #17927
      Nwah
      Participant

      Hello everyone,

      I did my MS in Computer Science in 2013. Now I am teaching programming to college students. After teaching for a year or two I can do a PhD in computer science but I don’t want to learn anymore about computers or do research about computers (six years was enough).

      We have made tremendous advancements in technology but the natural world is at peril. I think I would be way more useful to this world if I became a conservation biologist instead of a computer scientist. I always wanted to know about living things. I am fascinated by animals and plants. Perhaps I can get a masters degree in Ecology/Ethology/Biodiversity/Conservati… Biology. I can surely use my programming/software development/computer graphics/simulation skills in those areas.

      Does this sound like a good idea? Will the professors in the biology department be interested in letting an IT guy into their labs or take him to an underwater field trip to examine coral bleaching? I don’t know. I’ll email them soon but I thought maybe I’d ask you first. Please share your opinions/suggestions. This is a major decision of my life and I’m being extra careful.

      Thank you, I really appreciate your time.

      N’wah

    • October 8, 2014 at 4:40 pm #115488
      jonmoulton
      Participant

      I can offer a taste of the direction you are discussing, as well as a specific tool which you might find exciting. Look into HexSim:
      http://www.hexsim.net/

    • October 8, 2014 at 5:17 pm #115489
      Nwah
      Participant
      quote jonmoulton:

      I can offer a taste of the direction you are discussing, as well as a specific tool which you might find exciting. Look into HexSim:
      http://www.hexsim.net/

      That IS exciting! I just finished reading about it. I’m going to download it and start learning to use it. Thank you so much jonmoulton!

    • October 22, 2014 at 12:47 am #115509
      wildfunguy
      Participant

      Design an eco-friendly computer chip.

    • November 5, 2014 at 8:56 pm #115535
      BasicBiology
      Participant

      You will definitely have some skills from your computer science degree that would be very useful in terms of modelling and what not in ecology and biology. If it is enough to jump into a masters degree in one of these fields I’m not sure. You might have a better chance of doing a graduate diploma or something for a year and then jumping into a masters degree. I would definitely encourage you to get into it though.

      Good luck

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