Troy Wynne
When I started my PhD, I assumed my time would be straight forward. I would work on three research projects for my thesis, attend classes, and teach. What took me by surprise has been the multitude of “side quests” I have taken along the way. By side quests, I mean seemingly unrelated activities that do not directly contribute to my thesis research questions, but have become some of the most rewarding adventures of my PhD.
For example, one summer I piloted and led a diving and marine science internship at the California Science Center for high school seniors in Southeast Los Angeles. I am also a freelance writer for the Scuba Diving Magazine, where I write articles in the ‘community’ column (see here). While neither directly relates to my dissertation, both allowed me to explore my interests in science communication and environmental outreach.
This academic year, I will be embarking on my next side quest: the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC) Natural Resources Workforce Development (NRWD) Fellowship 2026-27. This Fellowship provides graduate students hands-on workforce training to develop actionable science that informs natural resource management decisions. Every year the fellowship has a different theme. This year, the theme is “Cloud Seeding”.
Cloud seeding (INCREDIBLY oversimplified) is when a seeding agent is delivered into clouds to enhance snowfall. This fellowship selects seven graduate students, all from different universities and disciplines, to collaborate on an interdisciplinary project to address the gap in knowledge on the effectiveness of cloud seeding in climate adaptation resilience planning in the U.S. Southwestern region. This issue is particularly important in areas such as Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California, where snowfall plays a critical role in recreational and agricultural industries, provides water supply for communities, and supports habitat for wildlife. As climate change alters precipitation regimes, cloud seeding can contribute to adaptive water management and climate resilience. Our project will inform natural resource management decisions by examining the effectiveness of Cloud Seeding and will attempt to clarify the impact of cloud seeding in water issues in the Southwest.
I will serve as the UC-Davis student representative for the fellowship as a current UCD-SDSU Joint Doctoral Program PhD student. Throughout the fellowship, I will travel to Utah State University for workforce training and to present our project outputs. Training opportunities will include a team science training workshop done by the American Institute for Biological Sciences and a science - management - policy exchange in Climate Adaptation Science workshop.
I am incredibly excited to continue expanding my knowledge beyond the bounds of my dissertation and gain critical workforce training at the science - management - policy interface. I have come to value that some of the most rewarding aspects of my PhD thus far have been the opportunities I didn’t plan for. Here’s to the next side quest!
To learn more about this fellowship and cloud seeding, read more here: https://swcasc.arizona.edu/nrwd-fellowship.
For example, one summer I piloted and led a diving and marine science internship at the California Science Center for high school seniors in Southeast Los Angeles. I am also a freelance writer for the Scuba Diving Magazine, where I write articles in the ‘community’ column (see here). While neither directly relates to my dissertation, both allowed me to explore my interests in science communication and environmental outreach.
This academic year, I will be embarking on my next side quest: the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC) Natural Resources Workforce Development (NRWD) Fellowship 2026-27. This Fellowship provides graduate students hands-on workforce training to develop actionable science that informs natural resource management decisions. Every year the fellowship has a different theme. This year, the theme is “Cloud Seeding”.
Cloud seeding (INCREDIBLY oversimplified) is when a seeding agent is delivered into clouds to enhance snowfall. This fellowship selects seven graduate students, all from different universities and disciplines, to collaborate on an interdisciplinary project to address the gap in knowledge on the effectiveness of cloud seeding in climate adaptation resilience planning in the U.S. Southwestern region. This issue is particularly important in areas such as Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California, where snowfall plays a critical role in recreational and agricultural industries, provides water supply for communities, and supports habitat for wildlife. As climate change alters precipitation regimes, cloud seeding can contribute to adaptive water management and climate resilience. Our project will inform natural resource management decisions by examining the effectiveness of Cloud Seeding and will attempt to clarify the impact of cloud seeding in water issues in the Southwest.
I will serve as the UC-Davis student representative for the fellowship as a current UCD-SDSU Joint Doctoral Program PhD student. Throughout the fellowship, I will travel to Utah State University for workforce training and to present our project outputs. Training opportunities will include a team science training workshop done by the American Institute for Biological Sciences and a science - management - policy exchange in Climate Adaptation Science workshop.
I am incredibly excited to continue expanding my knowledge beyond the bounds of my dissertation and gain critical workforce training at the science - management - policy interface. I have come to value that some of the most rewarding aspects of my PhD thus far have been the opportunities I didn’t plan for. Here’s to the next side quest!
To learn more about this fellowship and cloud seeding, read more here: https://swcasc.arizona.edu/nrwd-fellowship.
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