As appearing in source.colostate.edu | May 6, 2024 | By Cheyenne Dolin
Outstanding Grad: Celeste Wieting
Celeste Wieting, a doctoral student in geomorphology, has had to navigate graduate school like the rivers she studies, by mastering the art of changing course.
She grew up traveling to national parks and fell in love with whitewater rafting. So, it’s no surprise that her research focuses on how the removal of invasive plants affects river morphology. Part of her dissertation was dedicated to studying the effects of invasive species removal on the river within Canyon de Chelly National Monument. However, her research was abruptly halted when the Navajo Nation, overwhelmed by COVID-19, closed the monument to all visitors.
COVID-19 also disrupted a canoe trip Wieting had planned for fieldwork in Big Bend National Park. When the trip was rescheduled, Wieting was four months pregnant with her first child. One night during the trip, a flood forced the crew to drag their tents, gear and boats to higher ground – all by headlamp. The flooding interfered with data collection, but Wieting had enough data to complete this portion of the research.
Despite these obstacles, Wieting successfully pivoted through the unexpected challenges she faced while writing her dissertation.
In their own words
What was the biggest challenge you faced on your way to graduation?
Becoming a new parent while in graduate school. I love spending time with my son Augie. But as a graduate student, you don’t make a lot of money, and child care is nearly impossible to find in Fort Collins. So, it’s challenging to balance everything.
Having a baby has also changed the way I think and feel; I’ve become more anxious and find it harder to focus. I’m the only parent in my research group, and I’m older than most of my colleagues, so it is difficult to talk about these things with them because they don’t quite understand.
Do you think being an older graduate student was beneficial in some way?
I worked as a consultant doing groundwater and soil remediation work after I got my bachelor’s degree. As a graduate student, I’ve worked closely with professionals in the field and see how they use our research. Having this experience has influenced how I conduct and write about my research. I write with practitioners in mind so that they can implement my research or incorporate it into their management plans.
What advice do you have for students who are considering pursuing a graduate degree?
It’s OK to explore your options and take time off. There are a lot of great internships out there and getting that experience will help you network, narrow down what you’re interested in, and better understand how your work in graduate school may be applied. If you do decide to pursue graduate school, make sure you ask your advisor about student employment positions.