Having it all figured out doesn't mean you have it all figured out.
That's one of the lessons Danielle Haak learned as a doctoral student in UNL's School of Natural Resources.
"I feel like I've been prepared in ways I didn't even realize needed preparing," Haak said. "I think I am a completely different person than when I started."
After earning bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Michigan Technological University, respectively, Haak made her way to UNL to pursue a Ph.D. in natural resource sciences with an emphasis in applied ecology.
During her first year, Haak was exposed to the seed that would later blossom into her dissertation topic.
"When I started at UNL, the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit was just starting to work on a number of side projects focusing on the Chinese mystery snail, and over time we ended up with so many questions," she said. "It just made sense to create a full dissertation out of the research."
Haak has spent significant time studying the Chinese mystery snail to understand the ecological or economic harm an organism can cause in a new environment where it is not native. In an 18-month span, she published five peer-reviewed articles and participated in UNL's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program.
As part of the program, Haak had the opportunity to train at the Young Scientists Summer Program, offered annually by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna, Austria. The three-month program provided her with increased global engagement and a larger platform for her research.
"I never pictured myself working with other scientists at an international level," Haak said. "Going abroad alone without knowing anyone is intimidating, but being able to travel solo is one of the best confidence boosters there is."
Before returning stateside in the fall of 2014, Haak learned that she had been named a University of Nebraska Presidential Graduate Fellow. The fellowships honor a select group of NU graduate students on the basis of high scholastic performance and personal accomplishment. Fellows receive a stipend from the University of Nebraska Foundation to pursue studies full-time.
"Being selected for this award was incredible," Haak said. "I was worried I would have to take on an unrelated project to fund my last year, and that would have prolonged my studies because I would have been dividing my time between the two. The support from the Presidential Fellowship was phenomenal, and it was probably the reason I actually finished my degree."
Haak defended her dissertation, "Bioenergetics and Habitat Suitability Models for the Chinese Mystery Snail," in December 2014. Kevin Pope, assistant fisheries unit leader of the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and Valery Forbes, professor and director of the School of Biological Sciences, served as her advisers.
"Danielle has been afforded some incredible opportunities as a graduate student at UNL," Pope said. "I was super pleased with the development of Danielle that occurred during her participation in IIASA's Young Scientist Summer Program. As with all students, it has been a joy watching the gleam in Danielle's eyes intensify as she progressed through her graduate program."
Forbes also noted that Haak's international experience – combined with her recognition as an NU Presidential Fellow – make her an exceptional student.
"I was particularly impressed by how successful and productive she was during her trip to Austria as part of the IIASA program," Forbes said. "Being awarded a prestigious NU Presidential Fellowship is clear evidence of Danielle's capabilities as a promising scientist."
After graduating in May, Haak – a Milwaukee native – will return to Vienna to continue the research she began with the Young Scientists Summer Program.
As for what might come after that, Haak said only time will tell.
"When I return to the states this fall, I'd like to get a job in environmental consulting and then see where things go from there," Haak said. "It's surreal to think that school will finally be over, so it's hard to plan out what will really lure me in next."
— Mekita Rivas, Natural Resources