“The knowledge will take care of itself”
My name is “Gerid.” I earned my PhD in Marine Biology/ Biological Oceanography at the University of Southern California (see “Here today, gone 3 days later” for a high-level snapshot of my thesis work).
Ultimately, I am a biologist, a scientist studying how life works—processes as real as gravity but border on miracle and magic.
Scientists learn new things every day. We uncover new nodes of information daily that once connected to other nodes within the collective network of discoveries, they produce knowledge, expand our understanding, and clear the way for more discovery: the cycle of learning. My job as a scientist is simply to produce quality nodes—the robust, well-conceived, well-executed science. The knowledge will take care of itself.
Protists on the California coast: Typical characters you may find in every drop of water you swallow at the beach. Taken from H2O at the Santa Monica Pier. Protists in Figure A were shot on a vintage/cheap microscope in my closet so anyone can do it!
I am also an African American—one link in a long and growing chain of progress and excellence. I have to pay homage to my mother and grandmother for blazing the trail into higher education. They both attended junior colleges and earned associates degrees. I am augmenting their achievements as the first in my lineage to attend a university, and complete Bachelors and Doctorate degrees.
You, dear reader, are facing climate, energy, and food related problems that will require creative scientific solutions. Big science projects are conducted by teams, and diverse teams outperform homogeneous teams in many regards. Black males are especially underrepresented in STEM. I am excited to bring my unique perspectives to my discipline, and to also use them to elevate and motivate others like me to reach their highest potential despite other fictions.
The primary purpose of this site is to share my work and knowledge with those that are curious about genomic topics and want to better understand how microbes make the world go round from the ecosystem to our own bodies.
the O l l i G I S T
The site’s name, “the Olli-gist" is taken from the suffix "-ologist", which means one who studies. It is a tribute to my general MO; approaching science and my other many interests with the same curiosity that pervades my work as a biologist.
I hope you enjoy the site.