Samantha Leigh
BIO
Assistant Professor of Animal Physiology at California State University Dominguez Hills and a mom of a two year old with a second baby on the way.
Instagram: @sea_science_sam
Twitter: @SeaScienceSam
Samantha Leigh
“I remember being surprised how seamlessly my daughter seemed to fit right into our lives.”
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a scientist when I grew up. Being a mother was also something that I always wanted, but I struggled with when the “right” time would be to start a family.
I got my B.S. in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University in 2013. I knew I wanted to go to graduate school, so I began to research potential advisors. It was very important to me that my advisor was not only a great scientist, but a great human, who understood that there was more to life than collecting and analyzing data. As soon as I met Dr. Donovan German, I knew he would be a supportive mentor. He had many interests outside of science and he had had children of his own during his grad school and postdoc journey. I started my PhD program at the University of California, Irvine in 2014, which is also the year that I got married. At that time, I was extremely focused on getting my project off the ground. The first few years of my PhD involved a lot of fieldwork, across the county, where I would have to be away from home for months at a time. I am extremely fortunate that my husband was supportive of my aspirations and held down the fort in my absence, but it didn’t feel like a good time to start a family. Once my fieldwork was complete in 2017, we started to discuss having our first child.
I was nervous about the impact having a child would have on my career at this stage. I still had to finish my degree, get a postdoc position, and eventually a faculty position.
In order to accomplish those goals, I would need to publish papers, attend conferences, and apply/interview for jobs. How was I going to have time to also raise a baby? But, I knew that my life would get busier and busier as I gathered more and more responsibilities throughout my career. I also knew that during the final year of my PhD, I would mostly be writing my dissertation; a task that I could do from home and on my own schedule. Finally, in my position as a PhD candidate, I knew that I had a supportive advisor who understood what it was like to be a parent in academia. It felt like as good a time as any.
My daughter was born the summer of 2018 and I was set to defend my dissertation in May of 2019. I took the majority of the summer off to care for my newborn. It was the most special time in my life and I am so glad that I took that time. Come fall, it was time to get back to work.
I remember being surprised how seamlessly my daughter seemed to fit right into our lives. I still went to conferences and did some local field work, but now I got to take my daughter with me.
Of course, there were additional things that needed to be thought about: Where would I pump when I was away from her? Could someone watch her while I gave a presentation? Did I pack everything that she needs for a day out in the field or to visit campus? But, with the help of a supportive professional environment, my husband, and my family and friends, it all worked out. I defended my dissertation on schedule, with my 10-month old daughter in the audience.
When I applied for postdoc positions, and eventually faculty positions, I took the same approach as I had when I applied for a PhD program. I wanted an environment where I would be supported in both my professional and personal aspirations. I am now an Assistant Professor at California State University Dominguez Hills. Between teaching, doing research, mentoring students, doing community outreach and university service, along with being a mother…to say that I’m busy would be an understatement! But I love it. I love my job and I love my family. I wouldn’t have it any other way. My daughter is the inspiration behind everything that I do. I want to show her that she can be anything that she wants to be. She is now two and a half years old, and I am expecting my second child in October 2021. My family is getting bigger and my professional responsibilities are growing as well, but my ability to manage my time gets better everyday, and I make it a point to surround myself with wonderful friends, family, and colleagues who support me as the well-rounded person that I want to be.