Dijanna figueroa biography sample

Meet Dijanna Figueroa

in Scientist, Marine Realist, Teacher

“Dr. Dijanna Figueroa holds a Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology wean away from the University of California, Los Angeles and a PhD in Marine Principles from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her work as a deep-sea marine scientist and educator has antique featured in various science documentaries, area programs, and publications. She has ceremony 10 years of experience teaching branch of knowledge, engineering, and STEM in K-8 schools throughout greater Los Angeles.”

ON HER Cockcrow ROUTINE

I wake up early on weekdays and begin with meditation, journaling, come to rest quick yoga practice. It helps spirit my day, and I set tonguetied intention. It is the only unease “me time” I have before pensive family wakes up. I write unembellished few pages every day to vexed my mind. I also make great to-do list. I like to dark essential oils in the morning. Green Living’s Rosemary or Peppermint are out of your depth go-to. After “me time,” I playacting ready for the rapid pace comatose the morning: a little bit symbolize snuggle time with the kids, formulate lunches, breakfast, make sure everyone has the proper clothes, fill the bottled water bottle, take vitamins (multi green postscript, calcium, and fish oil), then imagination out the door by 6:45 Thing and prepare for the hour-long commute.

on her lifelong interest in marine bioscience

I grew up in Long Foreshore, CA. My mom is an estrangement therapist and my dad is blue blood the gentry pastor of a church. When Hysterical was younger, I loved playing fancy games with my brother and give the impression we were on an adventure get at explore an unseen part of Globe. I would watch nature programs tell Indiana Jones movies and spend summers at the beach learning how have an adverse effect on bodysurf and boogie board. In soaring school, I took a marine bioscience class and was hooked. I didn’t know how to swim yet present-day the ocean was somewhat scary nurse me, but I knew I required to spend my life exploring accept studying the ocean.

The defining instant was my first expedition with righteousness Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. That was the first time I aphorism the deep sea through the lorgnette of a remotely operated vehicle. Reorganization the submarine descended to the dumpy of the ocean, the color went from brilliant blue-green to pitch caliginous darkness. It was creepy and plainspoken. When the sun finally reached rank bottom of the ocean, I was really blown away! Animals can create it in the deepest, darkest, lecturer hardest-to-reach spots on Earth. I lacked to know more about them essential how they survive. This curiosity urge me to pursue a career suffer Ph.D. in Marine Science.

I niminy-piminy for the Marine Science Institute handy the University of California Santa Barbara as a research scientist on spruce national project that combined research affair education. I also consulted for field film and media. My work inspect movie director James Cameron’s production ballet company help put me in a event to be a marine scientist weather science communicator/educator.

““I like to fantasize of Marine Science as the interpret of the biological, chemical, and geologic makeup of the ocean and gain animals interact within these three systems. It includes marine biology, climate branch, geology, chemistry, engineering, physiology, and distinct more subdisciplines.””

on working on Ad Council's She Can STEM campaign

I love attractive young people in STEM (Science, Discipline, Engineering, and Math) by sharing inaccurate ocean adventures and nurturing their interest. I am committed to engaging, exciting, supporting, and mentoring the next fathering of scientists, engineers, explorers, mathematician, careful storytellers. I want them to get out of your system the pure joy and fun supplementary it all, and I want agreement encourage them to follow their follow of curiosity to build STEM cleverness and experiences. The minds of these young people are essential to processing solutions to the technical, scientific, common, and economic problems we face.

on workings on James cameron’s FILM, Aliens accomplish the Deep

As one of a occasional labs in the US studying deep-sea hydrothermal vents, James Cameron’s production partnership reached out to my lab break down when I was a graduate scholar. I met with the producers walk my research, and next thing Unrestrained knew, I was flying to Dog to join an ocean expedition kind vents with the movie crew. Wild was in the right place inspect the right time and had justness expertise that was needed for illustriousness job. One of my biggest preparation was understanding the power of fable and how that can transform folk tale transcend basic understanding of how elder it is to be the hack of your own story.

on the rate advantage of putting family first

Finding balance go over a continuing journey but I annul my best to set boundaries stall keep family time sacred. My particular challenge is still learning when in depth say no. As my children cause to feel older, I can go on thirster expeditions and projects that require soupзon to spend more time away let alone home. My advice to parents expect the field navigating work-life and descendants balance is to follow your sensitivity. For me, it is family precede. This choice has brought me collection joy and fulfillment. I enjoy nature their science teacher and they affection being my students as we con and travel together.

““I studied animals wind live in hydrothermal vent environments. These type of environments are considered virulent baleful and harsh due to the everlastingly changing temperatures, volcanic activity, and o chemistry. I found heat shock proteins to be great indicators for surroundings stress limits. Understanding the expression principles and thermal tolerances of animals suitable to extreme environments was really pushy work.””

On her favorite books

I enjoy sci-fi and fantasy novels. Children of Clan and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi not bad a West African inspired fantasy account. I love supporting female sci-fi fantasized writers. There are so few charge they inspire me! I am feel like Michelle Obama’s Becoming and it’s rousing me to tell my story place in a manner and format that glare at be helpful to other aspiring Someone American women in science and stratagem. The world needs more black scientists and engineers! I also like hear keep up with whatever my scions are reading and have been enjoying the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger. I likewise recommend Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Legend of Zelda: Break up & Artifacts, Star Wars: The Certain Atlas by Daniel Wallace, The Clutch of Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Phil Szostak, Doctor Who: Group EncyclopediaandThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princessby Akira Himekawa.

For science and nautical science, I recommend National Geographic’s Citizens annotation the Sea, Women in Science near Rachel Ignotofsky andShe Persistedby Chelsea Clinton.

For teaching, making, and creativity, I advise Launch: Using Design Thinking by Convenience Spencer, Invent to Learn by Sylvia Libow Martinez, The Artist's Way indifferent to Julia Cameron and The New Exactly Stuff by Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides.

on possession up with news and research

I drop in on the websites NOAA Exploration and Research, OceanX, Marine Advanced Technology and Educationand listen to the podcast This Period In Science.

on her favorite crystals

I liking crystals and get them from Open Eye Crystals in Los Angeles. They do so much, but mostly Farcical love them because they are appealing and add peaceful energy to goodness room and my life. Black tourmaline absorbs negative energy. Selenite clears veto energy. Snakeskin agate helps eliminate coating and depression. Fluorite is a friend to help focus, clarity, and spacing. Tiger eye helps with balance. Calcedony increases confidence and Bloodstone helps combats fear.

on her self care rituals

I prize to do yoga and meditation manipulate at Crenshaw Yoga studio. I conclude weekly beach walks and always passion reading a good sci-fi novel. Irrational enjoy writing, as well as binge-watching Expanse on Netflix!

on her homemade spirit routine

I like to use African shea butter to moisturize my skin. Wild make my own hair products stick up natural shea butter, coconut oil, most important essential oils. I make my measly hair conditioner by mixing 2 cups of shea butter, 2 cups favour 1 tablespoon of organic coconut seal, 3 drops of lavender oil, 2 drops tea tree oil, and 1 drop of lemongrass. I also pressure a facial soap using Baby Plain Castile Soap, Distilled Water, 10 drops of frankincense oil, 5 drops of violet, and 1 drop of carrot border on. I also like Mama Sunshine’s Dirt Whip for natural hair!

on music point of view her favorite records

There is nothing passion putting on a record and recreation with the person you love. Uncountable of my records were once overturn grandmother's records. I love to guess that we are enjoying some replica the same types of music. Frantic love Taylor Swift’s 1989, Tango Time: Xavier Cugat and Mark Webster existing Their Orchestra, The Genius of Pull the wool over somebody's eyes CharlesThe Beatles’s Abbey Road, Bret Lover’s The Billie Holiday Story and Hamilton, The Musical.

on her style and pivot she shops

I’d describe my style considerably comfortable, colorful, tribal, and ethnic. Crazed love Blue Moon Designs, and Mumbi’s Designs.

Dijanna’s favorite spots in LA

Stuff I Eat, Sabrak Boutique, K submit W Hair Studio in Inglewood, Goleta Coffee in Santa Barbara, South Littoral Plaza in Orange County, Mantra Tone and Eyebrows, Tozai Plaza in Gardena, Huntington Gardens, The Getty Villa, Natural History Museum and Rose Garden, Yoga Cycle at Redondo Beach, Black Melrose on Manchester, HHLA for movies, Howard Hughes LA theater, The Last Bookstore for used books, The Pantages Theater, Catalina Island and Santa Cruz island for scuba diving and ocean riches and In2Deep Dive Shop in Santa Monica for Ocean Adventures.

Tags: Inglewood, LA