Reilly Boyt
Reilly has a unique perspective on working abroad due to her niche research focus on sharks, specifically studying diets and feeding ecology through stomach contents and DNA metabarcoding and fatty acid analysis of stomach contents. Her interest in international work stems from a passion for travel instilled by her parents, which eventually led her to pursue opportunities to live and work abroad. In addition to gaining experience in her field, she has lived in multiple countries and traveled extensively as part of Team USA, allowing her to experience different cultures in unique settings. She began her academic career at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego earning a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology in 2018 before continuing on to graduate studies in Fisheries Science at Oregon State University, which she recently completed her Master’s of Science. Throughout her academic career, she has gained field experience across the United States as well as internationally in the Bahamas and Australia.
Her work abroad began in 2019 when she spent 4 months on Bimini Island in the Bahamas at the Bimini Biological Research Station. While she described this as an exciting opportunity to gain hands on experience in shark science and the site of the best dive of her life, it also came with challenges. Living on a remote subtropical island required adapting to intense heat, insects, and a different pace and style of life. Her time there was further complicated by cultural differences related to her disability while also facing cultural challenges as a woman. Despite these difficulties, she found strong support from locals, who often welcomed her into their homes, offering a sense of community similar to the southern hospitality she grew up with. Although she valued the experience of living like a local and learning in the field, she noted that the program itself could have benefited from better organization and execution. She shared this not to discourage participation, but to emphasize the importance of understanding what you are committing to and recognizing that these experiences will challenge and reshape your perspectives in unexpected ways.
More recently, her work took her to southern Australia for two weeks, where she worked in the Southern Shark Ecology Lab at Flinders University in Adelaide, Southern Australia. Interestingly, the samples she analyzed originated from Oregon, requiring extensive permitting to transport them internationally. She expressed gratitude that the lab helped facilitate this process. The decision to conduct this work abroad was driven by the lab’s advanced and well established facilities that had some of the leading shark fatty acid analysis experts in the world. While Oregon State University offered some resources they were often limited, making it more cost effective and efficient to travel. She described the lab environment as highly efficient and collaborative, with a strong sense of enthusiasm among researchers. Because Australia is a Westernized country, cultural differences were minimal, and her primary adjustment was adapting to a new lab setting. Although her time there was short, she made the most of it by immersing herself in the natural world. When asked about her favorite memory of her time there, she described a 7 km hike that ended up taking six hours due to frequent stops to observe wildlife, including koalas, wallabies, and over 50 bird species. While that wasn't initially what she was there to do, getting out and seeing what Australia had to offer was something she’ll never forget.
When discussing advice for women trying to go abroad, she emphasized the importance of gaining experience in different labs, regions, and countries, noting that these opportunities help develop both scientific skills and broader perspectives that cannot be gained by staying in one place. She also encourages women in particular to research the cultural context of places they plan to visit, as being informed can help prepare for potential challenges. In her view, traveling and working in diverse environments is one of the most valuable ways to grow both professionally and personally, and she strongly encourages others to take advantage of any and all opportunities.