Navigating Resilience: Adapting International Collaborations and Research Amid Conflict

Graduate students are often confined to the resources available at our primary institution. The Limnology and Oceanography Research EXchange (LOREX) program sought to change that. In the Summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to participate in this program, collaborating with Dr. Dror Angel and the Applied Marine Biology and Ecology Research (AMBER) lab at the University of Haifa, Israel. This 8-week exchange was so essential to my growth in cultural knowledge and appreciation, and as a scientist, that I applied for the program again with the same collaborator. Set out and excited to return in August 2024, plans were placed at a “temporary” halt due to conflict at my exchange location and within my primary institution. Multiple conflicts left behind questions such as: is my travel halted temporarily or permanently? What does this mean for my research? What approaches can I take to still partake in my exchange? In this presentation, I will share my learning experiences, the challenges I encountered, and how I navigated different obstacles to make the most of my exchange experience and overall graduate career.

Presentation Preference: Either

Primary Presenter: Antrelle Clark, Auburn University (antrelleclark@gmail.com)

Authors:

Dror Angel, University of Haifa, Israel  (dangel@univ.haifa.ac.il)

Moisés Bernal, Auburn University  (mab0205@auburn.edu)