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	<em>In this three-part series, Au Sable has asked three alumni from our &#39;Molecular Tools for the Field Biologist&#39; course to describe their journey into molecular ecology.&nbsp;Biological science is a dynamic and ever-changing discipline, full of new and emerging areas. To keep our students at the forefront of environmental work, Au Sable began a class focusing on the revolutionary changes taking place in environmental and ecological science through molecular genetics. As the testimonies attest, Molecular Tools makes traditional naturalists uneasy at the thought, but quickly wins over students who see how it can be used to make a powerful difference in ecology, systematics, and conservation.</em></p>
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	<img alt="" src="{filedir_5}William-Miller-150pxl-adjusted(1).jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 189px; float: right;" /></p>
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	William Miller, MS Candidate, Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University</h2>
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	&quot;Why must I take genetics and molecular biology? I am never going to use either in my future career!&quot; This statement sums up a common sentiment that is shared among many aspiring ecologists, including myself during most of my time at Messiah College. This attitude influenced my course selection and research focuses, causing me to overlook beneficial electives such as molecular biology and molecular genetics. I remember my advisors telling me that molecular techniques are tools that can be used by ecologists as much as any other biologist, and I remember thinking to myself, &quot;Yeah right.&quot; All I can say now is I wish I would have listened earlier.</p>
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	I knew from a relatively early time during my undergrad that I was interested in going to graduate school with the eventual goal of becoming a professor myself. During my undergraduate studies, I prepared myself to find a program where I could focus my research on animal ecology. When the time came to apply to graduate programs, I received a recurring message after talking with several potential advisors:</p>
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	&quot;Will, you have an impressive application, and we wish we had a place for you, but our department does not have any open positions for an out-and-out ecologist.&quot;</p>
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	Hearing this repeatedly, I was frustrated and felt helpless. After receiving this statement from several institutions, it seemed more and more likely that I would have to postpone my graduate school dreams for another year.</p>
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	At this point, I had spent three summers at Au Sable where I built solid relationships with several professors including Dr. Dave Mahan. I called Dave one day and shared my frustrations with him. He explained to me that my situation was not uncommon among recent graduates and Au Sable alumni that he has spoken to. Dave also offered a potential solution to my dilemma. Dave suggested that I return to Au Sable to continue summer research (I previously spent two summers conducting independent research at the Pacific Rim campus), and he strongly urged me to enroll in the Molecular Tools for the Field Biologist course offered at the Michigan campus. When I told him my sentiments about not needing molecular biology as a field biologist, Dave shared the stories of several students who came before me, all of which are now enrolled in graduate programs. I decided returning to Au Sable would be the best way to achieve my career goals.</p>
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	I came to Michigan with no question in mind for my summer research. Dave suggested that I pursue questions that would allow me to apply the skills I would be learning in my Molecular Techniques class. After consulting with &#39;Molecular Tools&#39; professor Tim Evans, who was both my teacher and research advisor, we came up with a research project that addressed how forest fragmentation impacted the genetic population structure of red-backed salamanders. At this point, I was still not convinced of the interplay between molecular biology and ecology, so I was a little reserved about the project.</p>
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	That quickly changed. As the summer rolled on I found myself loving this new path that I, at first, hesitantly embraced. I found the Molecular Tools class to be an absolutely eye-opening experience. Tim created his lectures in such a way that appealed to everyone involved by relating current molecular techniques to a wide variety of subdisciplines within ecology, such as conservation biology and systematics. We were also introduced to a variety of techniques first-hand in our lab exercises such as DNA extractions, PCR reactions, and DNA sequence analysis. &nbsp;By the end of the course, I found my previous bias against molecular biology shattered, and I was extremely excited to continue my summer research.</p>
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	My eye-opening experience this past summer paved the way for my ongoing professional development. &nbsp;By the end of the summer, I was enrolled in the Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University, where I am now studying the effects of urban fragmentation on genetic population structure of headwater salamanders. I was amazed at the doors that were opened after my introduction to the field of molecular ecology. I went from being turned down from multiple universities to receiving offers from several institutions focusing on molecular ecology.</p>
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	The most important lesson I learned from my undergraduate experience is the need to be professionally diverse. Ecology is an ever-evolving, multidisciplinary field. I would encourage all aspiring ecologists to think in an interdisciplinary manner. Market yourself by learning to recognize techniques that may be applied to ecological questions. Simply put, learning how to apply interdisciplinary tools, like molecular techniques or others such as geospatial analysis, environmental chemistry, or biostatistics, has the potential to greatly enhance your professional development. Au Sable paves the way to provides a foray of courses, including Molecular Tools and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in which students can learn such techniques and come to better understand the diverse field that is ecology. I highly recommend it.</p>
