Luke De Carlo-McCann ’26 Receives Goldwater Scholarship to Continue Fascinating Research

Tell us about your research at Oberlin.
During my first year at Oberlin, I began research with [former assistant professor of geosciences] Veronica Padilla Vriesman. As a marine scientist, paleobiologist, geologist, and climate scientist, she investigates marine mollusc shells as archives of changing environments in the past and present. 

We developed a long-term research project that investigates how changing environmental and climatic conditions are recorded in the shells of a culturally significant mollusc species from Alaska, and what this means for the stability of the species and those who rely on it as a traditional source of food into the future. For thousands of years, this edible species has remained integral to the culture, economy, and diet of Indigenous coastal communities… My work emphasizes the impacts these changes have on the growth of this species and the human communities that depend on it as a source of food.

Describe what you will be doing next year as a Goldwater Scholar. What made you want to apply for this scholarship?
As I will be entering my fourth year at Oberlin, I will be using this scholarship to help me financially support my final year of undergraduate studies. This summer, I will be advancing my research on campus through the Oberlin Summer Research Institute Fellowship supported by Internship+ and the Abbie Helene Roth '90 Science Research Fund. 

How does this scholarship align with your career goals?
This scholarship aligns with my career goal to pursue a research career. After Oberlin, I plan to attend graduate school and study how polar ecosystems, subpolar ecosystems, and human populations respond to and are impacted by changes in the cryosphere. I’m committed to centering local knowledge-holders in my research to ensure that the research I complete responds meaningfully to the needs of polar communities. I also aim to prioritize science communication that reaches diverse audiences and fosters understanding within the communities where I work. My research has taken me to Alaska for fieldwork, where I had the opportunity to share my findings with the local community through a radio interview, which can be found here.

How did Oberlin shape or influence you as an academic, thinker, and person?
Having majors in both the natural sciences and social & behavioral sciences allows me to better understand the complex relationships between humans and their environments. My independent research allows me to build networking opportunities and to expand connections with researchers in my field of study. For example, I have developed strong relationships with researchers and officials at the National Park Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, museums, local science centers, and tribal research groups… At the same time, it is the support of my mentors both on and off campus that provides me with the foundation I need to succeed in my research.

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