The student in question, Francisca Olivares, has now graduated as a marine biologist from the University of Concepción. During her studies, Francisca stood out as a highly motivated, responsible student, and now her efforts have paid off: not only was she the student with the best grade point average among her graduating class, but her thesis was also considered to be the best.

Olivares worked on her thesis at the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO) under the guidance of Dr. Osvaldo Ulloa. “I had the opportunity to write my thesis on marine microbiology, which is the area I like the best, so I took advantage of this opportunity and learned as much as possible from the members of the Microbial Oceanography Laboratory in the process,” said Francisca.

During her period as an undergraduate student at IMO, she also participated actively in Outreach projects such as IMO at School, the Travelling Scientific Audiovisual Exhibit (MACI) and science fairs. In this regard, Francisca acknowledges the crucial role of science dissemination in society. “The purpose of creating knowledge is precisely that somebody should learn about it. Science must leave the laboratories and reach the public. My experience in scientific dissemination has shown me that marine sciences arouse a lot of interest and curiosity among people of all ages and occupations. To witness the surprised face of a child when seeing a zooplankton sample for the first time and the reaction of senior citizens when they learn about the ocean’s maximum depth is priceless and extremely rewarding,” explained Francisca.

During her time at university, Francisca experienced a range of memorable moments, but being an IMO student gave her new tools to use in the scientific world. “I had the opportunity to meet and also to work with specialists in the field I’m interested in, marine microbiology, which helped me to increase my knowledge enormously. Being an IMO member allowed me to take part in courses and congresses, to improve as a student and to acquire new skills, as well as to participate in the important, enjoyable task of the dissemination of marine sciences,” commented Francisca.