University of Concepción (UdeC) marine biologist and Master in Oceanography Belén Franco, who is in charge of the Traveling Scientific Audiovisual Exhibit (MACI), an activity carried out by IMO’s Outreach team, has been granted a Beca Chile scholarship to study abroad.
She will be doing a doctorate in Denmark under the supervision of Professor Ronnie N. Glud at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU). The two of them met during the ECODIM (Ecology and Diversity of Marine Microorganisms) course, which took place in 2006 at Udec’s Marine Biology Station.
Regarding her years as an undergraduate student, Franco said: “In the different courses I learned about natural sciences in general, but a whole new world opened up for me in the field of oceanography. That’s what motivated me to follow this path.”
Belén has been a member of IMO’s Outreach team since the origins of MACI, having served as a monitor from 2015 to 2016, and in 2017, as the official coordinator of this project designed to bring marine sciences closer to primary and secondary school students.
“I’ve always been interested in outreach. In the team, I’ve acquired organization skills and the experience of contacting teachers and schools. It’s always rewarding to see the enthusiastic reaction from the public to sea-related topics. The Outreach team is interdisciplinary and it’s been good for me to learn about other fields.” It should be noted that Franco has always stood out in her achievements: she attained her generation’s best grade point average, for which she was awarded the prize Premio Universidad de Concepción. Additionally, she received a perfect score for her Master’s in Oceanography thesis defense.
“It’s always gratifying to be acknowledged for your work. Winning this prize allowed me to continue and take a Master’s degree, which was motivating because it focused a lot on oceanography. We learned about different subjects, but in the end everything is linked,” explained Franco.
In January 2018, Belén will travel to Denmark to begin her doctoral degree, which should take 3 years. Then she plans to come back to Chile to return the favor and put into practice the new techniques learned abroad.
