UNT Biology Alum Takes On Alaskan Wilderness | College of Science
May 23, 2019

UNT Biology Alum Takes On Alaskan Wilderness

UNT Biology alumnus Dr. Ben Barst describes the experience of getting his Master's degree at UNT "life-changing." Now a Centennial Postdoctoral Scholar and Research Faculty in the Water and Environmental Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Dr. Barst is applying novel isotopic techniques to gain an understanding of how contaminants move through Alaskan food-webs. His passion for this field of work all began at UNT, where he worked on his Master's degree in environmental science in Dr. Aaron Robert's lab studying toxicology in relation to fish and wildlife.

"We were like a research family there," he recalls of his time in Dr. Robert's lab. "It was great to do lab and field work with such good people." His time at UNT provided him with the skills to accomplish scientific exploration further afield, traveling to unique and remote locations to conduct his research.

And it's true, Dr. Barst's studies have taken him around the globe, from his first BA in biochemistry at UNT to obtaining his PhD in Quebec and serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow at McGill University in Montreal. He has conducted field work in the alpine regions of Colorado, in southeastern Alaska, in the boreal forest of eastern Canada, and in the Canadian High Arctic.

Dr. Barst's advice to students pursuing any field of research is to ask important questions about what your goals are, but also to enjoy the journey. Start with: where do you want to be in five years? Then ask yourself: what is the most exciting way to get there?

Students in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNT have the opportunity to study everything from the molecular and genetic aspects of living systems to the interactions between organisms and the environment through hands-on-research with distinguished faculty and professional researchers. Learn more at https://biology.unt.edu/