Page 66 - Spring2020

Sound Perspectives
Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds
Address:
Center for Acoustics Research and Education University of New Hampshire 24 Colovos Road Durham, New Hampshire 03824 USA
Email:
j.miksisolds@unh.edu
Micheal L. Dent
Address:
Department of Psychology University at Buffalo State University of New York (SUNY) B76 Park Hall Buffalo, New York 14260 USA
Email:
mdent@buffalo.edu
Ask an Acoustician: Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds
Meet Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds
In this issue, “Ask an Acoustician” features Jennifer Miksis-Olds from the University of New Hampshire (Durham). I always really enjoy Jennifer’s talks at the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) meetings and was glad to get to know her better through this interview. Jennifer is very active in the ASA as a member of the Acoustical Ocean- ography and Animal Bioacoustics Technical Committees, the Finance Committee, the Publication Policy Committee, and the Women in Acoustics group. She recently published an article in Acoustics Today on ocean soundscapes (see bit.ly/371srp1). For other examples of Jennifer’s research, see the Bibliography. I will let Jennifer tell you the rest of her story.
A Conversation with Jennifer Miksis-Olds, in Her Words
Tell us about your work.
I love my job, and I never get bored! I would label myself as an applied bioacousti- cian. I use both active and passive acoustic technology to study the ocean and the life within it. Because of my passion for sound and its utility in a myriad of applications, I have not been constrained to studying a specific animal group or topic over the course of my career. I’ve been involved in research programs that use and explore sound in innovative and interesting ways to learn more about the world around us, from the smallest zooplankton to the largest whales. I’ve engaged in projects related to information theory, animal behavior, ocean dynamics, and the impacts of sound on animals and the environment.
I am fortunate to be able to devote my time to follow the unexpected twists and turns of research because of my research faculty position. Being on the research track grants me the flexibility to pursue research full time, allowing me to participate in month-long research cruises and conferences throughout the year. Soft-money posi- tions do come with the added stress of securing sufficient funds to not only cover my salary but also the costs of the research and graduate students. That means I spend a lot of time writing proposals. Soft-money research is less secure, but I feel the benefit of flexibility serves my personality and career aspirations well.
Being research faculty does not, however, remove me from the pursuit of knowledge. I embrace education through hands-on expe- rience outside the formal classroom. My lab is full of opportunities
Jennifer Miksis-Olds (second from left) with her family (left to right), Molly (12), MacKenzie (22), Madelyn (14), and husband Dave, in Madbury, NH.
©2020 Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved.
66 | Acoustics Today | Spring 2020 | volume 16, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1121/AT.2020.16.1.66