How long have you been at Oregon State?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I\u2019m starting my third year here this fall.<\/p>\n
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Where did you come from?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I came from Utah State University, where I did my graduate work and a post doc. I\u2019m originally from Pennsylvania. Before I went to graduate school, I worked as a high school science teacher in Wisconsin. I liked teaching, but high school teaching was exhausting, so after two years I went back to grad school so I could teach at the university level.<\/p>\n\n \n Ashley in the field<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n
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Did you always want to work in and study recreation?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I always wanted to be a scientist. When I was little I wanted to be a marine biologist, but I could never equalize during SCUBA training. I always wanted to do some sort of conservation-oriented science.<\/p>\n
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What is your favorite part about your job?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I like the balance of interacting with and teaching undergraduates and working with graduate students and conducting research. I also get to travel to many of the parks I study to set up projects and present to managers. I feel really lucky to travel to places for work that most people go for vacation.<\/p>\n\n \n Knitting<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n
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What does your life look like outside work?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I\u2019m a huge knitter. Anytime I\u2019m sitting down, I\u2019m knitting. I also do a lot of yoga and hiking and a little bit of trail running.<\/p>\n
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Those are all very meditative hobbies. How did you get into them?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I\u2019ve done yoga since I was 18. It\u2019s really the only form of exercise I\u2019ve been consistent with, and I got into knitting during grad school when I was looking for a new hobby and hoping to meet new people. I started a knitting group at Utah State. Now I knit with people in the college occasionally.<\/p>\n\n \n Blanket<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n
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What\u2019s the most interesting thing you\u2019ve ever knitted?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
My knitting group made a National Park centennial blanket. We released the patterns for sale and donated the money we made back to the parks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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Anything interesting you\u2019ve read, watched or listened to lately?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I\u2019ve been watching \u2018Atypical\u2019 on Netflix. My younger sister works with students with autism, and the show is about a family affected by autism, so it\u2019s really interesting. I also just read a book called \u2018Educated: A memoir,\u2019 and I recommend that to everyone.<\/p>\n
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If you were a vegetable, what would you be?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Maybe broccoli because it looks like a tree. It\u2019s also my favorite vegetable.<\/p>\n\n \n Ashley’s LEGOs<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n
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You have a lot of LEGOs in your office. What\u2019s the story with that?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I\u2019ve always loved playing with LEGOs, and they\u2019re making really fun sets now, so I have a set of women scientists and a National Parks set. Science can be a bit too serious sometimes, so I think they add some whimsy into my office and makes my students feel more comfortable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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