A native of Arizona, assistant professor Stepfanie Aguillon is one of two new faculty members to join the UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology this summer. Aguillon completed her Ph.D. at Cornell University and her post-doctoral training at Stanford. In addition to being a UCLA professor, she’s also a research associate in ornithology at the Natural History Museum of L.A. County.  

In this Q&A, Aguillon shares the story of her career path, her approach to establishing a new lab at UCLA, and her advice for undergraduates.

What was your path into ecology and evolutionary biology?

Growing up in a small town, I spent a lot of time outside– camping, fishing, and hiking. I liked being outside and thinking about nature. And since I liked doing things by hand, I was encouraged to get involved in science fairs. I also spent a lot of time watching documentaries. 

I was the first in my family to go to college, and I chose engineering because I knew I liked math and science. The only options I knew of were: doctor, lawyer, and engineer. I didn’t want to be a doctor or a lawyer, so I started in engineering. After one introductory weed-out course, I realized this wasn’t what I wanted to do. I changed my major three or four times until I found what I actually liked – ecology and evolutionary biology. Academically, I did well in my classes, straight A’s – and at each stage I figured out what I liked and didn’t like, then pivoted to the next thing closest to the thing I liked.

As an undergraduate, I took a class in ornithology with a new faculty member. During her class, she posted an advertisement for undergraduate researchers to join her lab, and I thought, “I’d like to be an undergraduate researcher.” I followed up and ended up doing my honors thesis with her, then went on to do an accelerated masters degree – a program where I completed both my undergraduate and masters degree in five years. That put me on the path that I am on now.

The professor I worked with as an undergraduate was a wonderful mentor. And she still serves as a mentor today. We submitted an NSF grant together several months ago, we continue to work together, and she continues to support my career. That’s often how it works.

Is there any advice you would have given yourself, as an incoming undergraduate?

One of the things I didn’t understand as a student, is how much faculty members want to talk with their students. They would love for students to come to their office hours and engage with them beyond the classroom– maybe answer questions that might seem unrelated or share how they came to the career they have. 

As an undergraduate, I went to office hours maybe twice. Once when I took a math class that was way too complicated and I needed help with problem sets. I never just went to office hours to ask a faculty member a question about content that I was interested in.

If you’re interested in a particular topic, your professors might be able to guide you to resources or courses you could take to further your interests. Or, if you’re thinking about next steps after graduating or types of jobs you could do, professors have a lot of experience with all of that and can really help, both to open doors to new resources and also to direct you to information.

Professors really want to talk with students, and I would love for students to come and ask me questions. You never know  what doors can be opened by asking a question. If you don’t ask, then there’s no way the doors can open.

What are some things you’re thinking of, as you’re establishing a new lab?

One of the most frequent pieces of advice I got about starting a lab is to think about your values, and the culture and environment you want in your lab. The people you bring in are the most important part, and I’ve thought really deeply about what I value and the things I hope my students will value. We want to be wonderful scientists, but also wonderful community members, because if you’re not engaging as a good person in the world, then it doesn’t matter how good your science is.  So, I worked really hard to bring in people who I think are wonderful and who are going to add to a really vibrant and collaborative community.   

What do you like to do outside of work?

I really enjoy swimming, hiking, doing things outdoors, playing D&D, and handcrafts – cross-stitching in particular.

^{Cross-stitching by Stephanie Aguillon}

Thoughts on being here in L.A. and at UCLA?

I’m still figuring out places to go and different things to do here in LA, but I’m really excited to be back in a place with good Mexican food! In terms of being at UCLA, I feel lucky and excited to have the opportunity to be at a state school that serves communities I’m a part of, and that I care deeply about! I started my career at a state school and I’m now exactly where I hoped to be.