Johana Dominguez

Tell us about your work/ research. What kinds of things do you do?

I work in the lab at California State University of Stanislaus. Specialized on working with differenet strands of Lipase, as well as ToMO. I work specifically with running assays, to collect data on various time points. I also work as a tutor at a middle school, I would with AVID students. Helping them on the four main courses taught in their school.
 

What sparked your initial interest in your career?

Something that interested me in working in the lab at Stanislaus, was getting to know more about chemistry. During my fist semester at Stanislaus, I was mainly taking my biology classes, so I never got to get into chemistry as much. Here there was an opportunity to work in the lab with a chemistry professor really sparked my interest. I feel like being a Biology major, one gets focus mainly on their biology courses and don't pay much attention to chemistry.
 

Who influenced you or encouraged you the most?

not applicable Something that influenced and encouraged me to take biology as my focus, was my older sister. Who was also a biology major at Stanislaus as well. She encouraged and pushed me to be a biology major since I would love to be a veterinarian and taking biology would not only prepare me but would set me up to be a good candidate for vet schools.
 

What element of your work/ study do you think is the most fascinating?

I think the study of zoology. Although I am yet to take the actual course, I believe that I would love this sub field of biology. Since in my Bio II course I loved learning about the various species and their classifications. I was very interested in the nematodes and fungi, and I was thrilled to hear from my professor that there are even sub fields for for these organisms.
 

How did you get involved with Ocean Exploration Trust? How did you become part of the expedition team?

I got involved with STEMSEA and Ocean Exploration Trust by a professor at my college who announced this amazing internship opportunity.
 

What are your hobbies?

I love hiking, running, and visiting new places. I also enjoy drawing and sketching in my free time.