Kristofer Bauer doesn’t navigate the ever-shifting blue waves of the Pacific Ocean searching for fortune or plunder. He is chasing the thrill of advancing science.
As an undergraduate in the College of Science at Oregon State, Bauer was surrounded by opportunities to do science. He was able to spend a term at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, tag blue and fin whales in Southern California and work in labs led by leaders in marine science.
"Oregon State has a fantastic biology program, and all the skills that I learned from classes, whether it was cellular and molecular biology, or biochemistry, physics, all of those things I use in my day-to-day to some degree" Bauer said.
Those opportunities drew him to continue his academic journey as a Beav and pursue a Ph.D. in integrative biology. His academic journey has been a combination of flowing with the tide and taking advantage of all the opportunities Oregon State has to offer.
Life and Tides
Hailing from landlocked Colorado, Bauer sought a new experience on the West Coast. As an undergrad he majored in biology with a specialization in marine biology.
After completing his undergraduate degree in 2020, Bauer chose to continue his academic journey at Oregon State, pursuing a Ph.D. in integrative biology. As a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) fellow, Bauer has been studying the evolution of microscopic ocean organisms.
Although his initial interests didn’t lie in studying the evolution of zooplankton, participating in research and fieldwork during his undergraduate years propelled him to continue his academic journey as a Beav.
Out of all the options before him on the pacific coast, Bauer was drawn to Oregon State due to the College's reputation of undergraduate research and hands-on opportunities.
Here, he found himself captivated by how a scientific perspective encourages a deeper understanding of the natural world. And how that perspective allows individuals to perceive details that others without the same scientific training might not notice.
"I don't think many people come to the ocean with a thermometer and stick it in the water to see what the temperature is," Bauer said.
As an undergrad he was able to participate in fieldwork by taking BI 450 Marine Biology and Ecology, a course where students stay at Hatfield Marine Science Center for a term and engage in field-work.
"That was a fantastic class because I really just got to be immersed in what I was interested in. And I was surrounded by other people who felt the same way," Bauer said.
For Bauer the greatest opportunity he had while in undergrad was the ability to conduct research. At OSU Bauer worked with Professor Bruce Menge on the intertidal zone; that work was the subject of a previous article, which can be found here.
Throughout his undergraduate career, Bauer also volunteered for and worked on several other transformative projects and experiences.
"I don't think many people come to the ocean with a thermometer and stick it in the water to see what the temperature is."
"Those experiences involved helping tag blue whales, and fin whales in Southern California. I was able to work on multiple boats helping monitor coastal health and productivity on the Oregon coast," Bauer said. "I worked for multiple intertidal ecology labs working between Northern California all the way up through the Newport area doing similar things, looking at Coastal health but from a rocky intertidal perspective."
