Laura Tayon

she/her
Mosquito Technician/Crew Lead
Mosquito Team

How did you get here? What brought you to Tyson?

I have a long history at Tyson! I was introduced to the community as a SIFTer and joined Tick Team in 2019 as a TERA. I decided to come back as an undergrad last year, worked through the academic year, and then accepted Katie’s offer to come back as the Mosquito Team crew lead this summer.

Why did you choose your specific team?

Well, honestly, Tick and Wildlife was my first choice last summer because I was with them as a TERA. I put the Mosquito Team second partially because I was familiar with the PI, but also because I could manipulate the study organisms much more than any of the other teams. That opens up so many interesting opportunities for research. I’m glad I didn’t get in to Tick and Wildlife! Switching teams introduced me to a whole new subfield in ecology and challenged me to try something different.

What activities/moments have made you feel most connected to the Tyson community?

With everybody separated into teams, it can be really hard to feel connected to the community. Forest Team is in the forest all day, and Plant Disease goes into the city. The community events like colloquium and happy hour really bring people together, and lunch as well. It’s fun to sit next to someone on a different team and pick their brain.

What do you like about being a team leader?

I didn't really know what I was getting into until April, when Katie [Westby] told me, “We're going to have 11 people on the team this year, you're leading them, and I'll be in and out.” It's definitely stressful, but I enjoy it. Pulling off these experiments and having the knowledge to make sure everything's in place is so rewarding. I also get to work with people who are excited and passionate about science, which you can’t say for a lot of jobs. It's fantastic.

Do you see yourself doing this work in the future?

Right now my primary interest is definitely ecology research, but if I find something else that I'm interested in, I might just jump ship and move on, you know? I'm willing to become a little bit of a nomad to find what I love. I’m excited to get as much research experience as I can before I graduate. I want to hop around, see what's available, and find what I like.