Greg holding down the fort

Like most PhD students or any field biologist, I do not have a normal 9-5 working schedule.  Particularly over the summer, I, along with my lab mates, study coral reproduction, so our schedule revolves around the biological clocks of reef-building corals.  During coral spawning events, we work throughout the night from 7pm to 5:00am.  While we are focused and immersed in our own research activities, HIMB’s security staff regularly checks in on us throughout the night.  They ensure that our team, including volunteers, is able to accomplish the work and return home safely.  I have worked in remote locations for research before where you are your own support and emergency contact; the ability to primarily focus on research because someone is literally watching out for the team is invaluable.  The security guards at HIMB provide that gift every night and every day to the rest of the staff, students, researchers, and visitors.  HIMB is known as a productive research facility and the work is made possible because of the staff that consistently commits their time to protecting the community and resources surrounding them.  We would like to take this moment to acknowledge HIMB’s dedicated security guards for their time and care to ensure our safety. It is greatly appreciated and never taken for granted.

-Beth Lenz, HIMB