Mairin Deith (she/her)

About me

I was born/grew up in: I was born in Oakville, Ontario, Canada but mostly grew up in Merville on Vancouver Island.

I now live in: Vancouver, British Columbia.

I completed my training/education at: I have a Bachelor of Science (Biological Conservation, Ecology, and Anthropology), University of Victoria and a Ph.D. (Natural Resources/Conservation) from the University of British Columbia.

What I do at work

I do a lot of things in my day! I mostly write code to help others make conservation decisions. This includes working on software that will model how changes to dams and hatchery programs might effect wild salmon. Or it might be working on statistical software to calculate things like survival rates and probability of extinction under certain situations. We speak in English and in code! With my team of other researchers at UBC, we solve problems by reading lots of scientific studies as well as dense government reports. We also solve mathematical and statistical puzzles with limited data. We use scientific thinking about how ecosystems work to figure out what humans can do (and not do) to help threatened species.

My career path is

I knew I wanted to be a scientist since high school. But I only fell in love with biology relatively late in my life! I'm someone who likes to do a lot of different things. I like reading, writing, programming, and working with my hands. I realized during my undergraduate classes that a career in biology could let me do it all. My kind of job does require a lot of schooling. After my undergrad, I got my PhD in conservation biology so that I could continue to do research. This was a big hurdle in terms of time, energy, and mental health. I’m thankful that I had a support network of peers to help me through it!

I am motivated by

I really enjoy thinking about how systems work, and how we can translate systems into software. I also wanted meaningful work, not just a job but something to be passionate about. Conservation biology is such a great fit for me! It’s an area that has a lot of room for all kinds of people - marketers, sociologists, economists, biologists, social media experts, and yes, even programmers!

How I affect peoples’ lives

In the Pacific Northwest, salmon are important to the culture of the area. First, salmon is a really valuable food.  But it goes beyond just eating salmon. Salmon, and the salmon industry, provide uncountable cultural, social, and economic benefits for people who live here. Putting dams on rivers can prevent salmon from getting to their spawning grounds. At the same time, dams help prevent catastrophic flooding. Making tough decisions wisely is vital for the future of such an important fish.

Outside of work I

For fun, I love to hike, bike, watch science fiction, read, and garden. I also love to teach. I volunteer to teach youth introductory programming and game creation, which is a real treat.

My advice to others

Follow what you care about. I didn't think I could be a biologist coder, but I found my niche!