Election Personal Statement
Lindsay Carlson (she/her) is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Biology. Her research uses quantitative methods to answer questions about animal movement ecology, with a focus on waterfowl. She is an international student, originally from Montana (USA) where she completed her BSc in Biology at Montana Technological University before moving on to complete her MSc in Ecology at Utah State University. Lindsay has served on student government during both her undergraduate and graduate tenure, including two years as a member of the Biology Graduate Student Association at University of Saskatchewan. In these roles, she has advocated for student rights and university transparency, and would continue to do so as a member of the GSA. A few issues she has worked on directly include improving healthcare benefits (and maternity leave) for graduate student workers, improving funding available to provide free or low-cost safety trainings, and creating a graduate student emergency fund to support graduate students facing unexpected financial difficulties. Lindsay has also worked at two other universities (University of Arkansas and University of Southern Maine) as technical staff and a lecturer respectively, so she brings perspectives on best practices from four diverse institutions based on her unique experiences at each. Lindsay is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She co-founded the Women in Waterfowl Working Group which works to provide support and education for women, 2SLGBTQIA+, and other historically-excluded groups in waterfowl ecology and also served on the 500 Women Scientists Leadership Team.