From a childhood love of the ocean to a mission to protect it

At 6 years old, Cindy Vargas already knew she wanted to protect the ocean. She just didn’t know what that would look like, yet.

When an elementary school teacher asked Vargas what she wanted to be when she grew up, she had an answer ready: “a marine biologist.”

Years later, that childhood ambition led Vargas to conduct research with consequences for both marine life and the people whose livelihoods depend on the ocean. 

Vargas, an Environmental Life Sciences doctoral candidate at Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences, studies sea turtle conservation and fisheries sustainability, working with fishing communities in Mexico to find solutions that protect marine animals while supporting fishers and their families.

Along the way, Vargas, a first-generation college student and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, has also learned how important it is to make science understandable beyond the university. Her ability to translate her research for a broad audience took her from the Graduate College Three Minute Thesis competition to the regional stage, where she placed second.

Now a residential biology professor at Estrella Mountain Community College, Vargas reflects on the childhood dream that started it all, the difficult moment in the field that reshaped her thinking and why she believes conservation begins with seeing the people behind the problem.

 

Q: What first inspired your interest in conservation biology?

A: Since I was a little girl, about 6 years old, I remember my elementary school teacher asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said, “A marine biologist.”
I didn’t really know what that was at that age. I just knew that I loved the ocean and wanted to protect all the sea creatures in it.

Once I entered college and started learning more about conservation, biodiversity, the impact we have as humans on our environment and how ecosystems work, I fell in love with it. I thought, “How can I protect this beautiful Earth we call home?”

Ever since then, I’ve made it my goal and my mission. Despite being at Arizona State University, in the middle of the desert, I still wanted to follow the ocean. That’s when I decided to join a doctoral program focused on sea turtle conservation and fisheries sustainability.

When I did field work for the first time, I knew I made the right decision. I thought about that little girl sitting in a classroom wanting to become a marine biologist and realized: I have the opportunity to do that now. I’m all in.

 

Q: Was there a moment in the field that changed the way you think about your research?

A: Yes. We were conducting one of my experiments for my doctoral research, testing modified nets designed to reduce the incidental capture of sea turtles. We were comparing a modified net with a new conservation technology to a traditional fishing net fishers normally use.

When we pulled up one of the traditional fishing nets, there was a dead turtle.

As a human being, I was, of course, affected. I was sad. But I also noticed the fisher’s reaction, and I had to have that empathy of, “This is his livelihood. I can’t blame him.” Fishers aren’t there to purposely kill turtles. They’re there to fish, provide for their families and support their local economies.

What changed me was seeing that the fisher was deeply concerned, too. He wanted to catch fish, but he had incidentally captured this sea turtle. He looked at me, and his reaction was almost, “What can we do?”

Because this was an experiment, I also had to confront the fact that perhaps this turtle would not have died if we weren’t conducting it. But we had to think about the long term.

We looked at each other and realized, “This is why we’re doing what we’re doing.” We want to prevent this for future generations of fishers — his children and his children’s children. Fishing is their livelihood, but we want to help make it sustainable for the environment and marine life, too.

We want win-win solutions: Fishers should be able to support their families, livelihoods and local traditions while we also keep the ocean in balance and marine populations healthy.

That was the moment when the fisher and I looked at each other and were like, “Let’s do this. Let’s solve this problem together.”

 

Q: You brought that research to the Three Minute Thesis competition. Why did you decide to participate?

A: The first time I did 3MT was through the School of Life Sciences. I saw an email about it, and it was exciting to me because I love what I do, so I love talking about it.

But I also realized that I needed to talk about it in a way a general audience could understand. I wanted my family to understand. I wanted my friends to understand what I was doing, not just people at a university or people within my field.

I participated in the School of Life Sciences competition and placed first. When I heard about the Graduate College 3MT competition, I knew I wanted to do it again. I took the feedback I received the first time competing and used it to modify my second Three Minute Thesis speech.

I placed first at the graduate level, which allowed me to move on to the regional 3MT competition.
It was a little intimidating. I’m not going to lie. There were competitors from amazing institutions across the country. I realized that if I wanted my research to become known beyond ASU and beyond Arizona, I had to put my best foot forward.

Fortunately, I placed in the top three. I received second place.

For me, the rewarding part wasn’t just the placement. People became aware of the research I’m doing in Mexico. It brought attention to fisheries and to the bycatch problem, something we often don’t understand or even know about.

I’m a lover of seafood, but we have to know a little more about what happens before that dinner plate is in front of us, whether we’re eating that yummy taco or that amazing shrimp cocktail.

I wanted to bring awareness to that. 3MT allowed me to explain my research and the problem of bycatch in fisheries in a way people could understand.

 

Q: What was the most valuable feedback you received while preparing for 3MT?

A: It was learning how to simplify some of the big words I was using.

In the first iteration, someone asked me, “What is operational efficiency?” In my line of work, we use that phrase very loosely and liberally. But when I got that feedback, I thought, “Wait. Not everyone is going to understand what this means.”

"Or perhaps they don’t know: What is bycatch?"

I had to learn to explain those terms and include definitions, but not just stop and give someone a definition. I had to make the explanation flow naturally within the story I was telling.

 

Q: How did you feel standing onstage and presenting your research?

A: I felt really excited. There’s this notion that your brain can’t tell the difference between nervousness and excitement, but for me, it was mostly excitement because I do love what I do, and I hope people can see that when I talk about it.

I just felt like, “I’m ready to teach you, and I hope you can learn about what is going on in the ocean.”

 

Q: You’re a first-generation college student and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. What did receiving the fellowship mean to you?

A: It meant a lot. It created a sense of belonging for me in STEM and helped me see myself building a career in this field.

I started my academic journey at community college and then transferred to ASU. When I heard about this really prestigious award, I thought, “What is a community college transfer student going to do?” I just didn’t feel like I was capable of earning something like that.

But I worked with amazing advisers who are now my co-chairs, Jesse Senko and James Collins, and they encouraged me: “You can do this. You belong in this field. You belong here.”

That gave me the confidence to even apply. I think for many students, applying itself can be intimidating.

Months later, when I learned I had received the award, I was shocked. I was actually in the middle of class when I got the notification.

To me, it felt like I could make an impact. A first-generation, low-income Hispanic student could make a difference. I felt seen by the scientific community. I felt heard.

It gave me that push to move forward in the field: “Yes, you belong here. Yes, you can do it. We believe in you.”

That’s what the award meant to me.

 

Q: What do you hope the long-term impact of your research will be?

A: First, I hope that after my PhD, I continue these relationships with the fishers.
One piece of feedback I often heard was that scientists and organizations come into these communities, tell people what to do and then leave. They never show up again. Sometimes it can feel like a check mark on a to-do list or simply completing the goals of a specific project.

But I feel like I’ve created real friendships with the fishers and my team in Mexico. I have exciting plans after my PhD, and I want to continue working with these fishing communities and making sure my presence is there.

I don’t want it to be, “Hey, let’s do a project. You’re my employee.” It’s, “You’re my friend, and I care about you. Let’s continue to do what we do. Let’s continue to save these turtles, these sharks and these sea lions.”

I hope other fishing communities can see that a scientist doesn’t have to come in, tell people what to do and leave. Scientists can engage with communities and care about people, their lives and their goals.

Of course, all of us as scientists have research goals to complete, and those are important. But these are people’s lives. These are people’s livelihoods and families. They are not just a project.

After I graduate, I hope to inspire additional fishing communities and also, hopefully, lead change within the scientific community by reminding others that these are people first.

 

Q: What advice would you give students considering a fellowship, grant or 3MT competition?

A: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

I think it’s such an easy thing to say, but it’s a hard thing to do because sometimes you feel like, “My project might not be good enough,” “My results aren’t there yet” or “I’m not at the level where I want to be.”

But even taking that first step and applying matters. Taking that first step in writing down a script or writing down what your research is about is a great start. You can always revise it. You can always improve.

Go out there and be proud of what you do. I believe everyone has something special that explains why they’re here. There’s a reason they’re here.

I would highly encourage students to be proud of what they do and not be afraid to show it. Inspire others.

You might not inspire everyone, but one person in that audience might be impacted by your work or inspired to pursue their own dreams and goals.

All it takes is that one step forward.

 

Q: What else has your doctoral journey taught you?

A: As a student, I’ve learned that it can be easy to get discouraged. Maybe you didn’t get the grade you wanted on a test. Maybe the results for your project didn’t come out the way you wanted, and you have to start over.

Sometimes starting over is OK. Sometimes it’s the best thing. It can be a blessing in disguise.

When I started my PhD, my research was completely different from what I’m doing now. But you always have to be resilient, especially in a world that is constantly changing.
We have to keep changing, too. We have to be flexible and adapt to the situation.

You can’t give up because something doesn’t go the way you want it to or because you get unexpected results. Learn to pick yourself back up. Learn to modify what you’re doing and adapt to the new situation.

Once you master that, you’ll be unstoppable.

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Ready to share your research? The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) workshop series from the Graduate College helps ASU graduate students turn complex research into clear, compelling presentations that connect with audiences beyond their discipline. Learn how to shape your message, design an effective slide and tell your research story with confidence. Workshops begin Oct. 7, 2026. Registration is required.

ASU’s Graduate College supports NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recipients throughout their fellowship. In addition to administering the fellowship, the Graduate College provides overall cohort support and funding support, including tuition and fees, ASU student health insurance premium, funding for research and educational expenses and summer graduate tuition support. Learn more about NSF Graduate Research Fellowship support at ASU.