Dr. Peggy Fong has what she calls a "symbiotic, synergistic" relationship with her grad students. Peggy passionately
believes in her lab running as a team effort. This "culture of collaboration" translates into her students developing
cutting edge research of their own. Consequently, these meaningful partnerships with her students result in many
joint publications with her graduate students as first authors. In the Marine Biology Quarter, it is the joint effort
of Peggy and her grad students, working as Teaching Assistants (TAs), that give the undergraduate students the
support and expertise they need to conduct original research, some of which also has been published.
Almost every one of Peggy's grad students has been involved in COSEE West activities and programs - sometimes contributing as
COSEE staff, sometimes as teachers. "Grad students have been heavily involved at every level," says Peggy. "I don't think I
could get anything done without my graduate students!" Those who have worked as TAs have also gone on to participate in the
COSEE West online courses. One graduate student has gone on to further Peggy's work by becoming the Co-Director for
COSEE-West at UCLA.
Grad students are an active part of Peggy's life and her research. "Graduate school is a long road, and you have to love what
you're doing," says Peggy. "I try to give my students as much intellectual freedom as possible, which makes for happier, more
motivated students."
