CPS Grad Spotlight - Johnathan Sorrentino
Name: Johnathan Sorrentino
MSc or PhD Candidate: PhD Candidate
Location of Undergraduate Education: B.A.Sc. University of Toronto
Name of the Lab at CPS: Laflamme Lab
Selected Awards: Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) x 2 & Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Johnathan, please tell us about yourself and your journey as a PhD Candidate!
How did you come to UTM? What interested you to join a lab here?
My supervisor, Marc Laflamme, is THE reason I came to UTM. Once I decided that I wanted to do graduate school, I looked up “sedimentologists” and looked around to see what kind of projects were available. Marc was listed on the U of T webpage and he had a really cool project idea: monitoring decay using chemical sensors! I arranged to meet him and discuss possible opportunities. Marc himself seemed like a great guy and the other grad students in the lab spoke highly of their experiences. So, between a super cool project and a charismatic supervisor, the only question left was would Marc accept me?
When did you realize that you wanted to pursue a graduate study?
I wanted to pursue graduate studies after undergraduate, but I didn’t feel like my grades were good enough, so I didn’t even apply. Instead, I worked for a few years at a company that built mining survey equipment. It was a fun job, but I constantly wrote code and soldered circuits that collected data that I wasn’t paid to analyze. At the end of the day, I sent the data to a lab somewhere else. I never found out how well our equipment worked or what kind of deposits we discovered or what the data I was collecting even meant. At some point, I remembered that I wanted to be the guy that got to collect AND analyze the data. I wanted to help explain the world. I also met some cool grad students who told me that actually, I was good enough to get into grad school and that if I felt strongly enough about it, I should apply. So, I did.
What are your research interests? Tell us few exciting things about your research.
I study fossilization processes and biases inherent in the fossil record. I try to understand what ISN’T preserved in the fossil record and how can we use what IS preserved to better understand ancient environments. Specifically, I look at insect fossils preserved as compressions in thinly laminated rocks from the last 100 million years or so. I conduct decay experiments where I collect modern insects, kill them, and watch their decay progress to identify patterns. Do certain insects or body parts decay more quickly? How are our fossil collections biased?
What is your goal when you finish your degree?
Right now, I really want to successfully defend my PhD and publish my work in peer-reviewed journals. I truly believe in science as a community of people constantly sharing their findings so that others make even more novel discoveries. I want to be part of that community. I want to feel like I helped someone understand the world a little bit better and that they used my work to create something more! After I finish my degree, I am going to see what happens. My goal is to find a job somewhere locally where I can continue to contribute to society.
What are some of your achievements you'd like to share?
My proudest achievement during my time at CPS was making the “CPS Musical: Almost Doctorate.” I love storytelling and this was an experience I will never forget. I got to be creative. I got to collaborate with friends and colleagues. I got to have a fun time and share it with others. This project took a lot of time and effort from a large portion of CPS and I will be forever grateful for everyone’s contribution. I am immensely proud of the final production and I cherish all my memories associated with Almost Doctorate.
Do you have any advice for students considering to pursue graduate studies in research?
I will share some good advice given to me: when you finish your PhD, you will be 5 – 6 years older than you are right now. Are you okay with that? Grad school can be a wonderful and rewarding experience, but it takes a long time. It will take a lot of your life to make it happen. Make sure that it is what you want and that you will be happy with the decision you made 5 – 6 years from now.
When you are in grad school, make the most of it! Enjoy yourself, work hard, make new friendships, form collaborations, and make sure you tell people about your work! There are many wonderful people in graduate school and they will make the process so much better.
