Driving purpose: how I went from PhD to Trustee

AMI Trustee Kate Lagerstrom recounts her journey to becoming an AMI trustee.

I had recently defended my thesis at Stanford University and moved back home to Lincoln, Nebraska to re-center and take a pause before making the next “big life” decision. Obtaining my PhD had been the ultimate goal for so long, that when it was over and I’d graduated, my life’s driving purpose all the sudden evaporated, and with far less fanfare than I’d anticipated. Now what?

I knew I wanted to stay in science, and likely in academia, but wanted to be calculated in my steps and ensure I was pursuing something that mattered. During this period of soul-searching, I received an email advertising a free virtual course and symposium on how the ecology of our guts protects us from pathogens. It was being hosted by the Institute for Systems Biology and entitled “ISB Virtual Microbiome Series.” Two days of the course were dedicated to teaching amplicon sequencing data processing and analyses, a skill I wanted to develop, so I signed up. It just so happened that Applied Microbiology International was that year’s sponsor and was offering a free membership to anyone that registered and attended the event. Thus, I was first made aware of AMI.

After I redeemed my membership, their mission statement was the first thing that caught my eye. It really resonated with my research interests and desire to make an impact.

“We’re solving some of the world’s greatest challenges by bringing the applied microbiology community together, across borders and disciplines, to enable meaningful collaboration that delivers scientific impact.”

Then I discovered their advisory groups, organised around six core UN Sustainable Development Goals, all with a strong focus on influencing international policy (read, taking real actions to make change). I could see my own research experiences fitting well into a couple of these groups. Upon looking further into the benefits of membership, I was excited to claim my free subscription to the Headspace app (which I now use every day), and I also discovered the Applied Microbiology Jobs Board, which was very relevant to my at-the-time unemployed situation, seeking a position in microbiology.

Fast forward a few months, I received another eye-catching email, this time from AMI. “Join the AMI team as a Trustee and shape the future of Applied Microbiology,” the subject read. But what was a “trustee?”, I wondered. Surely, I’m not qualified. But there was a line in the email that ultimately convinced me to take a chance; “It is not necessary to have previous board committee experience as training will be provided,” and something in my gut was telling me that this was an opportunity not to be missed. So, I spent a few days researching more about the organisation and the general roles of trustees, and a few more days drafting my nomination. I felt relatively good about what I ultimately submitted, but also 100% sure that I wouldn’t pass the vote in the election. I viewed it as practice, a learning experience. And remembered too what my Nana would have said, something along the lines of it being equivalent to a loss if I didn’t even try. So, you can imagine how shocked I was to learn that I’d just made the cutoff for the vote, and that I was going to be a trustee for AMI.

Shortly thereafter, my inbox was flooded with congratulations from the rest of the Executive Committee. That immediate warmth and acceptance that I felt deeply, and which unfortunately was even a little surprising, has only grown and developed as I’ve emerged into my position as trustee. I’ve already had a number of opportunities through this role; I served on a panel to help mark the nominations for a couple of AMI awards, I’ve joined the One Health Advisory group, and I attended my first in-person executive committee meeting in London last month. During the recent promotion, wherein AMI is offering complimentary student memberships as a way to expand their reach, I’ve also been able to promote AMI to my network.

I am drawn to and respect the organisation’s diverse leadership team composed of individuals from many different employment sectors, educational backgrounds, and geographic locations, all offering unique experiences and perspectives on the applications of microbiology and the pursuit of the organisation’s mission. I feel that I’m a part of something bigger than myself with the real possibility to make a positive impact on our society globally. I’m honored to be involved in helping AMI fulfill its mission to improve diversity and inclusion in applied microbiology and to unite in the timely endeavors to combat the climate crisis and protect health and well-being through innovative microbe-based solutions. It’s one thing to say that we need to act on the climate crisis, but AMI’s team has the intent, drive, compassion, and I believe, will actually do something about it.

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