Meet James Palardy

Intrigued by the sea from a young age, James came to Penn to pursue an individualized major in oceanography. Only a sophomore, he's already involved in research; has plans to travel to Cape Cod, Australia and Panama to pursue his studies; and spends a lot of his time teaching other Penn students how to enjoy the ocean through SCUBA diving.

What made you choose the College?
"A combination of things—A liberal arts education was very important to me because in Canada, with the traditional British system, it's more focused and you don't have the opportunity to pursue such a wide range of subjects. The campus itself, being in an enclosed area in the city, was a real bonus to me. Coming from a remote area in Canada, the transition directly into the middle of a large city would have been difficult but having the city nearby is a major advantage. The faculty is awesome. A lot of it came down to being able to design a personalized major or start a club if one didn't exist and being able to get involved in research as well as with the city."

What did you think you would major in before arriving at Penn?
"Probably biology, maybe chemistry… Working at a light house two summers ago and being around the ocean and noticing subtle changes that other people don't normally notice really intrigued me and motivated me to pursue an individualized major in oceanography. I noticed that a lot of what I was seeing really hadn't been researched. There's a lot about the ocean that we don't know."

What do you like most about being a student at Penn?
"I would say the openness of the faculty. Every professor that I've had I'm on a first-name basis with them. The faculty is very, very helpful, encouraging and supportive. I think that if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be pursuing the individualized major and research, which is now pretty much my life at Penn. Next year, I'm hoping to study abroad in Australia where I can closely study the Great Barrier Reef, travel to Panama to assist a graduate student with her studies, and also study through the Woods Hole Program on a boat off of Cape Cod. There are unbelievable opportunities at Penn."

What was your favorite class at Penn and why?
"I've had a couple. One was a freshman seminar about the history of utopia. It was taught by Professor Michael Ryan, who is the university archivist. I loved that class. Some others are oceanography (GEOL 130), the research-oriented second semester introductory biology course (BIOL 122), and all of my other geology courses. What amazes me all of the time is the way that things link together. What you learn in one class is applicable to many other courses."

How have you pursued your studies outside the classroom?
"I'm working in the Marine Biogeochemistry Lab setting it up. A lot of the data we get from there come from samples collected in Palau, an American territory in the Pacific Ocean. We are looking at climate change specifically."

What is so great about Philadelphia?
"The best thing about Philadelphia is its history. So much happened here before and during the American Revolution. There's so much history that can be found here. Just being in the area is awesome. The way that Olde City plays to that is really neat as well."

What advice would you give to incoming students?
"Don't confine yourself to what other people have done. If there is something that you want to do—just do it. Contact faculty early. Get to know them so that your enthusiasm is visible. Generally they'll be more than wiling to work with you. Definitely come with an open mind. I know so many people who have come as dedicated economics majors and have left as science majors. College is a lot different than high school and the experiences that you have here will shape your future to a much greater extent. Also, take as wide a variety as classes as you possibly can. That's the beauty of a liberal arts education and one should really take advantage of it."

Site Index | Contact