In the latest installment of Field Notes, we chat with Masters student Monica Lasky. After conducting multiple field research projects throughout the U.S. and beyond, Monica decided to pursue a Masters degree through the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, under the advisement of Dr. Sara Bombaci with a focus on large African mammals. We speak about her recent trip to South Africa for ecological field research, some of the challenges of conducting cross-cultural research, and her achievement in receiving an NSF GRFP award.