“Take Five” with Retired Embryologist, MBL Alumna, and Education Volunteer Judy Venuti

"Take Five" is an occasional feature in which we pose five questions to a Marine Biological Laboratory community member about their career, dreams, and passions. Here we profile retired scientist, Embryology course alumna, former course director, and MBL volunteer Judy Venuti.

Venuti is Professor Emerita at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Michigan. She has also held positions at Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans and Columbia University in New York City. She has a long history with the MBL and attended the 1981 Embryology Advanced Research Training Course as a student. She returned over the years as a course faculty (1983, 1997-1998), visiting summer research fellow (1996), and a member of the MBL Society (2005-2009, 2011 - Present).

Since retiring from her full-time position at Oakland University, Venuti splits her time between Woods Hole, her home in Michigan, and traveling around the world. When she is in  Woods Hole, Venuti volunteers at the MBL in the Automated Aquatic Facility, with our after school outreach program, and within the Woods Hole community at the Woods Hole Science School.  

You first came to the MBL in 1981 in the Embryology course. What made you apply and what was that experience like?

I wanted to be a marine biologist and growing up in Boston I knew of the MBL. I was introduced to developmental biology as a graduate student and presented my research at the Regional Developmental Biology Conference held at the MBL each year. 

Around that time I also came to the MBL to hear David Epel (a premier developmental biologist and former Embryology course director) speak about morphogenetic determinants and cytoplasmic localization during development and decided this was an area I wanted to pursue. I also knew I would be introduced to many different marine organisms in the course.

One of the course faculty was Bill Jeffrey, who was working on cytoplasmic localization in sea squirts (ascidians)—exactly what I was interested in! This led me to pursue further studies in fate determination in development particularly, muscle cell fate, and that was one of the main themes of my research throughout my career.

Have those connections you made at the MBL impacted your career as a scientist? If so, how?

The Embryology course was an exciting educational and  incredible networking experience. I attended all the lectures and seminars I could (including those in other courses) to learn about cutting edge research and techniques from scientists who came from around the world, not only for the summer courses, but to conduct research. I am still in contact with many of the people I met during the course. I, in fact, did my post-doctoral research with two of the course faculty I met that summer.

What made you want to come back as course faculty for the Embryology course?

I learned so much as a student and knew I wanted to be able to spend more summers at the MBL in order to engage in the exciting intellectual atmosphere. This led me to apply for summer fellowships as a junior faculty and I was fortunate to receive an  MBL Associates and a Frederick Bang Fellowship to conduct research as an independent summer researcher at the MBL.

As a course instructor I would also have the ability to further interact with cutting edge researchers, learn about the latest techniques, and have access to animals and some of the world's best microscopes. One of my most important research papers was a result of a collaboration I developed with one of the students in the course.

Now that you're retired, you've been volunteering with MBL and the Falmouth School Partnership Program in their after school outreach to Falmouth Elementary schools, can you tell us a little about how you got involved in that and what that entails?

I met MBL Education Director Linda Hyman in the 1981 Embryology course where she came to assist with her advisor when she was a graduate student. WHen I ran into her at MBL, I mentioned that I was in town and asked if she had any projects I could assist with. That’s how I became involved in the after school program. I spend one afternoon each at four different grammar schools and try to get fourth grade students excited about science.

The last few times I have focused on telling them about the wonderful world of horseshoe crabs. I use a Q&A approach asking them what they know and then show them short videos that tell them the correct answers. I ask if they know how many eyes they have, why they are called living fossils, why they are not really "crabs," things like that. I bring in a live horseshoe crab and show them some of the features we discussed such as their blue blood and how the blood clots.

I try to emphasize their benefits to medicine, understanding vision, and why we need to protect them. Despite the fact that these kids grew up near the ocean and have seen numerous horseshoe crabs, they have rarely held one or know they are somewhat endangered and should be treated with respect.

Any advice for someone thinking of applying to the MBL for a course?

Only that I encourage anyone who is interested that is well worth the effort. They will make connections that will help them advance in their careers and develop life-long collegial interactions.