Even before graduating from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Glen Jackson began fulfilling his dream.
Jackson completed his Master of Science degree in aquaculture and fisheries and has already begun working for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as a conservation biologist. Working from the Hot Springs office, he will be managing many fisheries.
“I chose to pursue my master’s degree in fisheries because I was lucky enough to get an internship with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 2014,” Jackson said. “That internship set me on the course for fisheries as I never ‘worked’ no matter how long the day. It was an instant passion, and I knew I had to strive to be in the field.”
Professor Michael Eggleton, UAPB Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries undergraduate coordinator, was Jackson’s graduate program adviser. He said Jackson was very “persistent” about getting into the UAPB master’s degree program.
“Glen checked in with me for years,” he said. “He was determined to do graduate study here and nowhere else.”
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While waiting for an opportunity to open at UAPB, Jackson took a contract position with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Eggleton said. For the most part, he lived on commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea.
“He would be at sea for weeks at a time and worked with crews that spoke virtually no English. He had limited access to cellphones or the internet, so it was a pretty isolating experience for him,” he said. “He did that for three years while waiting for a position to open up here. Not many young people would do that.”
Because of his diligence, Eggleton offered him an opportunity to begin his master’s degree and to work with him on his Mississippi River project as a student.
“The rest is history. He started in 2021 and finished all requirements for his degree this spring,” he said.
Jackson was awarded the Arkansas Game and Fish Conservation Scholarship while working on his degree. His master’s thesis was titled “Assessment of Possible Effects of Bigheaded Carp Establishment on Lower Mississippi River Fish Assemblages.”
“I value the opportunities that UAPB provided,” Jackson said. “I had the ability not only to learn about different fisheries topics but also participate in several fisheries projects to get practical hands-on experience.”
As for his ideal career, he said, “just fish.”
“I’m most excited to continue my passion with working with fish, and I just hope that I can continue that for the perceived future,” he said. “I love everything about fisheries and getting a chance to work with something I’m passionate about is a dream come true.”
Debbie Archer is an extension associate for communications at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences.