Ph.D. student Brandi Kiel Reese had the experience of a lifetime when she went to Lindau, Germany last summer for the 59th meeting of the Nobel Laureates.

After arriving in Lindau for the meetings, which are designed to bring together top young scientists and Nobel laureates for discussion on a wide range of topics, Brandi was asked to take part in a documentary-style video.

"I was selected by the producers at Nature from the meeting participants based on my experience and research in environmental issues," Brandi explained.

Throughout the six-day conference, in addition to attending lectures, Brandi and three other young scientists spent time in small discussion groups with Nobel Laureates like Drs. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina, who discovered and co-authored a paper warning of the threat that chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs, pose to the ozone layer.

"At first I was surprised at how approachable and easy it was to talk to the Nobel Laureates," Brandi said. "We discussed issues ranging from research to policy to religion in science."

Brandi earned her B.S. in Geology at Southern Methodist University, and went on to receive her M.S. in Soil and Water Sciences at the University of California at Riverside. At Texas A&M, Brandi's main research focus is the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, an area of ocean which experiences an annual, life-suffocating, depletion of oxygen levels.

"I was inspired by the Laureates and realized how much perseverance it takes to make such great achievements," Brandi said. "The making of the video made me realize the impact that scientists have on policy and public opinion."