{"id":6369,"date":"2026-05-21T20:37:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/?p=6369"},"modified":"2026-05-28T23:05:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T23:05:26","slug":"marine-biology-ambitions-inspire-monumental-sculpture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/2026\/05\/21\/marine-biology-ambitions-inspire-monumental-sculpture\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine biology ambitions inspire monumental sculpture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/USC_WIES_untitled_20260514_57-Edit-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/USC_WIES_untitled_20260514_57-Edit-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/USC_WIES_untitled_20260514_57-Edit-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/USC_WIES_untitled_20260514_57-Edit-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"a student artist sits next to a large sculpture inspired by marine life on Catalina Island\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Rising fourth year Jackeline Godinez Gonzales gazes at her large ceramics sculpture that she describes as an embodiment of her childhood dreams of becoming a marine biologist. (Photo: Nick Neumann\/USC Wrigley Institute)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Marine biology ambitions inspire monumental sculpture<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n    \n          <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span>Vanessa Codilla<\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">May 21, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n           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   \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Childhood visits to aquariums sparked Jackeline Godinez Gonzales\u2019s lifelong curiosity and awe for marine life. Years later, that curiosity inspired a ocean-themed sculpture shaped by her experiences studying and conducting research at the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/research\/wrigley-marine-science-center-wmsc\/\">Wrigley Marine Science Center<\/a>, the USC Wrigley Institute&#8217;s satellite campus on Catalina Island.<\/p>\n<p>When Godinez Gonzales arrived at USC, she set out to turn her dream of becoming a marine biologist into reality by pursuing a major in environmental studies and a minor in marine biology. Last year, she participated in the Wrigley Institute\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/catalina-residential-college\/catalina-island-maymester\/\">Maymester<\/a>\u2013an immersive undergraduate program focused on understanding and addressing challenges facing our oceans\u2013to take a course in the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/environmental-studies-program\/\">USC Environmental Studies Program (ENST)<\/a>. Outside the classroom, she also gained hands-on experience through various research opportunities at the Wrigley Institute and at other labs at USC.<\/p>\n<p>Although her journey is still unfolding, reflecting on her experiences inspired Godinez Gonzales to create a ceramics sculpture for a Spring 2026 course at the <a href=\"https:\/\/roski.usc.edu\/\">USC Roski School of Art &amp; Design<\/a> that expresses her ambitions and fascination of the diversity of life beneath the ocean&#8217;s surface.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n            \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--image-gallery \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--image-gallery\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n\n    \n      <div id=\"gallery-1956659579\" class=\"gallery-container\">\n\n      <div class=\"swiper images\">\n        <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                    <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                      \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-2-768x432.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-2-1280x720.png 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-2-768x432.png 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"sea angel\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n                              <\/div>\n                                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                      \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-3-768x432.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-3-1280x720.png 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-3-768x432.png 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"moray eel\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n                              <\/div>\n                                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                      \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-768x432.png\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-1280x720.png 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/116\/2026\/05\/1400x900-768x432.png 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"a student artist sits next to a large sculpture inspired by marine life on Catalina Island\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n                              <\/div>\n                              <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"swiper captions\">\n        <div class=\"controls-container\">\n          <button class=\"button-prev\" aria-label=\"Previous Image\">\n            <svg version=\"1.1\" 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class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                    <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                  <div class=\"slide-caption\">\n                        \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Back and profile views of the sculpture\u2019s head, featuring horn and wing-like elements inspired by a sea angel. (Photo: Nick Neumann\/USC Wrigley Institute)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n                              <\/div>\n                                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                  <div class=\"slide-caption\">\n                        \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Head of a moray eel, a common predator found around the rocky reefs of Big Fisherman Cove, home to the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island. (Photo: Nick Neumann\/USC Wrigley Institute)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n                              <\/div>\n                                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n                                  <div class=\"slide-caption\">\n                        \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Godinez Gonzales also refers to the sculpture as a blend of her interests in science and art. &#8220;A lot of key skills we learn in creating art\u2013like persistence and being able to navigate through challenges\u2013is something that you need to take on in science as well,&#8221; she says, &#8220;especially in the research field, where there are a lot of unexpected outcomes.&#8221; (Photo: Nick Neumann\/USC Wrigley Institute)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n                              <\/div>\n                              <\/div>\n\n      <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Godinez Gonzales describes the sculpture, which stands nearly 6 feet tall, as \u201ca humanized version of a sea angel,\u201d a small, transparent marine animal that swims through the ocean using wing-like fins. The figure wears a dress inspired by marine life found around Catalina Island, including a spotted leopard sharks, slithering moray eels, and bright orange garibaldis. At the bottom of the dress lies a few decorative shells collected at Two Harbors, a small town about 2 miles away from the Wrigley Marine Science Center\u2013keepsakes from Godinez Gonzales&#8217;s adventures on the island.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;One message that I want viewers to get from my piece is to always reconnect [with] and embrace your childhood dreams,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p>Godinez Gonzales plans to continue pursuing her dreams this summer. She will return to the Wrigley Marine Science Center as a <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wrigley\/education\/undergraduate-internships\/summer-research-internships\/\">summer research intern<\/a> to conduct research on giant kelp, alongside 2026 Wrigley Institute Graduate Fellow Kurt Castro and USC Dornsife Assistant Professor in the Marine and Environmental Biology Julia Schwartzman.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How childhood dreams became marine-inspired art \ud83e\udeb8\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XGgES9eekOo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><em>Video: Vanessa Codilla\/USC Wrigley Institute<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":617,"featured_media":6372,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[17,9,10],"class_list":["post-6369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-engagement","tag-arts","tag-environmental-studies","tag-undergraduate"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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