CHEERS OCEANEERS! March 11th 2026 Reading the Water
Details
***
CHEERS OCEANEERS! March 11th 2026
Reading the Water: What Environmental DNA Taught Me About Making Decisions in the Dark
Our main presenter this month is Bilgenur Baloğlu, PhD — the scientist who learned to make
decisions in the dark, then taught others to do the same.
In this presentation, Bilgenur traces her journey from detecting species in Singapore's reservoirs
using environmental DNA, to co-founding Wild Genomics, to building an executive advisory practice —
and reveals why the judgment required to run a field experiment and the judgment required to run a
company are not as different as you'd think. The presentation will cover:
● Dirty Data, Real Deadlines: What happens when your replicates disagree, your season is ending,
and you have to decide anyway — and why that's the best training ground for leadership.
● Building Wild Genomics: How she co-founded an atmospheric eDNA company that reads biodiversity
from the air itself — hardware, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and all the chaos in between.
● When the Fog Is Human: What changes when uncertainty stops being biological and starts being
about people, capital, and governance.
● The Framework: The structured judgment method she now uses with founders, investors, and senior
operators who can't afford to wait for clean data — because no one
ever has it.
***
Welcome to the monthly event for the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES), San Diego Chapter, which is hosting this meeting jointly along with TMA BlueTech (The Maritime Alliance), and MTS (Marine Technology Society).
Please join us for the main presentation and also plenty of time for networking and friendly conversation about everything oceanic, engineering, science, Blue Tech, and more. No need to be an IEEE or OES member, or TMA, or MTS. Everyone is invited!
When:
2nd Wednesdays
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Where:
Quantum Brewing
5375 Kearny Villa Rd #116
San Diego, CA 92123
Cost:
No ticket required, but please order something for yourself from the bar (beer and non-alcohol options avail).
Please note, there are numerous tasty restaurants next to Quantum (e.g., Anny's Burger, Chinese, Pho, Taco shop, Lao, Filippis) and there is no problem bringing your food in (some places will even walk it over).
Agenda:
5:30pm: Arrival and networking, order food/drinks for yourself.
6:15pm: OES and other hosting group announcements.
6:20pm: Main Presentation
6:40pm (approximately): “open mic” for any other attendees to present anything they like -ocean-related, of course (Examples: employers presenting opportunities for employment, job seekers presenting a quick bio, internship program opportunities, promoting other events, seeking funding, “show and tell” of any cool technology you are working on, etc.)
7:00pm to close: enjoy some drinks and chatting with fellow oceanic engineering enthusiasts.
RSVPs are appreciated for planning purposes.
https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/544139