I'm finishing up my PhD in Speech Science. There are loads of stuttering scientists interested in the problem of stuttering and speech production. Other than my area I'm hard pressed to give you any specific examples. I do know of Alan Rabinowitz, an ecologist and big cat conservationist. There certainly are more, I just don't know of them. In molecular biology I know of no one. Regarding the presentation of your research--with experience it gets easier. Aside from teaching responsibilities there are few requirements that you make oral presentations. Most scientists do--it's a good way to start building your national (and international) reputation (a requirement for obtaining tenure). As you do more of them you'll find the best way for you to present. (And I know of more than one fluent researcher who gets very nervous before giving presentations. It's not just you that is apprehensive talking about your research) Networking can be a bit of a challenge. I've found a couple things helpful - have your mentor introduce you to people. He or she will likely know a lot people in the field--people you would like to talk to. Whether for questions about your research, the potential for a post doc. (When I was a fledgling PhD student I would just hang around my advisor in the poster hall and she would introduce me to loads of people I knew from reading their papers but hadn't met in person). - If you have specific people you want to meet email them before the conference. Introduce your self and ask if they have time to chat during the conference. Presentations are really a minor part of the life of a scientist. There are many very bad presenters who are very good scientists. And they do just fine. You will do just fine--it might be tough, but if it's not tough it's probably not worth doing.