Earth Horizons

There is not a day that goes by that I do not learn something new. The geosciences offer that kind of life-long learning.

What attracted you to the field of geosciences?

My love of the outdoors. When I returned to school, I asked myself, “where am I happiest” and the answer for me was being outside. And what better place to work, than outside. And that’s what attracted me to the geosciences.

What do you do at your job day to day?

That’s the great thing about the geosciences. My days are never the same. One day I may be in the field collecting samples, the next day writing code to analyze data, the next day travelling to an unknown destination for training or a conference. That’s one of the things I love most about the geosciences. Your office always changes.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

Learning. There is not a day that goes by that I do not learn something new. The geosciences offer that kind of life-long learning.

What about your job do you find most challenging?

Scientific writing is the most difficult part of my job. If I had any advice for a prospective geosciences major it would be take a scientific or technical writing class. The benefits cannot be understated.

If you could go back and give your college self one piece of professional advice, what would it be?

Open your mind to the possibilities of working in the geosciences. There are professions that you’ve not heard of that may lead you on a path of discovery and life-long fulfilment.

Has being a geoscientist changed the way you view the world around you, and if so, how?

Absolutely! You begin to see the importance of science and that it is intertwined in everything we do, in every decision we make, and it shapes the way you look at the world. IT’S AMAZING when you begin to see that.