“WHY I WANT TO BE A GEOLOGIST.”
path started to become clear. I enrolled for my bachelors in Geological Sciences that Fall! I quickly honed my interest in sedimentology, and had started seeking field work opportuni- ties by my second year. It was evident to me that my calling was to be a field geologist. Now, as I approach the end of my bachelor’s degree, I am more confident and excited about my
future than ever before. Because of my protracted experience discovering my passion for geology, I am currently developing a summer program for high school girls interested in the geo- sciences. I want to give them the head start I didn’t have and get them excited about undergraduate research. I look forward to a dynamic, surprising and fulfilling career as a geologist.
Danny Foley, SA-8517, Northern Arizona University
“Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice”. This quote by philosopher Will Durant is one that I often began my introductory geoscience lectures with. I believe an understanding of Earth science is critical to our society and has motivated me to focus on becoming a
leader on geoscience issues that affect our future. I have been inspired because I have never met a geologist who doesn’t want to keep learning no matter what their specialty is. Geologists have a gift to offer to the world, as what sets us apart from many other professions is that our passion comes from a love of our craft and we can share that to spark new ideas across various fields. Since receiving my degree in geological sciences, I have realized that geology is based on the inter- relationships between the Earth and humankind. Therefore, I want to further advance my knowledge and educate others to make a difference in a future career integrating geology and geospatial technologies.
After my undergraduate research in planetary science I sought to expand my knowledge in geology by combining fieldwork, remote sensing, and laboratory analysis. I began my Masters intending to map a relatively unexplored region of the Transantarctic Mountains. However, the field season in Antarctica was delayed, and I instead began to work remotely by analyzing aerial photography of the region. Using ArcGIS, I applied remote sensing techniques to take geomorphologic measurements, and combined these with (U-Th)/He ther- mochronology to asses the tectonic history of the region. As geologists are often met with various challenges, I learned to be persistent, organized, and flexible in this broad spectrum of research. I found this experience of turning a challenge into an opportunity rewarding, as I learned new techniques and began to collaborate with others in diverse fields. From my determination to pursue Antarctic geology without any guarantee of going to Antarctica, when an opportunity did come up for a field assistant, I gladly accepted to be a US Antarctic Program Grantee. This was a life-changing experi- ence. If I thought I wanted to be a geologist before, this took it to a whole new level. While traveling like the inhabitant of a Russian doll - taking a large plane, then a medium sized plane, and finally a small ski plane holding a snowmobile with field gear inside- to land deep in the field on a remote Antarctic glacier, I tried to hold back my excitement to explore by casually saying to the pilots, “just another day at the office”. Conducting geology fieldwork deep in the Transantarctic Mountains in locations where no human had set foot before, in order to collect samples for a new innovative study was a life-changing experience that made me prouder than ever to be a geologist. If I could have known this was an option when I
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was a kid I would have set myself on the geology path sooner. Working in the interior of Antarctica was a surreal experience diminishing some senses and enhancing others. When the wind stops there is no sound and there is nothing giving off a scent, the only colors are shades of ice, sky, and rock. Being able to witness nature in this pristine setting, and seeing how timeless glaciers carved into solid rock that contained tropical plant fossils helped me to understand the interconnections of the Earth and how many more discoveries there are to be made. This further planted my foundation as a geologist. After graduation, I wanted to combine remote sensing and geology to be a planetary geologist. This brought me to the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera as a research analyst in mission operations alongside Principal Investigator Mark Robinson. This was a fascinating experience where I learned engineering procedures in instrumentation and acquired new skills in computer coding, scripting and line command which may help to contribute to the progress of the field of geological data analysis. Also during this time, I furthered my interest in geoscience education as a Community College professor and as an instructor at a Botanical Garden developing various Earth science courses. While I lectured to mostly enthusiastic retirees at the Garden, I would teach col- lege students in the morning, this contrast of young and more distinguished folks made me learn how to make geology excit- ing so that anyone could understand. While I found teaching at a community college very rewarding, I became interested in having a bigger impact. This led me to take research to the next level using my geology background and the development of new skills to work in a professional career towards helping better manage our environment.
The direction of my life has been driven by amazement at the natural world, on Earth and beyond. I find it critical to better understand how Earth and planetary systems work in order to maintain a sustainable future and strive to advance our knowledge. Whenever I fly, I always seek to sit in the window seat in order to look out and explore new terrain, sometimes at the expense of looking weird to fellow passengers. As a kid I used to collect rocks, and I still do... bringing the rocks I find on trips back in my carry-on luggage is always an adventure, as I have to explain to airport security why I love rocks so much that I am compelled to travel with one… or several. I am still driven to know more. My years of university educa- tion, research, and work experience have not been enough. I see new questions waiting to be asked and problems waiting to be solved. My curious, analytical nature, along with an innate desire to explore, keeps me striving to become a better geoscientist. I aspire to take the next big step to accomplish my life goals and to live not at the mercy of geoscience processes, but with an understanding of and respect for these processes that can enrich our lives.
www.aipg.org
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