“WHY I WANT TO BE A GEOLOGIST.”
knowledge about geology with people in an effort to educate them about the effects of climate change on the planet. I desire to attend graduate school in the future because the skills I will attain and the research I will conduct will allow me to understand climate change and assist in the efforts of the scientific community to inform society about the consequences of climate change on Earth’s processes. In my oceans and global climate change course, I discovered that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have a variety of effects on the atmo- sphere, geosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, such as rising temperatures, erosion, extinction of species, and increasing sea level. Although the majority of the scientific community acknowledges that climate change is occurring, many members of the general public are not completely convinced. In order to stress the implications of climate change and be an effective advocate for Earth, I need to stand firmly behind data that accurately depicts the detrimental effects of climate change on the planet. Thus, I will need to create climate models to specifically determine how the changing climate affects differ- ent aspects of the geosphere, through natural disasters and coastal erosion.
My prior experiences with research will enable me to be successful as a geologist. At Stanford, I examined the environ- mental, economic, and social impacts of hydraulic fracturing in Williams County, North Dakota with the guidance of Dr. Adam Brandt. I compiled data from numerous government websites, normalized around thirty-five sets of data, and used statistical analysis to create an impact assessment of natural gas production. The purpose of this research was to determine how beneficial or detrimental hydraulic fracturing had been in Williams County. Future applications of this research include using this type of assessment to predict the impacts of hydraulic fracturing in other towns. While working on this research project, I improved my ability to handle large data sets and learned statistical analysis that aided in the creation of my impact assessment. I also strengthened my scientific communication skills by presenting my research to multiple audiences frequently over the course of the program. I hope to strengthen and acquire more geology-related skills as I participate in other programs in the future.
Our cultural and ethnic backgrounds influence the way we perceive the world. As a Guyanese-American woman, I would bring diversity and a different mindset to the field of geol- ogy. I believe that my experience with Caribbean and Indian culture will allow me to pursue unique research claims that scientists from other backgrounds may overlook. For example, I am motivated to focus my future research on the geology of Guyana, my family’s country, because I have a connection with this land. Guyana is often overlooked because of its small size and economic status, but my background encourages me to study this area.
Being a minority and first-generation college student, I have had to navigate through the difficult process of carving a path within the realm of science on my own. While my peers were getting advice on applying for research positions at our university and summer internships from family members and friends, I would spend my nights frantically browsing online advice columns for aspiring scientists. I irrationally believed that I was several steps behind my peers and that I was not meant to be a scientist. However, my graduate school mentor at Stanford, a Guyanese woman, has continued to encourage me in my pursuit to become a geologist. In the future, I hope that I can serve as a mentor for others with similar cultural
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backgrounds who are interested in pursuing graduate studies in geology or a career as a geologist.
In the future, I aspire to acquire a career within the field of geology initially as a researcher partnering with a university. I am determined to use my knowledge and curiosity to con- tribute to geological research as I believe that an increase in geological research will aid humanity’s efforts to combat our damage to Earth. Later on in my career, I plan on becoming either a professional geologist working in the private sector as an environmental consultant or a government employee in an environmental program. Overall, my goal is to use my knowledge as a geologist to help people by assisting their understanding of our planet and its vulnerabilities.
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Jul.Aug.Sep 2017 • TPG 17
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