2016 AIPG STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
fascinated by the history of the earth and I find wonder in the things it has to teach us about the past, present and future. Geology is a subect I can get excited about every day, and it satisfies my curiosity, much like that of how I felt back in the day in my own backyard as a homeschooler.
It is with great anticipation that I advance my education to the university level. I am excited to begin a comprehensive geology program, where I will be learning side by side with others who share my passion for geology. Much of my edu- cational experience thus far has placed me in a position of the unique, differentiating me from the sea of engineers that question, “You need physics to study rocks?” It would seem that my colleagues perceive geology, as a mathless, physics- less and scienceless field, for which I scoff at the insinuation. They soon discover I don’t ust stand around gazing at rocks.
Honestly, I can’t wait to get into the field and apply what I learn in the classroom to real applications. I am steadfast and confident in my decision to be a geologist. I look forward to serving my beautiful home and community in the Pacific Northwest as an Environmental Geologist, protecting our natural resources.
Thank you AIPG, for supporting education and for the encouragement you are providing future geologists like me.
Emilie Bowman, SA-6120
I abhorred geology as a child. That is to be expected, however, if your geologist father makes you go mountain climbing for fun (when all I wanted to do was write). I grew up in Scotland, the birthplace of modern geology, so tall mountains and metamorphic rocks were not hard to come by, nor were father-led geological field trips. The rebellious child I was, I quickly learned to
ignore conversations focused on turbidite formation or the progradation of the shoreline. When we moved to Houston, Texas, however, this was no longer a problem. There are few geological beauties around Houston; one must drive hundreds of miles for topography. But I didn’t care – I wanted to be a creative writer. On a drive to Kansas City, Missouri during my senior year of high school, my family and I took a detour to Mt. Magazine, the tallest point in Arkansas. On the top of the mountain, my father explained how synclines formed the mountain ridges and anticlines occupied the adacent valleys. To my surprise, I found what my dad was saying intensely interesting. Thus, I decided to check geology on all of my col- lege applications. I have absolutely no regrets.
Geology, in my opinion, is the most artistic science. The inside of most field notebooks I’ve seen look like Frederic Edwin Church landscapes. What attracts me, however, are the similarities between geology and creative writing. As a geolo- gist, I am able to contribute to a story that is 4.56 billion years long. As a member of the Undergraduate Honors Research Program, I get to write the story of a magma’s ascent to the surface to form one of the world’s largest porphyry copper/gold deposits. By conducting research on magmatic xenoliths and by interpreting plagioclase zonation patterns, I will be able to tell the story of the magma’s ascent. Did the magma assimilate any wall rock components on its way to the surface? Or was it recharged by hotter, more mafic magma? The beauty of geology
is that most of Earth’s history has manifested itself in some way – not only in the lavas that spew out of volcanoes, but also in the folds that deform the Earth’s crust, in the faults that cut different rock formations, and in the chemistry of resistant zircons that hang around for millions to billions of years. As a geologist, I get to devote my life to writing, and in many cases, rewriting Earth’s history.
My experience after checking geology on my college applica- tions has been profound. I have developed a passion for geology intense enough to cause a desire to become a research profes- sor. Now, I would never space out during a geology-centric conversation with my father. In fact, I look forward to them whenever I visit home. I would do anything for the chance to go back to Scotland and hike the highlands.
Anna Stanczyk, SA-6099
When you hear someone describe their professional role as “helping others,” you likely picture a nurse, a humanitarian aid, or perhaps a psychologist. This phrase is not typically assigned to those in the field of earth sciences. Yet this short formulation embodies a sig- nificant piece of my motivation for becoming a geologist. In our current Anthropocene epoch of widespread human habitation, natural hazards quickly unravel into natural disas- ters which devastate communities
and lives. I aim to contribute to the reduction of these negative impacts by becoming an expert in landslide characterization and risk assessment.
This specific purpose blossomed following my decision to produce an undergraduate thesis. One of my first steps in conducting research on landslides was to read the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Report regarding the 2014 Oso landslide1. The document is as equally fascinating as it is gut wrenching. One simply cannot believe that a neigh- borhood was allowed to exist at the foot of such a historically active scarp. The catastrophic slide was never an “if,” it was only a matter of “when.” As this reality resonated within me, I realized that my calling as a geologist is to prevent disasters from stealing lives. I recognize that this work will likely come with additional heartache and frustration, but I believe the difficulty of my life experiences has prepared me for that pos- sibility. It is also this risk of anguish which provides motivation to produce accurate, thorough work in the realm of geohazards.
While landslides may be only one of many geohazards that pose a threat to modern civilization, I am of the opinion that they are underrepresented in our national assessment of natu- ral threats. At present, the United States has no national or state guidelines of risk due to natural landslides despite the fact that such strategies are established in other developed countries including Australia and Japan. Also, if the United States still tarries in promoting mass wasting valuations, envisage the devastation that occurs in under-developed
1 Keaton, Jeffrey, et al. The 22 March 2014 Oso Landslide, Snohomish County, Washington. Rep. no. GEER-036. National Science Foundation’s Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance, 22 July 2014. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.
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