UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
I would also like to analyze how the paleo-geomorphology of a location influenced where and how people lived. These prior geologic factors may also explain habitation trends, trading routes, and social habits. For example: island versus continental, or coastal versus highland environments. Lastly, comparisons could be made between similar cultures that experience different geologic and geomorphologic settings. Lastly, comparisons could be made between similar cultures of a region, but ones that have varying geologic and geographic settings, thus enabling examination of the disparities and similarities of the materials abundance and accessibility, can affect cultures to the potential of a relatively small scale.
Geologic and geomorphologic factors influence the degree of preservation, accessibility and likelihood of a successful exca- vation, as well as influencing the excavation methodology and overall feasibility of excavating a particular site. Categories to be investigated include the different rocks that characterize an excavation site, the geomorphology of the area, and the types of materials and volumes of such materials that are most likely to be present based upon observations. Geographically, research could also expand into evaluating the socio-political factors in the area of the proposed excavation, as well as mor- als and ethics of exploration of the region.
In summary, I hope to evaluate how the geological setting influences excavation, documentation methods, and potential excavation success by examining the influences of geology and paleo-landscape on culture development and behavior. I will not be working as just an archeologist, geologist, or engineer but all three of these. I will thus stand out as an individual with a strong technical, logical and scientific background that I can use to describe evidence of prior origins to explain how societ- ies developed and failed based on the geologic environment.
Samantha Hillburn SA-10970
Tulane University Louisiana Section
I have been fascinated by the world around me – by land- forms, rocks, fossils, and natural disasters – for as long as I can remember. Years of hiking and backpacking with family cultivated my love of nature and strong affinity for Earth sci- ence from a young age that only strengthened with time. Still, as many college students do, I lost touch with childhood pas- sions and struggled to settle on a major until one introductory geology course brought me full circle. I owe endless gratitude to outstanding Tulane University professors who altogether altered the trajectory of my education and career with their inspiring lectures and academic support. Advanced geology coursework and small class sizes meant I could spend hours asking questions, reviewing concepts, and discussing ideas that left my mind reeling in the best way.
My geology classes covered billions of years of Earth history, from our early planetary origins to modern climate change. I learned that no matter how much carbon dioxide humans pump into the atmosphere, the world will keep spinning. When we say “save the planet,” we really mean “save ourselves.” Geology opened my mind to unfathomable timescales over which moun- tains are built and weathered down, oceans open and close,
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and entire lithospheric plates are recycled in the mantle. We can learn so much about present and future climate trends by looking at the past, the vast majority of which humans were not around to see. Likewise, we may not be around to see much of the future if our current carbon-intensive practices continue.
I want to understand how Earth systems operate from a geological perspective, yet I am dually intrigued by the complex interface between civil society, commercial enterprise, and the natural environment. These interests informed my decision to pursue degree concentrations in Geology, Environmental Studies, and Economics. My undergraduate research has so far taken me to Puerto Rico to study hurricane-triggered landslides and back home to northwestern Louisiana to investigate fracking-induced seismicity, two projects with implications that cross disciplinary boundaries. I observed firsthand these causes and consequences of climate change: hydraulic fracturing releases natural gas that enhances the greenhouse effect, which in turn contributes to the increasing intensity and frequency of hurricanes that devastate coastal cities like New Orleans – a place I will love and defend long after I graduate and move away.
The interconnectedness of Earth systems remains a subject of considerable if not dangerous uncertainty that geologists and other Earth scientists are working feverishly to unravel, and I want to be in that number. My undergraduate studies and research experiences in the classroom, laboratory, and field will inform my graduate school selection and future career evaluating the myriad risks and mitigation strategies of geo- physical hazards, from landslides and earthquakes to global climate change. I ultimately aim to employ my background in both natural and social sciences to engineer effective solutions to global climate change that are scientifically informed as well as economically sustainable. Who better than a geologist to help save – or at least understand – the very planet that I will devote my life to studying?
Anastasia Ivanova SA-10907
State University of Potsdam Northeast Section
My love of geology was nurtured at a small age. When I was young, I would sit by my grandfather’s side, and listen to his adventures being part of a Field Geology expedition crew
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