I love geology because I enjoy learning about the world around me while being able to experience the things I learn first-hand.
I have had the opportunity to go to many amazing places including Owens Valley in California, Pennsylvania, the Big Island of Hawaii, and the Adirondacks in New York. Each location is geologically unique and I have learned many things that I would not have in a classroom setting. These trips have been the highlights of my experiences in the department. Hawaii in particular was especially remarkable because we had the opportunity to sample an active lava flow!
Recently, I have been doing research with Dr. Erik Klemetti on the Lassen Volcanic Center in Northern California. We are analyzing zircon to determine the age and compositional history of the youngest sequence of eruptions at Lassen. From this, we hope to gain a better understanding of how the subvolcanic system works. The project has taken me to California for field and laboratory work and to the annual GSA conferences and has exposed me to really cool research in my area of interest.
Already, I have had many wonderful experiences in the geoscience department and there are sure to be more to come. I am getting ready to go to New Zealand for a geology study abroad program and field camp. And if all goes well, the department will be off to Sicily in the spring of 2015 for another adventure.