GK12 Montana State University

• Undergraduate: Geology major with Environmental Studies and Biology minors at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL (2005)
• Graduate: MS Student, Department of Earth Sciences, MSU-Bozeman
• Advisor: Mark Skidmore
• Thesis Title: Biogeochemical Changes in Alpine Catchments in Response to Glacier Retreat
• Interests: Enjoying the outdoors via hiking, camping, and biking, reading, music, and playing guitar and mandolin Hometown: Shorewood, IL

I have spent most of my life in a small Chicago suburb of Illinois known as Shorewood. My uncle, a geologist, sparked my interest in geology at a young age, but I have been interested in environmental and ecological topics for as long as I can remember. Hence, I pursued geology, environmental sciences, and biology in college and immersed myself in clubs and activities involving these subjects. Undergraduate field experiences in geology have allowed me to visit and study a glacier in Alaska (through an NSF-REU program), volcanoes in Hawaii, and the geology of places such as Death Valley and the upper midwest and upper NORTH! western United States. A study-abroad program to Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Mexico during my junior year of college also introduced me to the geology, ecology, and culture of these areas. My REU experience at the Matanuska Glacier, AK, piqued my interest in glacial environments, and hence I undertook graduate research involving glacial and ecological studies in the Yukon and the effects of climate change on glaciated environments (gaining a better understanding of climate change and reducing our ecological footprint is another passion of mine).

Teaching (classroom and field) assistantships, an internship with the Rock Island Soil and Water Conservation District and the University of Illinois Extension in Rock Island County involving public/youth outreach, and youth outreach activities through Augustana College have had a large impact on my desire to teach and be involved in further public outreach activities. My interest and ability to do such work was furthered as I have been involved in developing informational web pages and activities for the NSF-funded Science Education Resource Center (SERC) program (http://serc.carleton.edu). These general informational sites and activities are designed to inform the general public, as well as K-12, undergraduate, and graduate, and professional students and teachers about topics such as geology, geography, microbial life, chemistry, and physics. I am excited to participate in the NSF-BSI GK-12 program, as it will allow me to bring my research to the classroom and strengthen my ability to disseminate my research to the public. Ultimately, I hope this experience will aid me in my career goal as a college professor of the Earth sciences as well as to intrigue students about science and the environment and to make them better stewards to the environment and community, even if their career goals do not directly involve science.