Like many in my generation,
I discovered geology through the writings of
John McPhee, which convinced me to take a geology course to meet the science
distribution requirement in college. My interest was solidified by a terrific
introductory course—in particular, the TA’s for the labs were far
more interesting than any of the history grad students I had encountered. And
I could apply the same analytical skills that I had learned studying history:
working out cause and effect and why events transpired as they did. But of
course I had to learn an entirely different set of methods to apply those
skills, and the rest of my college career was spent learning the physical,
chemical, biological, and mathematical tools of a modern geologist.
What types of jobs have you held?
After grad school, I
stayed on for a summer as a postdoc before heading to
Washington as an AGU Congressional Science Fellow. During the fellowship,
I worked as a professional staff member for the Senate Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources. I stayed on briefly with the committee after the
fellowship then took a position as Director of Government Affairs at the
American Geological Institute, representing the geoscience community on a wide
range of policy issues. Four years later, I took on a second job at AGI as
editor of Geotimes, the monthly news magazine of the earth sciences.
Four years after that, I left AGI to join the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
and focus on an issue for which I feel a great deal of passion and for which
the geosciences have a great deal to contribute: Reducing the societal impacts
of natural hazards. In my current position, Senior Science Advisor for
Earthquake and Geologic Hazards, I am responsible for coordinating the
Survey’s geologic hazard activities.
In order to maintain a connection to academic geoscience, I occasionally
teach courses in environmental geology and natural hazards at Johns Hopkins
University in the Environmental Science and Policy master’s program, and
I am an adjunct faculty member at the University of Utah, where I help teach
geology field camp when my day job allows.
What started you down your current career path?
Even as I transformed myself into a geoscientist, I retained a
strong interest in history and politics. When I saw an ad for the congressional
science fellowship program, I was struck by how neatly it seemed to connect my
interests. I was fortunate enough to get the AGU fellowship that launched me
on my career as a science policy wonk.
The path that led to my role as editor of Geotimes began with running a
newspaper in college, a reminder that our avocations often serve as important
life preparation. As soon as I came to AGI, I sought to become involved with
the magazine, writing a monthly column and editing an annual policy issue.
Having already developed a familiarity with how the operation worked made the
transition to editor relatively smooth.
What are the positives and negatives of your job?
Focusing on natural hazards provides me with a strong sense of
purpose as there is so much to be done. The USGS has a clear mission, but the
struggle is to get our scientists the resources they need to make as big a
difference as possible.
Most science policy jobs are located in and around Washington, DC, which is
either an advantage or a drawback depending on your view of our nation’s
capital. I personally find it to be a beautiful and dynamic city, but I am
also quite aware just how pleasant life can be outside the Beltway!
Both my current and former jobs require constant writing and editing. Like
any good bureaucrat, I spend considerable time on the phone, sending and
reading e-mail messages, and attending meetings. There is quite a bit of
public speaking, including appearances on television and radio usually in the
wake of natural disasters. Given that fear of public speaking rates higher
than fear of death for many people, this aspect may be considered quite the
negative!
What information would you give to someone just starting in your
area of interest?
Start with the science. Geoscience is an excellent preparation
for a broad array of careers, many of them having nothing at all to do with
becoming a professional geoscientist narrowly defined. So many issues that we
face as a society—particularly those involving natural hazards, the
environment and use of resources—have an important geoscience context.
For a science student, public policy can be explored through coursework,
volunteer work, or summer jobs. In particular, internships are a great way to
explore different avenues that appeal to you.
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