Jenna was a rising senior at Wesleyan University where she was a dual major in geology and government. In response to a member society request, Jenna examined the geoscience content of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth.

A 1997 graduate of the University of Iowa, Runden worked for the Iowa Geological Survey during her last two years in school. She was seeking a position with an environmental consulting firm or a nonprofit scientific society.

Stephanie was funded jointly by AGI's Government Affairs and Education programs. Stephanie covered science education policy issues for GAP. Stephanie has an undergraduate degree in geology from Furman University (S.C.), and returned to Indiana University to complete a master's degree in public affairs, with a focus on environmental policy.