Status of the Geoscience Workforce 2009

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

According to the federal government, science and technology has been responsible for more than 50% of the economic growth in the U.S. since the end of World War II. This growth was driven by increased investment in science and technology fields undertaken in the post‐war, space‐race, and cold war years, building not only the human capital but also the institutional frameworks to sustain the technical capacity of the U.S. economy in the face of ever‐changing threats.

2009-2010 AGI Fisher Fellow Katie Matthews

The 2009-2010 William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellow is Kathryn "Katie" Matthews. She worked in the office of Representative Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, on nuclear issues. She was a postdoctoral geochemist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Nuclear and Radiochemistry Group investigating the migration of uranium and its daughter products at a site analogous to the proposed radiological waste repository at Yucca Mountain. She also participated in a nuclear forensics program, measuring isotopic ratios of interest in air and soil samples. She received her Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007. Her dissertation focused on deciphering marine and coral biogeochemistry to understand past climatic conditions. She received her Masters in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Pennsylvania - examining the deposition of pesticides in Arctic ice cores. Her Bachelor degree in Geological Sciences is from Tufts University in Massachusetts. After her Congressional Science Fellowship, Matthews served as a Marine Science Officer at the U.S. State Department on a AAAS Fellowship. She now is Vice President of Policy Development and Outreach at the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Mollie Pettit

Mollie just finished earning BS degrees in both geology and mathematics from West Virginia University. She has done geology Research Experiences for Undergraduate internships the past two summers, first at Virginia Tech then at the University of Colorado. Although she most recently comes from WV, she lived in the Midwest for most of her life and is excited about living near a big city for once. Mollie has little experience with public policy and is looking forward to the knowledge and experience she will gain from this internship opportunity.

Mollie graduated from Stanford University with a Master's degree in geology - concentration hydrogeomorphology - in the spring of 2013; her thesis focused on water driven slope instability and coastal erosion. (Updated 1/29/16)

Publications while at AGI:
Pettit, M.M. Geothermal Projects Gather $team. AAPG Explorer, Dec 2009.

Joey Fiore

Coming from Boston, Joey has just completed work for BS degrees in geology and history from Northeastern University. During his time there, he helped conduct research on the red tide blooms in the Gulf of Maine during the 2006 fishery shutdowns, using core samples to determine population densities during the fall and then monitoring the bloom the following spring. Additionally, Joey served as Northeastern’s Student Body President and in the school’s production of Guys and Dolls. He is a regular columnist for The Professional Geologist, and has been involved with AIPG for several years. While in Washington this fall, Joey plans on studying, and working to improve, the way in which science is communicated to the public. This winter he is moving to California, where he will work for a year before pursuing graduate school.

Publications while at AGI:
Fiore, J. Carbon Capture and Sequestration: The Preferred Solution of Policy Makers. The Professional Geologist, Jan/Feb 2010.

Rachel Potter

Rachel received her BA in Earth Sciences from Boston University and recently completed her MS in Geology from the University of Maryland. Her MS research in geochemistry focused on the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. In June she will present her thesis work at the Goldschmidt conference in Switzerland. Rachel is now devoting her time to understanding geoscience policy in Washington, especially at this time of transition and change in DC.

Publications while at AGI:
Potter, R. Policymakers Making Waves About Ocean Acidification.The Professional Geologist, Jan/Feb 2010

Potter, R. Energy Department Seeks to Spark Scientific Innovation.EARTH Magazine, Nov 2009, pp. 28

Stephanie Praus

Stephanie graduated in May from the University of Michigan with a BSE in Earth Systems Science and Engineering, concentrating in climate physics. During college, she studied the feasibility of incorporating the agriculture sector into a California carbon cap and trade market, and the mechanisms communities are using to adapt to climate change. She also worked for the Michigan Environmental Council in 2008, tracking state and federal legislation related to environmental issues. She will be starting at the University of Maryland in the fall to pursue a Master’s of Public Policy, concentrating in environmental policy. Stephanie is originally from Buffalo, New York.

Publications while at AGI:
Praus, S. Will Nuclear Power Grow in a Low Carbon Economy?The Professional Geologist, Jan/Feb 2010

Praus, S. Mining Reform on the Table, Again. EARTH Magazine, Oct 2009, pp. 25

Stephanie graduated from UMD and is now back in Washington, DC as an analyst at International Technology and Trade Associates. (9/11)

Clint Carney

Clint comes to AGI from Colorado where he has spent the last few years working towards an MSc degree in hydrology at the Colorado School of Mines. Clint earned his BS in geology and environmental studies at Iowa State University and an MS in geology at Northern Illinois University prior to working professionally as a hydrogeologist for a multi-agency groundwater modeling study of the High Plains aquifer in Nebraska. Clint is also a registered professional geologist in the state of Nebraska.

Publications while at AGI:
Carney, C. Water Gets Attention in Congress. EARTH Magazine, Aug 2009, pp. 26

Clint is currently a hydrogeologist for a consulting company in Denver, CO. (8/09)