Mentoring Senior Thesis Students

One of my goals within my research is to promote undergraduate research experiences, as I believe this is one of the best approaches to foster a passion for geosciences in students. There are three direct actions I take while mentoring students that help increase and support diversity in the geosciences: 1) promoting involvement, 2) developing community, and 3) practicing empathy and patience. Together, these approaches help provide equitable experiences for students, and foster passion and preparedness for future careers in the geosciences.

I have sought to involve undergraduate students in research by providing mentorship on senior theses. This includes working with undergrads to create subprojects related to my own work that will help them gain valuable research experience, as well as providing mentorship to students who are working on research that closely aligns with mine.

Senior Thesis Students and Projects:
- Patrick Penne, 2023: Fabric analyses of deformation in the Duncan Hill pluton, Washington
- Kate Akin, 2024: An evaluation of relationships between emplacement and internal fabrics of the Loch Borralan Pluton, Northwest Highlands, Scotland
- Will Hazeltine, 2024: Gravity survey of the Borralan intrusion, Scotland
- Aryssa Mahrt, 2024: Integrating magnetic fabric analyses and gravimetry to interpret pluton emplacement in the Moine Thrust Zone, Scotland

Undergraduate Involvement in Field Work

Another approach I use to promote undergraduate research experiences is to bring undergraduates into the field with me. Whenever possible, I bring at least one undergraduate student along as a field assistant during field work and emphasize teaching the methods I employ and/or adding in field experiences that are aligned with their interests. Having received a similar opportunity myself as an undergrad, I feel that this involvement helps students narrow down their career goals, while also gaining valuable skills in the field.

Community Service

Since the start of my education in the geosciences, I have found the extensive and kind community to be one of the greatest resources in this field. As a result, I have wanted to give back by participating in departmental service roles. I have served on executive committees for UW-Madison’s AWG chapter, and on the graduate geoscience organizations at ISU and UW-Madison. My graduate peer, Ellen Nelson, and I have also worked to build a ‘Very Early Career’ seminar series at UW-Madison, which showcases research, skill shares, and/or ‘just-for-fun’ geoscience talks by undergraduates, graduates, and post-docs.