A Snapshot ofWomen

of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM 

and Related Careers

Circular 1443

Science

Technology

Engineering

Mathematics

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
Title page (facing): U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologist Tia-Marie Scott collects a water 

sample from the West Branch Delaware River at South Kortright, New York, downstream of a 

wastewater treatment plant for water-quality analysis. The samples collected were used to 

determine concentrations of emerging contaminants, including hormones, pharmaceuticals, and 

wastewater indicator compounds, to assess the contribution of these compounds to the environment 

from wastewater treatment plants. Photograph by the USGS.
A Snapshot of

Women

of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM 

and Related Careers

By Susan C. Aragon-Long, Virginia R. Burkett, Holly S. Weyers, Susan M. Haig, 

Marjorie S. Davenport, and Kelly L. Warner

Circular 1443

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

RYAN K. ZINKE, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

James F. Reilly II, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2018

For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living 

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visit https://store.usgs.gov.

Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the 

U.S. Government.

Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials 

as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.

All photographs are provided by the individuals being portrayed in this circular. Although most of the photographs 

in this report are by the U.S. Geological Survey and are in the public domain, photographs in individual biographical 

entries may be copyrighted. Please contact the individual on the biographical entry to obtain permission to use 

photographs.

Suggested citation:

Aragon-Long, S.C., Burkett, V.R., Weyers, H.S., Haig, S.M., Davenport, M.S., and Warner, K.L., 2018, A snapshot of 

women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and related careers: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1443, 100 p., 

https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1443.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Aragon-Long, Susan C., author. | Geological Survey (U.S.), issuing 

 body.

Title: A snapshot of women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and related 

 careers / by Susan C. Aragon-Long, Virginia R. Burkett, Holly S. Weyers, 

 Susan M. Haig, Marjorie S. Davenport, and Kelly L. Warner.

Other titles: U.S. Geological Survey circular ; 1443. 1067-084X

Description: Reston, Virginia : U.S. Geological Survey, 2018. | Series: 

 Circular, ISSN 1067-084X ; 1443 | Includes bibliographical references and 

 index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018024567| ISBN 9781411342323 | ISBN 1411342321

Subjects: LCSH: Geological Survey (U.S.)--Officials and employees--Biography. 

 | Women scientists--United States--Biography. | Geological Survey 

 (U.S.)--History. | Geological Survey (U.S.)--Vocational guidance. | Women 

 in science--United States.

Classification: LCC QE76 .A73 2018 | DDC 509.2/520973--dc23 | SUDOC I 

 19.4/2:1443

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018024567

ISSN 1067-084X (print)

ISSN 2330-5703 (online)

ISBN 978-1-4113-4232-3
iii

Contents

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Women Pioneers at the USGS.....................................................................................................................2

Past and Current Women Senior Scientists in the USGS .......................................................................3

USGS Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for 

Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) ..............................................................................................4

Opportunities With the USGS ......................................................................................................................5

What If I Am Not a Scientist? .............................................................................................................5

What Opportunities Are Available for Students? ............................................................................5

What Are the Criteria for STEM Careers at the USGS? ..........................................................................6

Profiles of USGS Women..............................................................................................................................7

Index of Women Featured in This Publication........................................................................................98
iv

“Reading the profiles of the remarkable women in this book, I was reminded of how the 

simple joy of curiosity, exploration, and discovery drive all of us from our earliest days to 

a life of scientific examination of the world around us. Although I have seen a profound 

change of inclusiveness in the culture of the STEM community, we have a long way to 

go to build a culture where women feel totally supported in their desire to explore. By 

highlighting the roles and experiences of the women scientists who have been pathfinders, we hope to reinforce the aspirations of young women seeking to be part of our STEM 

future. We are proud to highlight the contributions of the more than 3,000 women who 

help make the USGS a world leader in revolutionary science 

and a vanguard in developing the next generation of worldclass scientists.”

“The role of women in science has advanced substantially over the past two decades, and there is 

no place in government where the contributions 

of women scientists shine brighter than in the USGS. When I arrived at the USGS, 

I was struck by the number of capable women in science leadership roles, many 

working in international circles as experts in frontiers ranging from astrogeology 

to mineral exploration, paleoclimatology, and land remote sensing. At a time when 

many women question whether they will have opportunities to advance in their 

scientific careers, take pride in what they are contributing to society, and also find 

time for their families, the women of the USGS prove every day 

that it is possible.”

“The USGS is committed to a diverse workforce, as unique perspectives are assets to our 

science and allow for creativity and innovation. It is wonderful to see that more women 

are pursuing scientific careers than in the past. Highlighting the accomplishments of 

women scientists is important for their own recognition as well as for inspiring young 

women now and into the future. To that end, the USGS is actively engaged in many programs to encourage all youth to appreciate the wonders of science and to pursue careers 

in this field. In particular, USGS engagement with youth and the wide range of research 

and learning experiences offered to students directly support 

the STEM Education Coalition. These USGS activities 

focus on increasing scientific literacy in the general 

public and attracting and preparing the future STEM 

workforce.”

“For more than a century, women have played an integral role in science at the USGS. 

In the 1970s and early 1980s, about half of the women in the USGS workforce were 

part-time or intermittent employees. The face of our workforce started to change 

dramatically in the 1990s as the proportion of women with degrees in the geosciences 

started to rise. Today, women are employed full-time at virtually all levels in our 

organizational structure, from field positions to senior scientists and associate 

directors. The women in this book represent just a sample of the extensive talent 

and significant achievements of women across the USGS, and as a bureau, we 

continue to give high priority to recruitment and support of women in STEM.”

James F. Reilly II

Director, U.S. Geological Survey

2018–present

Marcia McNutt

Director, U.S. Geological Survey

2009–2013

Suzette Kimball 

Director, U.S. Geological Survey

2016–2017

William Werkheiser 

Deputy Director, U.S. Geological Survey 

2015–present
A Snapshot of

Women

of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM 

and Related Careers

By Susan C. Aragon-Long, Virginia R. Burkett, Holly S. Weyers, Susan M. Haig, 

Marjorie S. Davenport, and Kelly L. Warner

Introduction

The term “STEM” has been used to group together the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and to describe education and professions related to these fields. The 

professional fields connected to STEM education are thought of as engineering, medicine, and 

computer technology. Yet these professional fields are merely the tip of the iceberg. Numerous 

opportunities in STEM fields encompass environmental research. The possibilities range from 

predicting the next earthquake to saving polar bears from extinction to developing a vaccine for 

salmon measles.

The science of natural systems is complex and often requires people from a variety of 

fields of expertise to make headway with a solution. To that end, the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) has long recognized the need for a diversity of STEM expertise to address the Nation’s 

environmental research needs and the vision to facilitate integration of these fields. We are team 

builders!

In this book, we point out the many facets of research carried out by USGS STEM 

scientists in an effort to show career options and pathways not typically pursued. The women 

portrayed were selected by USGS associate and regional directors as representative of particular fields and to inspire future generations.

The seeds for this book were planted by former USGS Directors Marcia McNutt and 

Suzette Kimball. From the inspiration they provided, former USGS Associate Director and 

current Chief Scientist for Climate and Land Use Change, Virginia Burkett, coordinated this 

project. The team of Virginia Burkett, Susan Aragon-Long, Marjorie Davenport, Susan Haig, 

Kelly Warner, and Holly Weyers carefully sought to develop a book that showcased the variety 

of science and science support fields so important to accomplishing the mission of the USGS. 

The book was produced by the publishing team of Anna Glover, Suzanne Roberts, Alan Jones, 

Kimberly Waltenbaugh, Debra Foster, and Katharine Schindler.

We thank the thousands of women in the USGS who have dedicated their careers to 

the advancement of science and an improved understanding of our changing world. Each of 

you has blazed a trail for others to follow. We also thank the friends, family, and colleagues 

of the individuals portrayed in this circular who contributed many of the photographs in 

this publication.
2 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Women Pioneers at the USGS

Florence Bascom was the first woman hired by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

in 1896, and she remained a pioneering geologist for 40 years. Julia Gardner soon followed Bascom’s lead and, using her experience as a paleontologist, helped pinpoint the 

Japanese military’s launch sites for balloonborne incendiary bomb attacks against the 

Pacific Northwest by analyzing seashells in the sand ballast of balloons. After World 

War II, she was assigned to the Allied Forces supreme commander in Tokyo where she 

worked with Japanese geologists to map the western Pacific islands. Since then, many 

women have followed in her footsteps but with an ever-increasing diversity of backgrounds, education, and interests. Today, women scientists, engineers, and mathematicians work for the USGS not only in geology but also in wildlife ecology, mapping, water 

resources, marine biology, and more in the United States and around the world. Recently, 

these women were led by female Secretaries of the Interior (Gale Norton and Sally Jewell) 

and Directors of the USGS (Marcia McNutt and Suzette Kimball). Thus, the USGS has 

evolved into an all-inclusive, world-renowned center for Earth science excellence where 

women of all backgrounds and science training can find a rewarding career.

In this volume, we highlight some of our best and brightest scientists and sciencesupport professionals in an effort to showcase the diversity of science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers open to young people and to celebrate the 

accomplishments of these USGS leaders in their respective fields. Here you will learn that 

Jayne Belnap’s job takes her around the world looking at soil crusts to study their effects 

on the viability of incredibly complex desert ecosystems, Susan Haig is concerned with 

monitoring endangered species on six continents, and Jill Baron works on climate change 

in mountain ecosystems. Together, these and all women of the USGS contribute to perhaps 

the most diverse science agency in the world and to the mission of the USGS. Their hope 

is for the continued growth of young people’s interest in STEM fields as a means of ensuring our prosperous, safe, and healthy future on the planet Earth.

Florence Bascom

Julia Gardner

USGS Mission 

Statement

“The USGS serves 

the Nation by providing reliable scientific 

information to describe 

and understand the 

Earth; minimize loss 

of life and property 

from natural disasters; 

manage water, biological, energy, and mineral 

resources; and enhance 

and protect our quality 

of life.” USGS geologist Sarah Hawkins, lead scientist for the Mancos Shale assessment, 

examining a core drilled by the USGS Core Research Center. This core provided valuable data for the assessment. Photograph by the USGS.
Past and Current Women Senior Scientists in the USGS 3

Past and Current Women Senior Scientists in the USGS

The six former and current senior (ST) scientists shown 

below are the only women in the USGS whose exceptional 

achievements have led to their promotion to senior scientist. 

Fewer than 50 scientists among the almost 9,000 current 

employees currently hold this designation in the USGS. 

USGS ST scientists are recognized for their contributions to 

the agency and are internationally known for their efforts on 

behalf of natural science.

The ST scientists, like many students, started as high 

school or university students trying to sort out future careers 

and lives. From the biographies in this book, you can deduce 

that many of the women decided that they wanted to pursue 

their love of nature or science and dedicated a great deal of 

time and effort to becoming the scientists they are today. 

Some of the other women whose choices took them down 

different career paths found a way to work in an environment 

where their skills could promote science and foster nature.

Whichever paths these women chose, they received the 

full support of the USGS, which has been an organization 

that strives to support all staff throughout their life decisions 

and transitions, allowing them to raise a family, take care of 

elderly relatives, or pursue further education. The many worklife balance opportunities, such as family leave, teleworking, 

onsite day care in some places, and a good health care plan, 

have been key elements in this support. The variety of educational and cultural backgrounds of the hundreds of women in 

STEM and science support careers at the USGS ensure that 

there will always be a kindred spirit nearby who is willing to 

share her experiences and advice.

Mary Lou Zoback 

Senior Scientist 

1998–2006

Mary Hill 

Senior Scientist 

2007–2015

Marith Reheis 

Senior Scientist 

2011–2013

Jayne Belnap 

Senior Scientist 

2010–present

Susan Haig 

Senior Scientist 

2015–present

Jill Baron 

Senior Scientist 

2015–present
4 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Jeanne Hardebeck

2009

Elizabeth Cochran

2010

Maureen Purcell

2013

Pamela Nagler

2009

Karen Felzer

2011

Sarah Minson

2014

Sasha Reed

2010

Anna Chalfoun

2012

Diann Prosser

2017

USGS Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and 

Engineers (PECASE)

The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and 

Engineers (PECASE) is the highest recognition granted by 

the U.S. Government to scientists and engineers in the early 

stages of their research careers. Each year, 10 departments and 

agencies of the U.S. Government join together to nominate 

outstanding scientists and engineers whose discoveries and 

advancements expand the horizons of science and technology, 

contribute to their agencies’ missions, and benefit America’s 

economy and the health and safety of the Nation’s people.

The awards were established by President Clinton in 

1996 and are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. 

Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research 

at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific 

leadership, public education, or community outreach. These 

nine women from the USGS have received PECASE awards 

for their work.
Opportunities With the USGS 5

Opportunities With the USGS

The USGS (usgs.gov) is among the largest natural science organizations in the world, with thousands of scientists, 

technicians, support staff, and administrators working across 

all 50 States and U.S. territories and around the world. As part 

of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the USGS helps its 

sister agencies by addressing their research needs: Bureau of 

Indian Affairs (bia.gov), Bureau of Land Management (blm.

gov), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (boem.gov), 

Bureau of Reclamation (usbr.gov), Fish and Wildlife Service 

(fws.gov), and National Park Service (nps.gov).

Countless types of scientists are required to fulfill the 

needs of the seven USGS mission areas: Climate and LandUse Change, Core Science Systems, Ecosystems, Energy 

and Minerals, Environmental Health, Natural Hazards, and 

Water Resources. Entry-level science, technical, support, and 

administrative positions generally require an undergraduate 

(B.A. or B.S.) degree in the appropriate field. Managerial 

positions often require master’s level (M.S.) degrees, whereas 

more senior-level science positions are generally hired at the 

Ph.D. level and beyond. All USGS jobs that are open to the 

public are posted on USAJobs.gov.

What If I Am Not a Scientist?

The work of scientists depends on administrators, 

budget and finance analysts, communicators, artists, safety 

managers, facilities specialists, and other support professionals to get the science to those who have an interest or a need 

for the science. The people in these positions also are essential for the day-to-day operations of the USGS. 

What Opportunities Are Available for Students?

The USGS also offers Federal internship and employment opportunities for current students, recent graduates, 

and those with an advanced degree through the Pathways 

Programs:

• The Internship Program is for students who are in high 

school, college, trade school, or other qualifying educational institution. This program offers paid opportunities to work in Federal agencies and explore Federal 

careers while completing your education.

• The Recent Graduates Program is for those who have 

graduated within the past 2 years from a qualifying 

educational institution or certificate program. The 

Recent Graduate program offers career development 

with training and mentorship.

• The Presidential Management Fellows Program is for 

those who have completed an advanced degree from a 

qualifying educational institution. The program is also 

open to current graduate students who will complete 

all degree requirements (including dissertations) by 

the application deadline.

More information about the USGS Pathways Programs 

is available from the Human Capital Services and Support office at https://www2.usgs.gov/humancapital/sw/

studentandrecentgrads.html.

The USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research 

Unit Program trains graduate students for careers in 

fisheries and wildlife. The program is staffed by USGS 

scientists who serve as faculty members in 40 universities across the country. More information is available at 

https://www.usgs.gov/science/mission-areas/

ecosystems/cooperative-research-units.

Women work for the U.S. Geological Survey in 

every State and territory of the United States.

U.S. VIRGIN

ISLANDS

PUERTO RICO

HAWAII

GUAM

AK VT

NH

MA

RI

NJ

CT

DE

MD

DC

Map scales and projections vary

N

SC

U.S. Geological Survey office or field station

EXPLANATION

ME

NY

PA

OH

NC

VA

WV

GA

FL

AL

TN

KY

LA

MS

AR

MO

IA

WI MI

MN

ND

SD

NE

KS

OK

TX

NM

CO

WY

IN IL

UT

AZ

CA

NV

MT

ID

WA

OR
6 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

What Are the Criteria for STEM Careers at the USGS?

Criteria for hiring in various STEM fields vary widely; hence, it is helpful to look at the 

requirements as you choose a field so you know what to expect. The Human Capital Services and Support office has information about the requirements that are used for most of the 

science-related careers at the USGS. You can access the information at https://www2.usgs.gov/

humancapital/sw/careercards.html.

Biologist Geographer

Biological science technician Geologist

Cartographer Hydrologist

Chemist Hydrologic technician

Ecologist Physical scientist
Profiles 7

Jill Baron

Co-Director of the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and 

Synthesis and Senior Scientist with the Fort Collins Science 

Center, in Fort Collins, Colorado

“Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking.”—Carl Sagan

I had the most remarkable public high-school biology teacher, soft-spoken Mr. Lee, 

who got his class thinking, doing, and teaching younger students through an organization 

called the Biology Honor Society. Importantly, he would never answer a question; “go 

find out” was his answer each time. We conducted field research in teams on field trips he 

organized. These were not just any field trips; he would load us on a bus from Wisconsin each spring break and drive to the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona to do ecological transects from the desert floor up to the subalpine forest. In coastal Georgia, we ran 

similar transects to look at ecological change from the water line through dunes to pines. 

He inspired a sense of awe about the natural world and a sense of responsibility and 

capability in us that persists to this day. Because of him, more than 50 of us have gone on 

to careers in science, natural resource management, or education. We have honored him 

over the years with reunions of this amazing group and plan to do so again in 2020.

I am a senior scientist for the USGS and, at the same time, a senior research ecologist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University. My work 

involves applying what we know about ecosystems to managing human-dominated 

regions and understanding how climate change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition 

to mountain ecosystems affect biogeochemistry and ecology. I helped found the John 

Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis where we bring together scientists to 

collaborate in earth sciences.

I love living in Colorado where my husband and children and I can ski, bicycle, hike, 

backpack, or simply car camp with our dogs.

My Ph.D. dissertation 

described the first 10 years 

of research at the Loch 

Vale watershed; my 

research inspired graduate 

students, and I received 

a U.S. Department of 

the Interior Meritorious 

Service Award for this 

long-term ecosystem study 

that encompassed complex ecological questions 

with regional and national 

implications.

Jill Baron has a bachelor’s degree 

in plant sciences (with a minor in 

geology) from Cornell University, a 

master’s in land resources from the 

University of Wisconsin, Madison, 

and a doctorate in rangeland 

ecosystems ecology from Colorado 

State University. She was named 

a Woman of Vision in 2015 by 

Colorado Women of Influence for 

her work advancing women’s role in 

science.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jill-baron
8 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Miya Barr

Hydrologist at the Central Midwest Water Science Center in 

Lee’s Summit, Missouri

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work 

worth doing.” —Theodore Roosevelt

I remember being in kindergarten and getting a Weekly Reader with the Mount 

St. Helens eruption on the cover. I was fascinated and wanted to learn as much as I could 

about volcanoes. That Christmas, my grandmother got me a subscription to National 

Geographic. I cherished every issue and would dive in and study the pictures and read 

as much as I could comprehend from cover to cover. While working as a student for the 

USGS during college, through a chance encounter with a visiting hydrologist, I participated in three volunteer science studies at the Cascades Volcano Observatory. Because 

of that work, I got to see Mount St. Helens, the volcano I first fell in love with back in 

kindergarten!

My work is to collect and look at sediment samples in the laboratory, measure water 

levels and flow of streams, and study the effects of storms and floods on the levels of 

bacteria, nutrients, and sediment in streams. One of my most challenging projects was 

studying changes in the water quality after a breach in a reservoir, which sent almost 

1.5 billion gallons of water into a State park. I also lead teams investigating these issues 

and mentor young scientists.

I was born in the Loveland, Colorado, area, and that is where my camping and hiking habits began. I love going back and visiting places I went to as a child. Now when 

I go back, I find myself studying the landscape and looking at the geomorphology and 

being able to explain to friends and family how a stream or valley was formed or what 

type of rocks they are looking at. I usually put one in my pocket for my collection just 

like when I was a kid.

In my spare time, I compete in races all year round, including triathlons, halfmarathons, obstacle course races, and local 5K and 10K races for charities. Triathlons are 

my favorite because of all the different elements involved. I love to compete and train 

and see how much I can improve for each race. I also keep up with my childhood loves 

of camping, floating, hiking, and backpacking around the Missouri Ozarks. I also spend 

a lot of time at Lake of the Ozarks fishing and boating with my friends. My bucket list 

includes visiting all 58 national parks; I’m halfway there!

My passion for science 

and understanding the 

“big picture” motivates 

me to find answers to 

environmental issues using 

innovative technologies 

and collaborative efforts.

Miya Barr has a bachelor’s degree 

in geology and geophysics from the 

University of Missouri in Rolla.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

miya-n-barr
Profiles 9

Adrienne Bartlewitz

Chief of Staff of the Water Mission Area in Reston, Virginia

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, 

but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

I really enjoyed the civics class I took in high school, and because of that class, I 

only applied to colleges in the Washington, D.C., area with the hope that I could work for 

the Federal Government. I was fortunate enough to get an internship in college with the 

Office of Management and Budget through a recommendation from a childhood friend, 

which in turn led me to being hired with the USGS after college.

In my job, I manage the day-to-day workings of the USGS Water Mission Area. I 

approach my work always with 

the taxpayer in mind and make 

sure the way we are spending 

our funding really has value that 

will benefit the public. Doing 

this makes it easy to promote the 

work of the USGS to stakeholders, partners, Congress, and the 

general public.

I enjoy traveling and seeing 

the world. Traveling provides an 

education of different cultures 

and acceptance of and love 

toward people who are different 

from me. Some of my favorite 

travel memories are having a 

four-course meal in a small cafe 

in Paris, hiking the Na Pali coast 

in Kauai, running down the 

active Cerro Negro volcano in 

Nicaragua, taking pictures with 

fake vampire teeth in Dracula’s 

castle in Romania, and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef in 

Australia.

Philadelphia will always 

be home for me, and I love 

going back to visit friends, 

eat the amazing food 

(there’s more to Philly 

outside of cheesesteaks), 

and of course attend 

Philadelphia sports games. 

Knowing who you are and 

where you came from is 

important.

Adrienne Bartlewitz has a bachelor’s degree in public communications and communications, legal 

institutions, economics, and government (CLEG) from The American 

University and a master’s in public 

administration from George Mason 

University.
10 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Jayne Belnap

Research Ecologist with the Southwest Biological Science 

Center in Moab, Utah

When I was a child, I would smash crusts, similar to my dad, a prospector, whose job 

was to drive around and find minerals. Growing up in Utah, I spent my youth exploring 

the deserts of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin. At first, I studied marine biology, 

but then gravitated toward ecology because I discovered that I preferred working with 

entire ecosystems rather than individual species.

I was working as a seasonal botanist in Canyonlands National Park when I discovered the appeal of soil crusts; Dr. Kimball Harper, a professor at Brigham Young University, showed me plots of soils he was studying to evaluate the role of soil crusts on 

their ecosystems. I became increasingly absorbed in understanding soils and their roles in 

ecosystem function.

My work has focused on helping land and resource managers find a balance between 

land use and sustainability. I have been studying how climate change can affect drylands 

ecosystems, for example, how dust can change the times and amounts of snowmelt in the 

mountains near the desert or how human activities can affect dust and elements in it. I 

have been applying science to develop adaptation options for people who manage these 

lands as well as those who enjoy their use. I have been part of creative, successful, and 

cost-effective efforts to reduce soil erosion and restore plant productivity by using local 

materials and labor. My work has taken me around the world, from the western United 

States to Iceland, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mongolia, China, 

Australia, and even Antarctica.

Science is only a part of 

the discussion; there are 

cultural voices, economic 

voices, and they need to be 

listened to. Science can tell 

you about the true bottom 

line, but other factors have 

to be considered as well.

Jayne Belnap has bachelor’s 

degrees in natural history and biology from the University of California, 

Santa Cruz, a master’s in ecology 

from Stanford University, and a doctorate in botany and range science 

from Brigham Young University. She 

has been recognized by the Ecological Society of America as one of the 

most outstanding ecologists in the 

United States.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jayne-belnap
Profiles 11

Kristin Berry

Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist at the Western 

Ecological Research Center in Riverside, California

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” 

—Albert Einstein

I grew up in the Mojave Desert and lived the first three decades of my life on the edge 

of the desert at a naval weapons testing center. As a child, I played in the desert, chasing and catching lizards. In high school, I took advanced science and math classes. The 

students had opportunities to work with scientists at the research station after school, and 

I was fortunate to work on a research project in a chemistry lab, creating new organic 

compounds and identifying their structures, and even coauthoring a paper. All my early 

experiences combined to help me realize that my preference in science was in the population biology of desert vertebrates and desert vegetation rather than organic chemistry.

At my job with the USGS, I research the health, diseases, behavior, demography, 

ecology, and genetics of Agassiz’s desert tortoise, a threatened species with rapidly 

declining populations in the Mojave and western Sonoran Deserts. As part of my research 

projects, I analyze effects of human activities on tortoises and their habitats from the 

proximity of desert cities, towns, and settlements; roads; livestock grazing; recreational 

vehicle use; shooting; and mining. Other research interests include the natural recovery of 

desert vegetation after disturbance.

I have published more than 100 articles, including a book chapter. Several of my articles have been on new and emerging diseases, and one recent publication named a new 

species of desert tortoise in the Sonoran Desert! I have also mentored several students for 

graduate degrees and teach workshops every year.

I find the wide-open spaces of the Mojave, Great 

Basin, and Sonoran Deserts to be beautiful and inspiring places for research projects and private time. To 

me, the silence and solitude are important for creative 

thinking and renewal of the spirit.

Sharing science with colleagues and the public is 

one of the joys in my life.

Kristin Berry has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from Stanford 

University, a master’s in biology 

from the University of California, 

Los Angeles, and a doctorate in 

zoology from the University of California, Berkeley.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

kristin-berry
12 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Amy Beussink

Director of the Central Midwest Water Science Center in Rolla, 

Missouri

“Traveler, there is no path; The path is made by walking.” —Antonio Machado

I grew up in an outdoors-loving family; my father enjoyed fishing and hunting, and 

both of my parents were gardeners. As a child, I spent a lot of time outdoors scouting 

out places for my dad to hunt, along with boating and fishing in the lakes, streams, and 

ponds of the Midwest. My appreciation of nature and science developed from those early 

experiences. Throughout school, I was most interested in physical, biological, earth, and 

other sciences and enjoyed the challenges of problem solving in classes like geometry 

and trigonometry. In college, I took a 6-week geology field trip to Utah and was awed 

by the western landscapes I encountered that were so different from those in my native 

Missouri. During my grad school search, I was drawn to finding my way back out west to 

learn what made the region so different from where I had grown up.

Finishing grad school, I wanted to put my degrees in biology and geoscience to the 

best use possible to serve the common good. Seeing the issues the West experiences 

regarding water, I decided to tie my degrees to managing that most essential resource to 

all life. During my career, I have used my water-quality research and expertise in forest 

hydrology and watershed restoration to help with issues in Arizona, Montana, and Texas. 

I’m now back in my home State of Missouri where I am guiding colleagues and giving them opportunities to develop new knowledge, skills, and abilities to advance their 

careers and bring solutions to the communities they serve and am encouraging female 

colleagues in science to consider leadership roles.

In my personal time, I enjoy landscaping with native plants that attract pollinators. I 

spend lots of time outdoors with my dog, a rescued Rhodesian ridgeback; I also provide 

a foster home to a ridgeback rescue organization. Another great love for me is baseball, 

particularly rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals. I love traveling and appreciate the time I 

spent living in different parts of the country, but I am grateful for the chance to be living 

back home close to friends and family.

In contemplating how best 

to apply my degrees in 

biology and geoscience to 

make the world a better 

place, I remember thinking that a career related 

to water resources would 

be useful and interesting 

because of the many ways 

water is essential to most 

areas of life.

Amy Beussink has a bachelor’s 

degree in geosciences and biology 

from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s in watershed 

management from the University of 

Arizona.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

amy-m-beussink
Profiles 13

Jesslyn Brown

Research Geographer with the Earth Resources Observation 

and Science Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

“Education is thinking, and thinking is looking for yourself and seeing what’s there, 

not what you got told was there.” —William Least Heat-Moon, “Blue Highways: A 

Journey into America”

I credit the fascinating and beautiful landscapes I saw out of airplane windows with 

sparking my interest in geography. As a child, I lived in Venezuela, England, and Australia. All this exposure to such a large variety of landscapes, climates, and cultures gave me 

a great appreciation for geography and its immense and vital variability. My mother had a 

special folder where she kept all the maps that came with the issues of National Geographic and we would pore over them together, discussing how many parts of the world 

are very different. When I was a teenager and took road trips with my mom, my job was 

to be the map reader and navigator and prevent us from getting lost, which further developed my concepts of space, distance, and geography.

I have worked on mapping and assessing land cover and land use, tracking the seasonal or periodic life cycles of plants and animals, and monitoring the effects of drought. 

The common thread for all my research has been the application of remote-sensing 

technologies to help analyze vegetation cycles, environmental hazards, and vulnerability to natural hazards in real time or near real time. My research has resulted in the 

development of two weekly indices that quantify the effects of droughts on vegetation 

nationwide.

As a geographer, I am challenged each day to help answer questions like “What are 

the interconnections among climate, land cover, land use, and water resources?” and 

“How does the relative strength of different influences on vegetation condition and water 

resources vary across time and space?” These questions are important because our land 

and water supply us with critical resources necessary for human health and survival and 

we need to understand why, how, where, and when they are changing. I hope my research 

has helped build knowledge about how vegetation behaves and what affects it.

Our land and water supply 

us with critical resources 

necessary for human health 

and survival, and we need 

to understand why, how, 

where, and when they 

are changing. I hope my 

research has helped build 

knowledge about how vegetation behaves and what 

affects it.

Jesslyn Brown has a bachelor’s 

degree in anthropology from Colorado State University and a master’s 

in geography from the University of 

Nebraska.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jesslyn-brown
14 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Anna Chalfoun

Wildlife Ecologist at the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and 

Wildlife Research Unit in Laramie, Wyoming

In my role at the USGS, I focus on examining relationships between wildlife and 

their habitats and how human activities affect these relationships. I aim to understand 

why wild animals, particularly songbirds, small mammals, the American pika, reptiles, 

and amphibians, select particular habitats and whether such choices are optimal or counterproductive, and why. Some of my research has focused on habitat changes caused by 

energy development, climatic variability, and invasive species encroachment.

In addition to working with the USGS, I am also an associate professor within the 

Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming. I have published 

works on wildlife habitat selection, the effects of human-induced habitat change on wildlife, predation on bird nests, how birds live and care for their young, and ecological traps.

I was selected for a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and 

honored by President Obama. I served first as a board member and then as the presidentelect of the Cooper Ornithological Society, the second largest ornithological society in 

North America before it merged with the American Ornithologists’ Union to form the 

American Ornithological Society (AOS). I am currently serving on the Council and Conservation Committee of the AOS.

Because of the cooperative 

programs we undertake 

with the Wyoming Game 

and Fish Department and 

other agencies to address 

critical research needs of 

nongame wildlife species 

within the State, all graduate student projects in my 

lab have both applied and 

conceptual components 

that are well-suited for students interested in learning 

how to apply the scientific 

method to their work as 

well as address real-world 

wildlife conservation 

issues.

Anna Chalfoun has a bachelor’s 

degree in biological sciences from 

Smith College, a master’s in wildlife 

science from the University of 

Missouri-Columbia, and a doctorate 

in wildlife biology from the University of Montana.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

anna-chalfoun
Profiles 15

Victoria Christensen

Research Hydrologist at the Upper Midwest Water Science 

Center in Mounds View, Minnesota

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become 

more, you are a leader.” —John Quincy Adams

In elementary school, my teacher, Mrs. Hiller, told us to draw a picture of what we 

wanted to be when we grew up. I had never thought about it. I expected I’d be a mom, 

just like all the other grown-up women in my life. I knew some women were nurses and 

secretaries and, of course, I could be a teacher. All the kids scribbled away: police officers, firemen, ballerinas. I didn’t want to be a ballerina—too impractical. I didn’t want 

to be a teacher—too many kids. I didn’t want to be a nurse—too much blood. So my 

future was decided by default: I drew a picture of a secretary behind a desk. Mrs. Hiller 

collected the pictures, but then surprised us with another blank sheet of paper and told us 

to draw a picture of what we would want to be if we were the opposite sex. That was the 

turning point. I didn’t have to be a nurse or a teacher or a secretary—I could be anything! 

I quickly drew myself as President of the United States. Of course, we all know I did not 

become President, but that was when I realized I could become anything, even a scientist.

I did not start my career like most scientists. I worked in management, marketing, 

and finance for environmental consulting firms. During these jobs I found that I really 

enjoyed working with scientists on environmental issues, so I started on a new path and 

new career in science, bringing along a unique skill set that I use to help manage projects 

and communicate about science.

My current work takes me into the national parks and farming communities across 

the Midwest to study water-quality and nutrient cycling issues related to land and waterlevel management. My previous career gave me the skills to manage the financial and 

communication side of projects, but many scientists do not have that experience. Therefore, I helped develop a USGS project management course specifically for scientists. I 

also help other scientists communicate their messages to a broad audience through my 

current role as an editor for the USGS GeoHEALTH newsletter.

I love to write and communicate about science 

at the USGS. But, some 

evenings, when my work 

day is through, I like to 

change course and do 

some creative writing for 

kids. I can’t believe I get 

to do such cool work, then 

share and inspire others.

Victoria Christensen has a bachelor’s degree in international management from Hamline University 

and a bachelor’s degree in geology 

and a master’s in water resources 

from the University of Kansas; she 

is currently studying for her doctorate in environmental and conservation science and communication at 

North Dakota State University. She 

is also a published author, having 

written nonfiction books on science 

topics for children as well as a fictional series around the adventures 

of a fourth-grade scientist.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

victoria-glenn-christensen
16 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Elizabeth Cochran

Research Geophysicist at the Earthquake Science Center in 

Pasadena, California

“We look at science as something very elite, which only a few people can learn. 

That’s just not true.” —Mae Jemison

My seismology career began in high school when, as part of the Young Scholars Program of the National Science Foundation, I installed a seismometer at my parents’ house 

and one in the local mountains. Needless to say, my parents weren’t too happy when at 

the end of the project I told them that the ground motions at their house were amplified 

by a factor of four compared with the nearby site in the mountains!

I research activities that can trigger earthquakes, processes that can cause faults to 

rupture, and how waves from earthquakes travel and may potentially cause damage. My 

team and I deploy seismic stations to study earthquakes, including the magnitude 7.2 

earthquake in El Mayor Cucapah in Baja California in Mexico in 2010 and the magnitude 

5.7 earthquake in Prague, Oklahoma, in 2011. I have also explored how disposal of waste 

byproducts into deep wells from energy production can sometimes induce earthquakes. I 

was the chief scientist for the USGS earthquake early warning system for the west coast 

of the United States and ShakeAlert, and I am now the project chief for the Induced 

Seismicity Project.

My work on the effects of 

Earth tides on the timing 

of earthquakes suggested 

that earthquakes may be 

triggered by very small 

stress changes.

Elizabeth Cochran has a bachelor’s 

degree in geophysics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, 

and a doctorate in geophysics and 

space physics from the University 

of California, Los Angeles. She was 

an assistant professor with the 

Earth Science Department at the 

University of California, Riverside, 

and is a visiting associate with the 

Division of Geological and Planetary 

Sciences at the California Institute 

of Technology.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

elizabeth-cochran
Profiles 17

Alissa Coes

Supervisory Hydrologist and Water-Quality Specialist at the 

Arizona Water Science Center in Tucson, Arizona

“The worst walls are never the ones you find in your way. The worst walls are the 

ones you put there—you build yourself. Those are the high ones, the thick ones, the 

ones with no doors in.” —Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Language of the Night”

I grew up in rural upstate New York and spent my childhood building forts in the 

woods, catching frogs in ponds, and sneaking into orchards to climb trees and eat apples. 

This freedom to roam the outdoors led to my love of nature. I didn’t understand this 

fondness for the natural environment until college, when I took Geology 101 on the suggestion of a friend who knew that I was unhappy with my pre-med classes. That geology 

class, and later other environmental science classes, fascinated me, and changed my academic trajectory. I am extremely fortunate to have found the path that led me to a career 

in a field that I love!

I started working with the USGS when I was a graduate student. I work with the 

water found underground, in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock. This groundwater is 

one of the primary water supplies in the Nation. I have investigated the water chemistry 

of aquifers in the Southwest, recharge in the coastal plain aquifers of North and South 

Carolina and in short-lived stream channels in Arizona, flow of groundwater in the aquifer system of the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain, and contamination of streams and rivers by 

organic compounds.

My favorite part of my work is the opportunity to apply science to real-world environmental issues. There is nothing more satisfying than working with a partner agency to 

understand their water-resource questions, design and implement an investigative study, 

and then provide them with the information their water-resource decision makers need to 

ultimately answer those questions.

When not working, I enjoy hiking, camping, and, yes, even skiing in the mountains of 

Arizona.

There have been many 

times over the years when 

I have been doing field 

work in an amazing location, from the Sonoran 

Desert to the North Carolina coast to the Grand 

Canyon, and I have had to 

remind myself how incredible it is that this is my job.

Alissa Coes has a bachelor’s degree 

in biology and geology from the University of Rochester and a master’s 

in hydrology from the University of 

Arizona.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

alissa-coes
18 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Margo Corum

Associate Coordinator for the Energy Resources Program in 

Reston, Virginia

“If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can 

be.” —Maya Angelou

I have always been drawn to the outdoors and ocean. As a small child, I loved playing in the mud and creeks with insects and salamanders. In second grade, I asked Santa 

for a microscope, and from that point knew I wanted to be a scientist. The question was, 

“What field?” In the third grade, my brother and I joined the Young Astronaut Club 

because we were fascinated with space and the Earth. In the ninth grade, my biology 

teacher proved to be a true inspiration. For the first time in school I was being challenged 

in the sciences and had to work hard for my grades, but even more than that, my teacher 

made me want to learn more about biology.

I started with the USGS in a biogeochemistry laboratory while I was still in college, 

and I decided I should take geology courses as electives because I was working for the 

USGS. As a student appointment at the USGS, I studied the cycle of sulfur as it moves 

from the ground to the air and then into plants and through the food chain in the Florida 

Everglades. I have also studied the chemistry of water that is produced as a byproduct 

from the production of oil and gas and created a method to study how wind-energy production affects wildlife. I also lead a team that evaluates links between geology, energy 

resources, and human health.

My great loves are scuba diving and hiking. Being in the ocean in complete silence 

and observing creatures in their habitat is such a surreal feeling; it’s like being in a giant 

aquarium that never ends. Hiking, on the other hand, is the beauty above sea level. As 

you hike, you see the geology and biology of a particular location. Both hiking and 

diving provide me with an endless connection to the natural world. My own inspiration 

for scuba diving and hiking stem from a fascination with the ecosystems of oceans and 

mountains. Diving and hiking inspire me to keep learning, and they 

show me why science is so important to all aspects of life.

Motivation is what keeps 

you going, but perseverance, integrity, passion, 

and inspiration are the 

keys to the success of any 

great leader.

Margo Corum has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from George 

Mason University and a master’s in 

environmental policy and management from the University of Maryland.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

margo-d-corum
Profiles 19

Isabelle Cozzarelli

Research Hydrologist with the Water Cycle Branch of the 

Water Mission Area in Reston, Virginia

When I was young, my father, an engineering professor, took me, my five siblings, 

and our mom with him when he went on year-long sabbaticals to Holland and Italy. My 

parents decided that their children would attend the local public schools and be completely immersed in the foreign language and culture. My parents’ attitude was that we 

would be fine and figure things out on our own, and even though I did not know Dutch 

or Italian, it turned out that they were right. My parents’ steadfast confidence that I could 

handle any challenge and be successful gave me perseverance and courage throughout 

my life, even when my path challenged societal norms, like earning a degree in geomechanical engineering as a woman in the early 1980s. Those same trips provided many 

formative experiences that influenced my career choices. For example, I vividly remember visiting Pompeii and seeing the effects of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. I was 

fascinated and disturbed by seeing how humans and the natural world can collide in such 

a catastrophic way.

In my career at the USGS, I continue trying to understand the interaction of humans 

and the natural world. I have used my knowledge of chemistry to help protect natural 

resources. I lead a team that is researching the fate and effect of oil and gas development 

to understand how they might affect drinking water quality and ecosystem health. Each 

time I publish a scientific paper, I feel pride in the fact that I am forever contributing to 

the knowledge base we need to protect our resources. I am especially gratified if those 

papers are coauthored with students or junior scientists I have mentored in the field or in 

my laboratory.

Because mentoring has been so important to my life, I have taken an active role 

in mentoring in the USGS and the broader geoscience community by supporting the 

professional development of junior researchers and graduate and postgraduate students. 

Because of my own experiences and career path, I particularly enjoy the opportunity 

to share my experiences with early-career female scientists. I have seen these women 

become accomplished scientists and role models themselves, and I find that inspiring.

Aside from enjoying time with my family, a favorite way to spend my free time is 

gardening. I love flowers, and if I could work in my flower garden with my hands in the 

earth all day, I’d be really happy. I find working in the garden very peaceful and relaxing.

One of the most satisfying 

parts of my career at the 

USGS is the mentoring I 

do at all levels, through 

formal mentoring programs, informal networking, and science advising. 

Mentoring is so valuable 

to me because I can help 

others advance their 

careers and the science 

necessary to protect our 

environment.

Isabelle Cozzarelli has a bachelor’s 

degree in geomechanics from 

the University of Rochester and a 

master’s and a doctorate in environmental sciences from the University 

of Virginia.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

isabelle-m-cozzarelli
20 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Kari Craun

Director of the National Geospatial Technical Operations 

Center in Rolla, Missouri

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim 

fulfilled, they will say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” —Lao Tzu, “Tao Te Ching”

Growing up I was a voracious reader, but at the same time, I loved spending time outdoors and traveling with my family. The time I spent traveling and being outdoors heavily influenced my passion for hiking and being in the mountains as well as my decision to 

get a degree in geology in college. I was also involved in team sports during my school 

years. I played softball, basketball, volleyball, and tennis. In some cases, I was on the 

first girls’ teams for a particular sport formed at my school. Participating in these sports 

teams fostered my confidence and taught me leadership, cooperation, and responsibility. 

Many of the opportunities I have had throughout my life and career are because of the 

influence of pioneering women in scientific fields who came before me, and I feel lucky 

to never have felt limited in the things I could or couldn’t do because I am female.

Having great mentors along the way has also been a huge influence on me. I remember taking a test for an advanced biology class in high school. After the test, as I sat in 

a different class, my advanced biology class instructor came in and pulled me aside just 

to express his genuine excitement over how well I had done. This same instructor let his 

class perform some fairly advanced laboratory research at a local university; I even was 

able to use their centrifuge and microscopes. In college, I probably learned more about 

my field from teaching assistants than anyone else in my college career. These people 

took time out of their busy schedules to help me understand very complex subjects. 

Having supportive people who are passionate about their work to help and encourage me 

gave me confidence in my skills and abilities in science, and they continue to inspire me 

to this day.

I had several jobs when I was in high school. I worked as a phlebotomist (taking blood samples) in a hospital. I distinctly remember working with patients who had 

sustained serious injuries or were very ill and were either in the emergency 

room or in the intensive care unit. This level of responsibility at such a 

young age affected my maturity level and increased my confidence in 

working under stressful conditions. In college, I also worked at a car wash 

that employed primarily former convicts living in a halfway house nearby. 

These kinds of experiences all influenced my ability to work with a variety 

of people under a diverse set of conditions and to realize there are good 

people everywhere and it is really important not to be too quick to judge 

based on a person’s current 

circumstances.

As the director of the 

National Geospatial Technical Operations Center, 

I oversee operations to 

support and maintain seamless and current coverage 

of geospatial data for the 

United States. These data are 

used to produce topographic 

maps and other digital and 

graphic products.

People who are passionate about their work have 

always inspired me and 

continue to inspire me to 

this day.

Kari Craun has a bachelor’s degree 

in geology from the University of 

Missouri-Kansas City, a master’s 

in photogrammetry from Purdue 

University, and a second master’s 

in geospatial information science 

from Northwest Missouri State 

University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

kari-craun
Profiles 21

Soupy Dalyander

Research Oceanographer at the St. Petersburg Coastal and 

Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida

“I am among those who think that science has great beauty.” —Marie Curie

I was lucky to have many people who inspired, supported, and encouraged me to go 

into science. My seventh grade science teacher, Mrs. Douglas, had a real knack for making us question what we were assuming we could and couldn’t do, and why. For instance, 

I used to joke that I was going to be the starting first base(wo)man for the Chicago Cubs 

(don’t worry Rizzo, your job’s safe from me). She wouldn’t let me get away with thinking I couldn’t do something I wanted, even in jest. She asked me, in all seriousness, 

“Why not?” Later on, in high school, my physics teacher, Mr. McLay, had a gift for making science fun and interesting. It made me feel I could do the same, which has made me 

enjoy research for all these years.

At the USGS, I study how the nearshore and continental shelf change over time, looking at how water and sand move and change the beach and the seafloor near the shore. 

I study how barrier islands evolve and how ecosystem restoration decisions may affect 

coastal communities and habitats. My work has also included studying the movement of 

sand and oil clusters that formed in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater 

Horizon oil spill and providing information to help their cleanup.

Away from work, I like to spend time with my family, enjoying the outdoors. My 

husband and I have taken up sailing in the past few years since moving to Florida, though 

I wish I could get back to the mountains more to hike and camp. I have a tendency to 

pick up location-specific hobbies, which is perhaps unfortunate given my propensity to 

move around a lot (shocker, I’ve had to give 

up snowboarding and hiking in the mountains since moving to Florida). I’m also a 

Girl Scout troop leader and I enjoy spending time getting youth involved in science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics 

through the troop and through elementary 

school outreach.

The natural and cultural 

diversity of the world is 

really amazing, and it’s 

very inspirational to me. I 

love that I can work on a 

wide variety of scientific 

problems and, at the same 

time, explore ways to 

apply that knowledge to 

real-world problems.

Soupy Dalyander has a bachelor’s 

degree in physics and mathematics from Eckerd College, a master’s 

in geological oceanography from 

Oregon State University, and a master’s and a doctorate in mechanical 

engineering from the University of 

Florida.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

patricia-soupy-dalyander
22 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Shari DeLung

Management Analyst in the Office of Administration in Reston, 

Virginia

The USGS runs in my family. My mom recently completed a 27-year career with 

the bureau. She spent a majority of those years working in accounting and finance, and 

I spent many evenings and weekends in her office throughout my childhood “helping” 

her. At the time, she would have 3-foot-high dot-matrix printer reports all over her office, 

inscribed with what looked to me like a secret numerical language. Mom would take a 

few minutes to explain the reports to me and I would follow up with a thousand repetitions of, “Why?” Her team members would come in and out of her office during those 

times, bouncing questions and ideas off of each other. I was in awe over their dialogue 

and knew I wanted to be involved in something that important when I grew up. The best 

part of those days, aside from spinning in her guest chair, was when she finished with a 

report and would let me rip the holey sides off the dot-matrix paper and “decorate” her 

office with the ribbons. I look back on those days with fondness. Without a doubt, my 

mom has been the guiding force in my life, and I always keep her in mind whenever I’m 

contemplating a career decision.

One of my first jobs as a student for the USGS was to inventory dozens of boxes that 

contained glass plates used to produce photographs of early USGS leaders. Since then, 

I’ve worked on many information management programs and have led financial analyses 

to help ensure the USGS was on track to meet its goals relating to various Presidential 

initiatives. As the USGS conference coordinator, I help employees navigate various conference policies to help them share USGS science at scientific and professional meetings. 

I also lead teams of leaders and managers to create a line of communication between 

science and administrative programs. My favorite part of my job is getting to work with 

employees across the country and throughout all mission areas and regions. I’m passionate about helping USGS employees navigate administrative policies to ensure their 

scientific endeavors are successful.

Outside of work, I love reading, cooking, and spending time with my family and 

friends. Living in the D.C. suburbs, there is no shortage of fun activities; my family and 

I get to experience everything the city has to offer, from the culture to the food, shows, 

sports, and museums. When we need a break from the fast-paced life of the area, the 

mountains and the beach are not too far away. I’m also an avid follower of Virginia Tech 

football. Go Hokies!

Thanks to supportive 

leadership, I was given the 

opportunity to delve into 

programs such as capital 

planning where I was 

responsible for managing 

the bureau’s $145 million 

IT portfolio; I was also a 

lead on the financial analyses, making sure that the 

USGS met our targets on 

initiatives like sequestration and the campaign to 

cut waste.

Shari DeLung has a bachelor’s 

degree in sociology and crime deviance from the Virginia Polytechnic 

Institute and State University 

(Virginia Tech).
Profiles 23

Aimee Devaris

Regional Director for the Alaska Region in Anchorage, Alaska

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

I was born in Warren, Ohio, but my family moved to El Paso, Texas, when I was in 

elementary school. The following spring, a very large, long-track tornado tore through 

northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania near our former home. A friend sent 

me the local newspaper covering the storm damage, and I could not believe the pictures 

of the destruction and the stories about that day. The mall where we shopped, the pancake 

house where we occasionally ate, and the roller skating rink where my sister and I skated 

were destroyed. Eighteen people lost their lives. This event sparked my interest in atmospheric science. More specifically, it triggered my fascination with natural disasters, and I 

wanted to understand how to make them more predictable and avoidable.

As a meteorologist in the National Weather Service (NWS), I was part of a public 

awareness program to educate people and reduce death, injury, and property damage or 

loss caused by severe weather and other hazards like tsunamis in Alaska, and I worked 

to provide better information and services to the public and scientific community. I then 

gained national-scale management experience at the NWS headquarters back east and 

later returned to Alaska to become the regional director before moving into the same role 

in the USGS. My science background has been important to my understanding of the 

mission areas of the USGS and our capacity and potential for future work, but equally 

important has been my leadership and management experience. This experience has 

helped me bring a fresh perspective to the USGS for planning, organizing, and implementing our science strategies and programs.

In my spare time, I love hiking the 

Chugach Mountains and fishing, kayaking, 

and scuba diving in the ocean. I got my dive 

certification 20 years ago in Juneau, Alaska, 

in 38-degree water in a dry suit! These days, 

I prefer diving in Hawaii. Living in Alaska, 

I have the wonderful opportunity to enjoy 

both sunrise and sunset within a short 5- to 

6-hour span at the beginning of winter, and 

I am completely captivated by the aurora 

borealis.

I’m always looking up in 

the sky for one reason or 

another, and now I find my 

son doing the same thing. 

He says he wants to be a 

scientist, too, which makes 

me very happy.

Aimee Devaris has a bachelor’s 

degree in atmospheric sciences 

and meteorology from Texas 

A&M University and a master’s in 

engineering and science management from the University of Alaska, 

Anchorage.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

aimee-devaris
24 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Claire DeVaughan

National Map Liaison for the National Geospatial Program in 

Austin, Texas

My parents were avid hikers and travelers, and they had an easily accessible 

collection of maps, so I was exposed to maps and navigation at an early age. Studying maps was a big part of every family trip. I was introduced to USGS topographic 

maps by my mother, as she had some maps of favorite areas in Virginia where she 

had hiked, or places she wanted to visit, such as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. My 

mother and I took a month-long cross-country drive when I was 16, which allowed me 

the opportunity to find interesting and scenic routes for us through the western states 

and to navigate while she drove through cities like Chicago, Las Vegas, and St. Louis.

As a child I drew maps of my neighborhood and places we went on vacation. I 

took a world geography class in ninth grade, which was the most fascinating class in 

my high school experience. As an undecided major at college orientation, I decided to 

take a physical geography course my first semester, which was even more interesting 

than the class in high school. I declared a major in geography soon after. Living near 

the USGS headquarters at the time, I was lucky enough to be able to get an internship 

while still in school and living at home.

I am a cartographer in the National Geospatial Program, working with partners and 

users of The National Map to improve its data, products, and services. I have worked 

in support of the 3D Elevation Program, creating video lessons that are hosted on the 

USGS YouTube channel, researching names for the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, 

maintaining geographic databases, producing thematic maps, designing websites, and 

collecting and editing data for digital mapping services.

I’m an avid motorcyclist, having recently done a 12-day tour around South Island 

of New Zealand, as well as several long-distance trips to the east coast of the United 

States and through the southern Rockies and frequent trips throughout Texas.

Take advantage of opportunities to gain new skills 

and abilities; they can lead 

you to places you hadn’t 

previously considered. 

Explore nature and the 

world around you.

Claire DeVaughan has a bachelor’s 

degree in geography from Frostburg 

State University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

claire-devaughan
Photograph by Kristen Dacey Iwai, KDI Photography, 

used with permission

Profiles 25

Kim Dibble

Fish Biologist with the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research 

Center in Flagstaff, Arizona

“Do not let anyone tell you that these people made work of play. They simply realized that the most fun lies in seeing and studying the unknown.” —Aldo Leopold

It’s hard for me to remember when I first decided to become a scientist; science was in 

everything I did. Being the daughter of both a researcher and an avid gardener, the majority of my youth was spent in my father’s research lab or picking and shucking dreadful 

quantities of peas from the garden for my mother. Although not opposed to video games, 

my parents encouraged me and my sister to play outside and instilled a strongly independent streak in us. This was not always a good thing because we frequently got into trouble 

for swimming in forbidden water holes, running through fish raceways, and feeding 

marshmallows to alligators, which was probably illegal.

In college, I spent my summers studying mussels, bugs, and fish in rivers; I loved the 

freedom of being able to explore a variety of environments but also began to recognize 

that we humans affect our world. As a sophomore, I was stationed at a remote research lab 

north of the Arctic Circle, studying the influence of climate change and warming permafrost on river food webs. Ironically, my team was using oil pipeline roads that crisscrossed 

the landscape for our study, and it was not lost on me that the burning of the contents of 

those pipelines accelerated the warming I was in Alaska to study.

I am now studying the influence of dam operations on fish populations in rivers across 

the western United States. My job allows me to contribute applied science to an adaptive 

management program, effectively combining my interests in science and public policy 

to promote ecosystem function in one of the most altered river systems in the world. In 

an interesting twist to my career, I have picked up some modeling skills that I’m using to 

predict how river temperatures and fish will respond to a warmer and drier climate in the 

future.

My passion for science has not subsided but has been emboldened by the recent birth 

of my two children. I have a feisty son who likes to roar like a dinosaur and a daughter 

who has already mastered her “fishy” face and is ready to take on the world. Neither could 

truly understand how much they mean to me and how much they’ve changed the focus of 

my life. My science is now for my children and all the kids of their generation so that we 

can give them the chance to explore nature as my sister and I did when we were kids.

As scientists, we need 

to keep our eyes open, 

because nature may reveal 

answers to very interesting questions we didn’t 

originally ask.

Kimberly Dibble has a bachelor’s 

degree in environmental studies 

from Gettysburg College and a 

master’s in marine affairs and a 

doctorate in biological and environmental science from the University 

of Rhode Island.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

kimberly-lellis-dibble
26 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Sherry Durst

Project Manager with the National Geospatial Program in 

Denver, Colorado

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will 

not lead you astray.” —Rumi

I’ve always been an avid reader. Even as a child, whenever a location was mentioned 

in a storybook, I wanted to discover where it was on a map. Of course in those early 

days, many of the book locations were entirely fictional and couldn’t be found on any 

map, but that didn’t dampen my interest in knowing where things happened in relation 

to me and my world. My parents supported this fascination with maps and globes. For 

example, when we prepared for family vacations, I loved helping my parents work out 

our travel route using a road atlas. Even when we weren’t planning a trip, I’d sometimes 

pick up the atlas, choose a random State and follow the roads with my fingers, stopping 

only for large cities and big rivers. When mountain roads became squiggles, I felt like my 

fingers were making invisible works of art. Names of locations were no longer fictional. 

Truth or Consequences, N.M., was one of my favorites.

In my early days with the USGS, I took the geology mapped in the field by geologists and transferred it onto greenline mylar quadrangles, at the same time learning basic 

drafting techniques and picking up some geology in the process! I went on to create 

topographic maps and have been helping others learn about mapping at the USGS and 

how mapping services can help with earthquakes, landslides, flooding, humanitarian 

assistance, and international cooperation.

Reading continues to be a hobby, but I also enjoy going to museums, learning anything about trains, and getting “lost” on country roads and finding my way home. One 

of my great loves is trains; whenever 

I stand on railroad tracks, I wonder 

where they lead and what the terrain is 

like that supports the tracks and think 

of those wonderful trains from the past 

and present. Maps give me the bird’seye view to follow those tracks and let 

my imagination roam along them.

In my career, I’ve been 

fortunate to witness the 

effect of USGS science 

and mapping on planning 

efforts and educational 

opportunities for entities 

in the United States and 

their international partners. 

The most enjoyable part of 

my job has been building 

relationships and supporting those who build 

relationships.

Sherry Durst has a bachelor’s 

degree in geography from the University of Colorado at Denver.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

sherry-durst
Profiles 27

Amy East

Research Geologist at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science 

Center in Santa Cruz, California

While I was growing up, my Dad, a science enthusiast who had majored in geology, 

made sure to talk about science often with me and gave me plenty of fuel for the imagination. When I was about seven, he gave me his copy of Tharp and Heezen’s map of the 

floor of the world’s ocean and his globe of the Moon; I kept both in my room and loved 

studying them. He still gives me rocks and fossils most years for Christmas.

My family moved around a lot when I was young; we lived in four countries while 

I was growing up. This instilled a love of travel in me, and I’ve now been to more than 

40 countries. Seeing many different kinds of landscapes helped develop my perspective on how different kinds of earth-surface systems and processes work. From my first 

geology class in college, I was hooked on the earth sciences and knew I wanted to make 

my career in the field. I love looking at how different parts of a landscape are connected, 

especially rivers and high-elevation mountain ranges.

With the USGS, I’ve focused on landscapes in the western United States, studying the 

effects of dams and dam removals on rivers, and effects of dam operations on landscapes 

and archaeological sites of the Colorado River corridor. My work has taken me from the 

arid landscapes of the Navajo Nation to study the effects of drought there, to Olympic 

National Park in Washington to study how changes in climate and ecology may affect the 

course of river channels, to Hawaii to study the effects of river flooding on the health of 

coral reefs, and to Alaska, Taiwan, and Ireland to study modern and ancient continentalcrust formation.

My work and personal interests definitely overlap: I’m a whitewater kayaker, and 

much of my work involves studying rivers. My husband and I also enjoy camping, hiking, and backpacking. We have started bringing our son, who hopes to become a volcanologist, on more and more of our outdoor adventures.

Earth science is fascinating in itself and also in 

the ways it connects to so 

many other fields—ecology, atmospheric science, 

anthropology, and more. 

The range of scientific topics we can contribute to as 

earth scientists is essentially limitless.

Amy East has a bachelor’s degree 

in geological sciences from Tufts 

University and a doctorate in 

geology and geophysics from the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic 

Institution joint program.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

amy-east
28 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Claudia Faunt

Supervisory Hydrologist for the California Water Science 

Center in San Diego, California

During my childhood, I explored Florida’s countryside and coastal waters and canoed 

and snorkeled in Florida springs and waterways. I spent my summers at a residential 

camp nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. At this second 

home, I had the opportunity to connect with nature and was inspired by hiking in the 

mountains and putting a paddle in the whitewater of picturesque creeks. These experiences instilled in me an awe of the beauty of nature.

I have wonderful memories of snorkeling among manatees. I grew to share the concern that these passive but comical creatures were becoming endangered from collisions 

with watercraft. These experiences built on my interest in nature and wildlife and led to 

my awareness of habitat conservation.

Even though I’ve always been interested in math and science, reading Rachel 

Carson’s “Silent Spring” at a young age made a lasting impression and further fostered 

my interest in science and its relevance in stewarding the environment. Building on my 

childhood experiences in the outdoors, the book made me notice for the first time the farreaching effects humans could have on nature and the environment.

Throughout my career, my interests have been tied to the principles that humans are 

stewards of the Earth and part of the Earth system, and that they can coexist with nature. 

The main goal in my studies is to maintain the necessary level of complexity in my work 

while ensuring that it is still useful to those who rely on it. One highlight of my career 

was appearing on the news program “60 Minutes” to discuss groundwater and shed light 

on this largely unseen resource.

After completing my graduate studies, I traveled to the Galapagos Islands and was 

enthralled with the abundant and diverse wildlife, variations in the landscape, and the 

excitement of exotic travel. I became an ardent photographer on this trip, and my sense of 

wonder about nature and insatiable curiosity has led me to travel and photograph nature 

on all seven continents. Other activities I enjoy are horseback riding, kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, and spending time outdoors. I also enjoy spending time with my rescue 

boxer, Tyson. He and I take pleasure in our southern California coastal garden, with all its 

wonderful fruit trees and flowers.

Growing up in a coastal 

tropical location instilled 

in me a passion for the 

water and the creatures 

that inhabit it. Many of 

my exotic vacations are 

centered around exploring 

nature in, on, or around 

the water. I’ve taken two 

extended adventure trips 

to the Arctic and Antarctic 

regions, where I kayaked 

in both polar localities. 

In fact, although a different focus, my career is 

centered around the study 

of water.

Claudia Faunt has a bachelor’s 

degree in geological engineering, 

a master’s in engineering, and a 

doctorate in geological engineering 

from the Colorado School of Mines.
Profiles 29

Laura Flight

Hydrologic Technician with the New England Water Science 

Center in Augusta, Maine

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in 

the Universe.” —John Muir

There was never really a question of whether I would go into science or not. Science and math were always my favorite classes starting in the first grade. Growing up, 

family activities that included fishing, skiing, canoeing, hiking, and generally being 

outside instilled in me a curiosity and celebration of the out-of-doors and a corresponding 

impulse to safeguard those places for everyone. To me, the USGS perfectly blended math 

and science with serving the public and being a steward of the natural environment, so I 

joined the USGS to serve my home State of Maine.

After my second summer as a student intern, I went on a 3-week field trip to Washington State as part of my college course work. Having only worked in the Maine office 

of the USGS before, I had not realized the full size of the agency, nor the variety of fields. 

My colleagues and I met with a volcanologist at the Cascades Volcano Observatory on 

Mount St. Helens, a hydrologist on the Columbia River, and a bedrock geologist in the 

channeled scablands in western Washington. That trip made me realize I was part of a 

much larger and more diverse agency than I’d previously thought, an agency with the 

goal to collect data that were relevant to the public and that were used to make informed 

decisions and protect the public.

In my career, I have gone into the field to work on monitoring stations, collected 

data in streams and on ice, and processed data on groundwater levels, water quality, and 

rainfall. I’ve worked on gages that measure the flow of water in streams and rivers in the 

mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park in northern Colorado, surveyed eelgrass 

beds on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, measured high-water marks in Connecticut after 

Hurricane Sandy, and deployed storm-surge sensors at Thunder Hold in Acadia National 

Park in Maine in anticipation of hurricanes. I also represented the USGS in New England, taking a reporter in a boat to make measurements for a 100-year flood (the type of 

flood that has a 1-percent chance of happening in a given year).

I am a strong believer in on-the-job training and peer-to-peer mentoring. Over the 

course of my career, I have become proficient in data, and I’m now testing and leading 

development of features for the National Water Information System.

When not working, I enjoy mountain biking, hiking, biking, fishing, cross-country 

skiing, vegetable gardening, and brewing beer. I also enjoy giving back as an active volunteer involved in the maintenance of Appalachian Trail in Maine.

Maine is my home; I enjoy 

exploring the mountains, 

waterways, and everything 

in between in all seasons 

as well as being close 

to my family. I love the 

thriftiness, independence, 

and wit of Maine people. 

I’m proud to work in the 

State I am from and to 

serve its people.

Laura Flight has a bachelor’s degree 

in environmental studies, with a 

minor in geology, from the University of Vermont.
30 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Mary Freeman

Research Ecologist at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in 

Athens, Georgia

“A pristine stream in a politically unstable setting or with no supporters is not a 

healthy stream because it is not sustainable.” —Judy L. Meyer

From the earliest age I can remember, until my junior year in college, I knew that I 

would become a veterinarian. But then I started learning the names of dragonflies. The 

diversity of animals swimming, burrowing, and crawling around in streams and rivers 

is, to me, endlessly interesting. I was inspired in college by my ecology professors who 

enjoyed exploring how natural systems work and who, more importantly, encouraged and 

celebrated that curiosity in others.

Shortly after I completed graduate school, I was surveying fishes in a rocky shoal in a 

river in southern Georgia, when a fish came up in my fishing net that I knew was something new, an unnamed species! Discovering a new species in a region where fish zoologists had been working for more than a century and where all fish species were thought to 

have been discovered taught me to entertain even those less probable explanations when 

interpreting data. I tell students to anticipate making new discoveries and findings beyond 

anything expected with every study.

I began my Federal career with the USGS at the Fort Collins Science Center field 

station in Auburn, Alabama, studying the downstream effects of hydropower dams on 

fishes in the biologically diverse rivers of the southeastern United States. I later joined 

the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center at the field station in Athens, where I work on 

issues related to management and conservation in freshwater ecosystems. Working with 

the USGS has given me the opportunity to explore the ecological processes that support 

biological diversity and the ability to work with USGS biologists, university scientists 

and students, resource managers, and nongovernmental organizations. I have documented surprising biological resilience as well as species declines. My goal is to provide 

managers and stakeholders the information they need to identify options for conserving 

freshwater biological diversity even as competing demands for water intensify and land 

use and climate are changing.

In my free time I enjoy canoeing and hiking, donning mask and snorkel to watch 

fishes in clear mountain rivers, botanizing, and photographing birds and, of course, 

dragonflies.

Our continual challenge 

involves developing the 

best possible information 

that can help conserve this 

rich biological heritage for 

future generations.

Mary Freeman has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology, a master’s in 

entomology, and a doctorate in 

forest resources from the University 

of Georgia.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

mary-freeman
Profiles 31

Carol (Fritz) Fritzinger

Logistics Operations Specialist with the Grand Canyon 

Monitoring and Research Center in Flagstaff, Arizona

“We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life 

for future generations.” —David Brower

As far back as I can remember, I was always drawn to nature and being in the 

outdoors. I was one of those tomboy kids always playing in the dirt and chasing butterflies. My interest in nature was definitely fostered by my father, who read to me not 

just children’s books but books about science, nature, and all kinds of beautiful natural 

places around the world. I remember being laughed at by my third grade class, including 

the teacher, when trying to explain that wildfires could actually benefit forest ecosystems, 

an idea which was quite forward thinking for the 1960s. The information had come from 

my father reading to me about recent studies of forest ecosystems. Having a father who 

encouraged me to learn and understand instead of just accepting “common knowledge” 

was instrumental to my development as a scientist.

During my senior year in high school, I was chosen to participate in a 3-week Student 

Conservation Association program in Canyonlands National Park in Utah, which opened 

my eyes to the magic of the desert in the Southwest and later in life lured me there to the 

wild and open spaces. In my high school yearbook for my senior year, I was named the 

“environmentalist” with a full-page picture of me wearing my trusty backpack!

While in college, I went on backpacking and river-running excursions in the Grand 

Canyon, and the river took my heart. I have spent most of my adult life working on the 

river, first as a commercial river guide and now working for the USGS as the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center logistics manager. I organize as many as 20 to 30 

research trips each year to the Grand Canyon and helicopter activities in the Little Colorado River and work with scientists from many disciplines, including geomorphologists, 

hydrologists, fishery biologists, aquatic ecologists, plant ecologists, and social scientists. 

I have a love of working with young people and engaging them in outdoor experiences, 

and I founded the Grand Canyon Youth, Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is 

to provide youth an experiential education along the rivers and canyons of the Colorado 

Plateau in an effort to promote environmental awareness.

I love playing in the outdoors every chance I get; I love to walk, cross-country ski, 

bike, and kayak. I am also an avid gardener and volunteer at two community gardens in 

addition to nurturing a huge vegetable and flower garden of my own at home. Working 

with USGS scientists has allowed me to foster my interests in learning about the Grand 

Canyon ecosystem. Having recently developed an interest in bats, I started a citizen science project to study the role of bats in the river environment.

Curiosity for the natural 

world drives my passion 

for learning, teaching, and 

enjoying life.

Carol Fritzinger has a bachelor’s 

degree in natural history and 

outdoor program leadership from 

Prescott College.
32 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Angela Fuller

Wildlife Ecologist at the New York Cooperative Fish and 

Wildlife Research Unit in Ithaca, New York

In high school I really enjoyed science and math classes, and for some reason I 

thought that the only reasonable career option that used both was to become an engineer. 

It was not until I switched majors three times as an undergraduate that I discovered an 

amazing career, that of the wildlife ecologist, and knew I had found my calling.

The field work in my job can be particularly exciting; I capture and fit black bears 

with radio collars that allow us to monitor their movements, or use scat-detection dogs 

that sniff out moose scats, allowing us to use genetics to determine which individual left 

the scat, which we use to estimate the population size.

My research has one unifying theme: to provide information that helps in the conservation and management of wildlife species and has an effect on how wildlife are 

managed. My research has revolved around how land use and land cover influence the 

abundance or movements of mammals as well as predicting how different resource management strategies might help natural resource managers and decision makers achieve 

their conservation or management objectives. My recent work has focused on decision 

making for managed species, such as white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and fishers; balancing human activities with conservation of endangered Andean bears in Ecuador; and 

developing new methods for sampling and monitoring wildlife populations, such as black 

bear, moose, mink, and fisher. I also teach graduate-level classes in ecology-related topics 

and mentor graduate students.

I get to work with an 

incredible group of graduate students, colleagues, 

resource managers, biologists, and local communities with the rewarding 

outcome of informing 

decisions that help manage wildlife species and 

conserve some of the most 

biodiverse places in the 

world.

Angela Fuller has a bachelor’s 

degree in environmental studies from the University of Maine 

at Machias and a master’s and a 

doctorate in wildlife ecology from 

the University of Maine.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

angela-fuller
Profiles 33

Lisa Gaddis

Astrogeologist at the Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, 

Arizona

“We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the 

more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are capable of 

seeing.” —Maria Mitchell

I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, a beautiful, historic place with not much in the 

way of geology, topography, or night sky viewing. So how did I end up focusing on those 

things for a career? After high school I attended college in New York, and it was there 

that I learned to appreciate the stars that I had not really seen through the warm haze 

of the New Orleans sky. The stars and night sky are reminders that we all see the same 

Moon and we all live on the same planet as we move through space and time.

I am a child of the space race era, when America and Russia were trying to beat 

each other in “conquering” space. I remember watching the first steps on the Moon and 

instrument landings on Mars and Venus, and later seeing robots driving on and observing 

Mars. As the Nation’s interest in space has waxed and waned, I have been irretrievably 

caught up in the space race.

In college, while studying geology, I took an astronomy class and I was hooked: 

there lay the intersection of the study of rocks and planetary bodies. Some of my teachers 

in graduate school were among those who designed astronaut sorties on the surface of 

the Moon, studied the first lunar samples, and helped to select a landing site for the Mars 

Viking Lander. I sometimes marvel that I helped to define what is involved in being an 

astrogeologist.

Carl Sagan’s TV show “Cosmos” was new during my college days, and it helped 

to firmly cement my interest in spending my life among the planets. There were no 

textbooks for a curriculum in planetary science, so as a graduate student, I read many 

published papers and reports on Moon landings and sample returns, the early Mars missions, and other topics. We learned to use the data returned from numerous missions to 

study other planets, to use computers to process and analyze those data, and to examine 

features like volcanoes, sand dunes, craters, rivers, and canyons on Earth to help us 

understand extraterrestrial landforms.

My first involvement in a National Aeronautics and Space Administration mission 

was the Magellan mission to Venus, and I used radar data to study unusual volcanoes and 

other features on that very hot planet. Since then, I’ve been involved with many more 

missions and planetary research projects at the USGS, and each one is as exciting as the 

first. Most recently, I’ve enjoyed watching my former students as they take their place 

among the worldwide community 

of planetary scientists with important places to go and things to do in 

the Solar System.

I am an avid hiker and skier, 

and I love to blend my love of geology with my hobbies by traveling to 

mineral shows and making jewelry 

using natural gemstones. But my 

favorite pastime of all is reading: I 

will always love a good book!

I was most inspired by the 

world around me and a 

strong need to understand 

why and how it came to 

be. Science is the path 

to that knowledge and 

understanding, the way 

that we all gather information, share it, and use it to 

achieve something bigger 

than ourselves.

Lisa Gaddis has a bachelor’s degree 

in geology from Vassar College, 

a master’s in geological sciences 

from Brown University, and a doctorate in geology and geophysics 

from the University of Hawaii.
34 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Stephanie Gaswirth

Research Geologist with the Central Energy Resources 

Science Center in Denver, Colorado

I grew up enjoying the beaches and the ocean in New Jersey, and these environments 

fostered an early love of nature and earth sciences. I was inspired to pursue a geology 

major in college by my intro to geology professor at Franklin and Marshall College, Dr. 

Bob Wiebe. He was full of energy and passion, and his love of geology was contagious. 

I have been lucky to have many mentors through the years that have kept me motivated 

and excited about the work I do. I am a big proponent of mentorship programs.

Although I’ve been involved in some work that one would imagine is traditional for 

a research geologist, my work with the USGS defies easy labeling. I have been involved 

in assessments of petroleum resources in several areas in the United States, including 

the high-profile Williston and Permian basins. I was even involved in the retrieval and 

analysis of samples from the Deepwater Horizon well after the spill in 2010. Because my 

assessments are widely used by policy makers, resource managers, conservationists, and 

the general public, I have been called upon to give briefings, interviews, and national and 

international presentations.

In Colorado, I enjoy biking, hiking, camping, snowboarding, and traveling in my 

beautiful State with my husband and sons.

I have been lucky to have 

many mentors through 

the years that have kept 

me motivated and excited 

about the work I do.

Stephanie Gaswirth has a bachelor’s degree in geoscience from 

Franklin and Marshall College, a 

master’s in geological sciences 

from Rutgers University, and a doctorate in geological sciences from 

the University of Colorado, Boulder.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

stephanie-gaswirth
Profiles 35

Durga Ghosh

Quality Assurance Coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay 

Program in Annapolis, Maryland

“Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master.” — Leonardo da Vinci

I grew up in Bombay, a large metropolis on the western coast of India. As a child, 

I did not give much thought to science; all I cared about was reading. One of my high 

school teachers, Sister Ursula, noticed my passion for books and took me under her wing. 

We would spend hours talking about everything under the sun, including Sister Ursula’s 

experience growing up in Ireland during the civil war. Her favorite topic was women 

in science. She described these women as visionaries and regaled me with stories about 

their lives and their research. It was during these sessions that a deep-rooted love for science was born in me. As a young girl, I identified with these women and wanted to grow 

up to be as famous a scientist as they were.

At university, I followed in the footsteps of my graduate mentor and started teaching, 

doing research in my spare time. I soon realized that, although satisfactory, teaching can 

be brought to life when more entrenched in research. I combined my love for teaching 

impressionable students eager to soak up knowledge and the opportunity to be a scientist 

working with peers advancing the frontiers of knowledge by becoming a researcher at 

Pennsylvania State University.

A large part of my research was centered around the relation between one of the 

building blocks of genetics, RNA, and several forms of cancer. This research led me to 

join the USGS to study the environmental effects of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. In 

addition to analyzing groundwater and soil for signs of pollution, I also help review monitoring efforts to restore and protect the bay. I hope that good science programs across 

the USGS and elsewhere will provide information to increase public awareness. Science 

cannot be done in isolation, and a prerequisite for citizen participation in any program 

requires clearly communicating the science to professionals and the public.

To make a difference, we 

have to think big, and for 

that we need to be better 

informed, so let’s learn 

from science, our greatest 

teacher of all.

Durga Ghosh has a bachelor’s 

degree in microbiology, a master’s 

in biotechnical sciences, and a 

doctorate in biochemistry from the 

University of Mumbai.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

durga-ghosh
36 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Nadine Golden

Acting Deputy Director of the Pacific Coastal and Marine 

Science Center in Santa Cruz, California

I took a winding path to my current focus on sea floor and coastal geography. It 

wasn’t until grad school that I discovered an affinity for mapmaking, although it was a 

totally natural fit because it’s right at the intersection of my parents’ careers as an artist 

and a scientist. After grad school, I applied my mapmaking skills in widely varied work, 

from organic farms and bakery cooperatives, to technology companies in Silicon Valley 

and to submarine volcanoes.

At the USGS, I work on maps, models, and 3D visualizations of the sea floor and 

the rocky reefs that provide habitat for fish and other organisms in the Pacific Ocean. I 

also collect and curate photographs and videos of the sea floor originally off the coast 

of California and ultimately for the entire USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program. 

I’m enthusiastic about developing technology to gather and manage data that can be used 

to detect, analyze, understand, and expand information about the Nation’s coast and sea 

floor. One of my goals is to make USGS maps easy for partners and the public to find 

and use.

I’ve had lots of lives, but 

I’m particularly happy that 

they eventually brought 

me to the USGS. I can’t 

imagine many things that 

are more fascinating than 

what we’re doing here.

Nadine Golden has a bachelor’s 

degree in social science from the 

University of California, Berkeley, 

and a master’s in geography from 

San Francisco State University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/nadine-golden-0
Profiles 37

Joan Gomberg

Research Geophysicist and Seismologist with the Earthquake 

Science Center in Seattle, Washington

My father always encouraged me to pursue a career as a scientist. He took me to 

planetarium shows, plied me with scientific books and magazines, played chess with me, 

and in general never made me feel like I could not be a scientist because of my gender. 

This was significant because during this time there was a lot of pressure on young women 

to make finding a husband and raising a family a top priority. My parents also taught me 

to be civically and socially engaged; this instilled in me a curiosity about the world that I 

suspect led to my professional choices later in life.

My first hands-on work as a scientist involved being part of a team that installed and 

operated seismographs on the Moon; the best part of this was watching instruments being 

placed on the Moon before the news was broadcast to the rest of the world! We were 

watching history in the making. As a student I also worked as part of an international 

team monitoring earthquakes in a region of Greece that has experienced devastating 

earthquakes in modern times. The field team was international—we collected data from 

remote places, interacted with locals with very different cultural backgrounds, saw beautiful scenery, and ate simple but fabulous food. I was hooked!

One of my favorite parts of my job is that my work has the practical benefit of 

helping make the world less vulnerable to natural hazards. After moving to the Pacific 

Northwest, I discovered the many mysteries of subduction zones, and since then I have 

developed a new passion for learning about the many ways in which faults move, and 

have studied the connections between earthquake and volcanic activity, and how landslides move. Most recently my work has turned to the offshore, where the connection 

between earthquake shaking, submarine slope failure, and sediment transport has captured my attention.

I love traveling with my family, and I am active in professional societies. Having a 

husband who is a seismologist is tremendous. I cannot imagine not being able to discuss 

what I do with my partner and to share the same professional passions with him. He also 

serves as a sounding board for ideas, frustrations, and my go-to person for advice.

When my son was 

younger, I often used to 

tell him how exciting my 

job studying earthquakes 

was, that it was a lot like 

being a detective: just 

as exciting, but not as 

dangerous!

Joan Gomberg has a bachelor’s 

degree in earth science from the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in geophysics 

from the University of California, 

San Diego.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

joan-gomberg
38 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Tabitha Graves

Research Ecologist at the Northern Rocky Mountain Science 

Center in West Glacier, Montana

“I’m very conscious of the fact that you can’t do it alone. It’s teamwork. When you 

do it alone, you run the risk that when you are no longer there nobody else will do 

it.” —Wangari Maathai

My introduction to research was in high school, when I worked with a scientist on the 

genetics of yeast mitochondria. I came away from it thinking that I hated research. It took 

me 8 years to figure out that it was lab work that I didn’t enjoy and to understand that 

research is actually solving puzzles, which I love, and that doing research didn’t necessarily require pipetting over short lab benches! My rejection of research led me to explore 

international relations and alternative transportation planning before I found my way to 

wildlife biology, which lets me do work that can make a difference, connect ideas from 

different fields, and sometimes even work outside!

Grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, and elk are at the center of the science questions that 

my research answers about how humans influence wildlife populations. My work helps 

decision makers consider choices about land use and conservation that balance the 

needs of wildlife and humans. In my recent research, I have been evaluating what drives 

bighorn sheep and elk to move across the landscape, and I track diseases that affect 

these species. I use the genetics of grizzly bears in a family tree to learn about dispersal, 

estimating how many grizzly bears live in northwestern Montana and how many bighorn sheep live in the Grand Canyon. I also study the way interactions between weather 

patterns and site conditions affect the growth and lifecycle of huckleberries, which are a 

key food source for wildlife and humans. I am very interested in developing new ways of 

doing this research so that it can be done for the lowest cost and to gain the most information. I really enjoy the creativity of this work; trying to understand rare and elusive 

animals across large areas means developing new ways of collecting and synthesizing 

data, whether that is involving the public directly in data collection, refining remotesensing tools, or applying new statistical techniques.

I love it when the research 

I’ve conducted is used to 

make management decisions, help species recover, 

and teach people about our 

amazing world.

Tabitha Graves has a bachelor’s 

degree in German literature from 

the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a master’s in wildlife biology 

from the University of Montana, and 

a doctorate in forest science from 

Northern Arizona University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

tabitha-graves
Profiles 39

Susan Haig

Supervisory Wildlife Ecologist at the Forest and Rangeland 

Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, Oregon

“Why not?” —Lewis Oring, doctoral advisor

I have wanted to be a biologist for as long as I 

can remember. When I was 5 years old, I walked 

alone to a store to buy a butterfly field guide. My 

parents were frantically looking for me while I 

was in the garage trying to figure out how to make 

a net from a hanger and a broom handle!

My research at the USGS revolves around 

understanding factors that contribute to the decline 

of endangered and threatened species, including 

the piping plover, northern spotted owl, redcockaded woodpecker, and California condor. For 

many years, I have also researched shorebirds and 

the need to maintain habitats for them throughout 

the annual cycle. I am currently designing monitoring strategies and population assessments for 

wildlife in Saudi Arabia and Namibia.

My favorite parts of my job are evaluating 

animal behavior and populations, writing proposals and papers, designing projects, brainstorming 

with students, and thinking of new initiatives. I 

am also a professor of wildlife ecology at Oregon 

State University and a research associate of the 

Smithsonian Institution.

When I’m not working, I enjoy photography, 

birdwatching, kayaking, and travel in Africa.

Over the past 30 years, 

it has been incredibly 

rewarding to watch piping 

plovers slowly recover 

and see my graduate 

students go on to be such 

positive forces in the 

world. My advice to those 

interested in a career in 

wildlife is to volunteer or 

work at a nature center, 

zoo, museum, even a pet 

shop—or if you were 

like me, volunteer to be 

Woodsy Owl as I was the 

only person short enough 

to fit in the costume!

Susan Haig has a bachelor’s degree 

in biology from Northland College 

and a doctorate in biology from the 

University of North Dakota.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

susan-m-haig
40 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Susan Hall

Geologist with the Central Energy Resources Science Center in 

Denver, Colorado

I grew up in a house in northern California that was built on the Hayward Fault. I 

woke up more than one night to a shift, twist, and rumble of an earthquake. I suppose 

those early experiences began my geologic journey. Our home was at the edge of a large 

nature preserve, and I spent most of my spare time wandering the hills of the open space, 

building forts, turning over logs to see what lived underneath, climbing trees, and playing 

on rope swings. As I grew older, I found a Junior Ranger group and spent every Saturday 

exploring regional parks and learning about Native American life, natural history, and 

geology.

When I went to college, I gravitated to science classes, finally settling on geology. In 

these classes I began to more fully understand the science behind my childhood observations of natural history: why granite peels off or “exfoliates” in layers, why the coastline 

at Point Reyes near San Francisco has such high cliffs, and what causes the earthquakes I 

grew up with.

I have worked most of my career as an economic geologist, a geologist who studies 

mineral deposits such as gold, silver, and copper. When I worked as an exploration geologist early in my career, I was excited each time I started working in a new area. There 

was always the possibility that I might discover a new deposit, which is both a scientific 

achievement and an economic success. Now my main area of expertise is uranium deposits, and the program that I lead has been successful because we developed open, collaborative teams of research scientists from academia, industry, and government organizations. 

My research has allowed me to travel around the world to study deposits in Argentina, 

Australia, Canada, Namibia, and Ukraine.

As a child I enjoyed collecting minerals, never dreaming that one day I would discover a new one. While analyzing samples from a uranium deposit in northern Texas, I 

recognized that the chemistry of one mineral I was studying had a distinctive composition. Mineralogy not being my expertise, I was able to convince experts in mineralogy, 

geochemistry, and spectroscopy to prove that this was a unique mineral. A team of colleagues and I identified the first hexavalent form of a strontium and uranium mineral ever 

identified and have applied to name this new mineral finchite, after a long-time USGS 

uranium geologist.

I enjoy oil painting, mostly natural subjects: flowers, trees, and landscapes. I am 

attracted to the range of color and texture found in nature and try to capture that in my 

paintings. Interestingly, I find painting rocks very difficult, perhaps because I am focused 

on getting each cluster of mica or grain of quartz just right, which is simply impossible.

I am married to a geologist, and we enjoyed driving our daughters crazy 

during family holidays 

as our favorite roadside 

attractions were the stories 

exposed in road cuts—not 

at all of interest to our 

young girls.

Susan Hall has a bachelor’s degree 

in geology from Smith College, a 

master’s in geochemistry from the 

University of California, Davis, and a 

doctorate in geochemistry from the 

University of Ottawa.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

susan-m-hall
Profiles 41

Hannah Hamilton

Public Affairs Specialist with the Office of Communications 

and Publishing in Reston, Virginia

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” 

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

My mother might say that once I learned to talk I didn’t stop, so it only makes sense 

that I am now a professional communicator. It wasn’t a path I found myself on right 

away, though. In college I was on the newspaper staff, and my communications professor 

encouraged me to change my major from psychology and biology to communications. I 

took that as a compliment, but did not change my major. I got into communications when 

I was working at a biological research center of the U.S. Department of the Interior in 

Florida and became the go-to person for public and media inquiries. I was able to get my 

graduate degrees while working for the USGS. I loved being able to communicate the 

science being done at the center and make it matter to people.

My work as a public affairs specialist for the USGS involves sharing the work of 

USGS scientists in a way that allows everyone to access the great work the USGS does 

and what it means to society. I provide communications and media training to USGS 

scientists, technicians, and managers and advise USGS science centers on communication issues. I also write and edit pieces such as feature stories and news releases on water, 

geology, geography, coastal and marine geology, and ecosystems science from research 

centers from Virginia to Maine.

In my free time I’m part of a great group of quilters. Quilting allows me to communicate using a different medium, and people can actually touch or wrap themselves up 

in something that is an expression of love. I also like to get out and explore nature, be it 

a forest, botanical garden, or State, local, or national park. It’s a joy to stumble upon a 

creek, pollinators in action, or the stillness of a forest.

Whatever you do, set 

goals, but don’t lock yourself into “absolute” paths. 

There are many paths 

that can and will lead you 

to where you want to be 

professionally and personally. It’s important to be 

flexible enough to be able 

to see and take advantage 

of unexpected opportunities when they arise.

Hannah Hamilton has a bachelor’s 

degree in psychology from Carlow 

University and a master’s in public 

relations and a doctorate in mass 

communication from the University 

of Florida.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

hannah-m-hamilton
42 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Jo Ellen Hinck

Contamination Biologist at the Columbia Environmental 

Research Center in Columbia, Missouri

“Uniqueness isn’t a virtue. It’s a responsibility.” —Mark Batterson

I grew up in a family that had strong ties to natural resources; my father was a bulldozer operator and my grandparents were all farmers. I think my family’s ties to the land 

influenced my desire to conserve and preserve natural resources and analyze how we as 

humans affect those resources. My grandmother was shocked when I told her about one 

of my first projects with USGS: dissecting largemouth bass and carp as part of a health 

monitoring program. She commented that I hated to get my hands dirty as a child.

When I started my graduate work, I was lucky enough to be part of a field research 

team examining the toxic effects of petroleum byproducts on the alpine lakes of the 

Sierra Nevada Mountains. This was an opportunity to develop my own toxicological 

research while working in an environment I really enjoyed.

As a biologist for the USGS, I have traveled across the United States to evaluate 

the effects of pollution on a variety of species from diverse ecosystems. I also research 

the risks of uranium mining on natural and tribal resources in the Grand Canyon watershed. My job allows me to experience new places and meet and work with new people 

and learn new stories. It also provides me the opportunity to work with Federal, State, 

and Tribal natural resource managers and policy makers. I also coordinate activities on 

assessing and restoring natural resources at municipal, State, or national parks and wildlife refuges injured by contamination from mining sites, industrial areas, and oil spills; 

every problem is unique in terms of geographic setting, type of pollutant, and natural 

resource injured, which means that the science required is also unique.

I live in my home State of Missouri, near family and friends, and love gardening, 

hiking, and traveling with my family, visiting national parks, trails, forests, and monuments; I want to get my kids to all 50 States before they graduate high school! I am also 

passionate about including more science in primary and elementary schools to inspire the 

next generation of researchers. I hope that my children develop the love of science that 

has been with me since a young age. I volunteer for STEM activity time at local schools, 

and I am an active voice in the school district on how to integrate more STEM into the 

daily curriculum.

God’s amazing creations 

inspire me. People inspire 

me. Connections with 

those people inspire me. 

The opportunity to connect with people is always 

there. People want to talk, 

and their stories are amazing if you take the time to 

listen.

Jo Ellen Hinck has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from the University of Central Missouri and a 

master’s in zoology from Miami 

University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jo-ellen-hinck
Profiles 43

Michelle Hladik

Research Chemist with the California Water Science Center in 

Sacramento, California

I grew up in Arvada, Colorado, and growing up in a landlocked State with a limited water supply led me to develop a love of water both personally and professionally. 

Having parents who always supported my scientific interest definitely influenced me to 

pursue science in college.

As an undergraduate, I started researching aluminum chemistry in streams. This work 

allowed me to hike to small streams in New York to collect water samples, and it was 

at this point that I realized that I could combine my interest in chemistry with my love 

of the outdoors and water. Since moving to California, I’ve come to love the beauty and 

complexity of California water, which starts as snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 

provides a wealth of recreational activities, and then feeds the diverse agriculture of 

California’s Central Valley.

My research is on the fate, transport, and effects of pesticides that are being used 

these days in agriculture, water treatment, and pest control in urban areas and the 

byproducts they produce in water systems. This research helps us understand the effects 

that chemicals in our water 

have on wildlife and on 

human health. I also oversee 

a research laboratory that is 

focused on developing new 

methods to measure pesticides 

and their byproducts in water, 

the soil, and animal and plant 

life.

I love being outdoors, 

whitewater kayaking, swimming, including open water 

swimming, paddle boarding, 

snowshoeing, and cycling.

I enjoy pursuing topics 

that balance the needs of 

humans with those of the 

environment. My first 

research experience was as 

an undergraduate student 

measuring aluminum in 

small streams. Being able 

to combine field research 

with laboratory analysis 

was and still is the best of 

both worlds.

Michelle Hladik has a bachelor’s 

degree in chemistry from Vassar 

College and a doctorate in environmental engineering from Johns 

Hopkins University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

michelle-l-hladik
44 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Camille Hopkins

Wildlife Disease Coordinator with the Ecosystems Mission 

Area in Reston, Virginia

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system, through which God 

speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” —George Washington Carver

I have always been fascinated by wildlife and am passionate about the well-being of 

wild animals. I grew up wanting to work with wildlife as a scientist. After completing a 

Girl Scout Wider Opportunity experience with the Wildlife Conservation Society at the 

Bronx Zoo, I focused on becoming a wildlife veterinarian. My clinical veterinary career 

included caring for wildlife in the Republic of South Africa as well as in the United 

States at the Wildlife Center of Virginia and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park. I also had the honor of caring for military working dogs as an officer in the 

U.S. Army Veterinary Corps.

After completing my graduate studies, I joined the USGS, where I could apply my 

clinical and research experience as the wildlife disease coordinator. I manage research 

activities of the Ecosystems Mission Area related to diseases of aquatic and terrestrial 

wildlife and support USGS disease research and surveillance at departmental, interagency, and international meetings. Because diseases such as chronic wasting disease in 

deer and white-nose syndrome in bats can negatively affect wildlife populations, research 

priorities include the development of tools and strategies for a robust response to these 

pathogens.

Camille Hopkins has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from Cornell 

University, a master’s in wildlife 

population medicine and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from 

Mississippi State University, and a 

doctorate in disease ecology from 

the Virginia Polytechnic Institute 

and State University (Virginia Tech).

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

m-camille-hopkins
Profiles 45

Photograph by Michael R. Perry, Flickr

Susan Hough

Research Geophysicist at the Earthquake Science Center in 

Pasadena, California

“A life has to move or it stagnates. Even this life, I think. Every tomorrow ought not 

to resemble every yesterday.” —Beryl Markham

I did not have an “aha!” moment that drew me to earth sciences. I first read descriptions of courses about earthquakes in the University of California Berkeley catalog and 

thought they sounded interesting. I did always love numbers and math, though, even from 

a young age. I remember my father standing behind me while I worked on a sheet of 

math homework problems and saying to me, “Math is fun, isn’t it? It’s more like getting 

to play than having to work.” I thoroughly agreed, even then. What most influenced my 

story is the fact that my father was an academic who was determined to teach his children 

about the world and who encouraged my early interests in math and science. It might 

not sound like a big deal now, but this was sadly not the norm for little girls born in the 

1960s.

Through my undergraduate degree and even through grad school, I remained a 

mathematician at heart. My postdoctoral years at Lamont-Doherty Observatory provided 

my first experience with fieldwork, including my first experience leading an aftershock 

deployment following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Standing beside the collapsed 

Nimitz Freeway in Oakland, Calif., and piecing together that it had failed because of 

shaking amplified by the San Francisco Holocene Bay Mud, made the science suddenly 

very real.

As a research geophysicist, I have worked in a number of earthquake-prone areas, 

including California, Virginia, Haiti, Nepal, and Burma, to research the nature of ground 

motion generated by earthquakes, historical earthquakes, and earthquakes that are triggered by other earthquakes. I have studied how earthquake shaking can be amplified by 

hills and ridges and how earthquakes can be potentially induced by human activities. 

I have led a number of deployments of portable instruments to record aftershocks of 

notable earthquakes.

I love to travel, to remote corners as well as well-trodden paths. The world is a fascinating place, and nothing broadens one’s horizons like appreciating that there are enormous strengths to be found in areas where the eye first sees only challenges. I have three 

amazing grandsons who are more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I love teaching them and 

seeing their intense curiosity about the world. I also enjoy mentoring young women in 

sciences who are trying to find a balance between the demands of work and family life.

The Earth can still surprise 

us. We need to get the science right so that people 

can prepare for future 

earthquakes. The study 

of the ground motions 

generated by earthquakes 

is where the seismology 

rubber meets the riskreduction road.

Susan Hough has a bachelor’s 

degree in geophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and 

a doctorate in earth sciences from 

the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

susan-hough

Photograph by Michael R. Perry, used with permission
46 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Kate Jones

Hydrologic Technician with the Utah Water Science Center in 

Salt Lake City, Utah

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that 

the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.” —Noam Chomsky

I grew up in western Oregon where the lush rainforest shaped my love of the outdoors. The sun peeking through the trees after a storm not only meant blooming flowers 

but beckoned a chance to get outside, inviting a game of capture the flag or a walk in the 

fresh air. This led me to complete my bachelor’s degree in my home State.

I spent a summer in Dakar, Senegal, when I was an undergraduate student, and this 

gave me a fresh take on the way a community can come together to collectively manage 

their water supply. The dense and vibrant city, even though afflicted by many persistent 

socioeconomic issues, has managed to launch powerful programs to tackle water sanitation problems by using careful planning and an impressive ability to collectively compromise to take steps forward.

As a hydrologic technician for the USGS, I spend a lot of time out in the Green River 

Basin, taking measurements for water flow and water quality and surveying topographic 

changes to ensure the integrity of data collected. Otherwise I am in the office, writing 

data analysis reports, preparing data to be published, and working with State and county 

cooperators and other scientists to help them get the data they need.

Living in Salt Lake City, I enjoy the unique landscape of breathtaking cascading 

mountains just a few miles from the city and from the office. I am very lucky to live in a 

place where in just minutes I can be up at the mountain skiing, hiking, or biking, or can 

hop in the car with some friends and in a few hours be in one of Utah’s majestic national 

parks. I also play fiddle in a band we’ve created in the office to play for retirement and 

holiday parties.

My forest hydrology 

professor in college used 

stream gauges to assess 

a watershed’s response 

to weather events and 

snowmelt runoff; he had 

a few grad students who 

loved visiting the scenic 

data collection sites, and 

I joined them sometimes 

for field experience. Each 

of them mentioned that the 

professor had planned on 

retiring a couple of years 

earlier but kept agreeing 

to advise each of them 

for their thesis as one last 

project. If you find something you love so enthusiastically that you don’t 

want to quit, stick with it.

Kate Jones has a bachelor’s degree 

in environmental science and 

a track certificate in hydrologic 

engineering from Oregon State 

University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

kate-k-jones
Profiles 47

Leslie Jones

Deputy Associate Director for Communications and Publishing 

and Chief of the Science Publishing Network in Reston, 

Virginia

“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” —Immanuel Kant

As a child, I collected all kinds of treasures from nature—sea shells, bird’s nests, 

unusual rocks, fossils, leaves, and flowers—and at age 10 received a gift of a real microscope. My first exposure to geology in ninth grade science class was fascinating, learning 

about the layers of the Earth and the powerful processes that made mountains and moved 

continents.

In college, I took geology and biology courses. During finals week of freshman year, 

a woman scientist from the USGS called, asking if I was interested in a summer job 

curating her fossil collection. I imagined myself with picks and brushes, delicately exposing T. Rex skeletons from Cretaceous rock and immediately accepted! Though the reality 

was labeling plastic vials of dirt containing nannofossils, I found myself supporting a 

team of scientists studying paleoclimates using ostracodes, foraminifera, and nannofossils. I performed lab analyses and field work, and I even became quite proficient with 

the scanning electron microscope. I had my own research projects and co-wrote several 

articles that were published in journals.

However, I realized after 6 years that, while we were very good at communicating with fellow scientists, there was a growing need for people who could verbally and 

visually translate our complex scientific research into language that helped nonscientists 

understand and value our work. I spent several years in scientific publishing, creating new 

products designed for lay audiences. I developed some of the first websites the USGS 

ever had, finding new channels through which to deliver our story. A colleague and I created a new type of briefing series for Congress in which we invited end users of USGS 

science to speak about the importance of our information and data to their decision making. I founded one of the first employee communications programs in the Federal Government, including deployment of an intranet with social media features like blogs and 

podcasts from USGS leaders. Now, as the manager of the science publishing arm of the 

USGS, I work with my team to make USGS science more accessible. New technologies 

we are employing not only streamline production and delivery of our scientific publications, they also help the public in discovering and using our information and data.

My husband and I live with our three rescue dogs on a 73-acre farm in Virginia where 

we raise horses, hay, berries, and bees.

For young people considering a science career, I 

hope I serve as an example 

that there are as many 

ways to make a difference 

outside the laboratory as 

inside it.

Leslie Jones has a bachelor’s 

degree in environmental sciences 

with a minor in geology from the 

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and 

State University (Virginia Tech).
48 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Jeni Keisman

Biologist in the Maryland, Delaware, and District of Columbia 

Water Science Center in Baltimore, Maryland

“Never let your fear decide your fate.” —Awolnation

As a child, I loved to be outside. My brother and I would spend hours playing in the 

woods around our house. The forests in Connecticut are strewn with boulders left behind 

by ancient glaciers. We would chip pieces of quartz off of the boulders with a chisel and 

pretend that they were precious stones, caching them like hidden treasure. My mom also 

loved to garden, and I often helped her with her planting and weeding. I learned to love 

the feel of soil on my hands and under my bare feet. Even though I’d yet to even hear of 

ecosystem ecology, I was already drawn to the nature that I would end up studying years 

later.

When I was young, everyone told me that I was going to be a great writer someday. 

That was where I excelled in school. Even when I was working on my Ph.D. at Princeton 

University, a well-meaning committee member asked me if I was sure I wouldn’t rather 

be a science writer than a scientist! My undergraduate degree was in history, and my first 

job out of college was as a technical writer at an information technology company where 

I wrote online user help manuals. The tedium of typing “click OK to continue” over and 

over again motivated me to learn how to code the software instead. This experience definitely smoothed my transition into a career in science.

One of the skills that I picked up as a technical writer was the ability to communicate with technical and nontechnical audiences alike, which I have been able to use 

when working with fellow scientists as well as when sharing my science with the public, 

policy makers, and natural resource managers. I focus my time on the Chesapeake Bay, 

researching the effects of natural forces and human activities on the watershed and estuary. I am inspired to learn how the watershed and estuarine ecosystems have changed 

over time and to use that knowledge to help those who manage these resources do so in a 

sustainable way.

My diverse background has led to an equally diverse array of interests and hobbies. I 

love talking to people and traveling to new places as much as I love just curling up with 

my laptop, crunching numbers, and turning them into stories. I love living, working, and 

playing on the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. I enjoy sailing, boogie boarding, 

hiking, and skiing with my husband and son. My favorite project at home right now is a 

pollinator- and bird-friendly garden. I recently planted some milkweed, and I’m hoping 

that it will eventually attract some monarch butterflies!

People may think that to 

work in the sciences, to 

work for the USGS, you 

have to be one of those 

people who loved all of 

their science classes and 

never wanted to be a 

writer or a ballerina. But 

that’s not true. I didn’t 

start out in this field. Eventually, my other interests 

led me to it. I was really 

intimidated at first, but it 

feels great to do something 

that really matters.

Jeni Keisman has a bachelor’s 

degree in history from St. Mary’s 

College of Maryland, a master’s 

in sustainable development and 

conservation biology from the 

University of Maryland, College 

Park, and a doctorate in ecology and 

evolutionary biology from Princeton 

University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jeni-keisman
Profiles 49

Julie Kiang

Chief of the Analysis and Prediction Branch of the Water 

Mission Area in Reston, Virginia

“Hope is like a path in the countryside. Originally, there is nothing—but as people 

walk this way again and again, a path appears.” —Lu Xun

My family moved from Illinois to California when I was in junior high school. The 

bone-dry summers in California made an impression, especially when the local newspapers began talking about the need to be careful about water use. It is no coincidence 

that I was attracted to and spent my early career working on water supply issues. In 

college, courses in fluid mechanics and hydrology spurred the realization that the field of 

water resources would allow me to spend my career working to understand how natural 

processes work and applying that knowledge to problems of fundamental importance to 

humans, including predicting hazards such as floods and droughts.

Before coming to the USGS, I helped manage water supply for the Washington, 

D.C., metropolitan area during droughts as a water resources engineer. I also worked as 

a consultant to water suppliers in other parts of the country. At the USGS, I have worked 

on topics spanning floods, droughts, streamflow modeling, and the effects of climate and 

land-use change on water resources. I believe that understanding the limits of our data 

will lead to better data programs and better water solutions for a thirsty world. I lead 

national projects that seek to use streamflow and other data to better understand the availability of water in the United States and to quantify risks from natural disasters such as 

floods and droughts. I work with both young and experienced hydrologists throughout the 

USGS water science centers; the exchange of ideas within our community keeps the job 

fun and exciting.

In my free time I love to be out on the water canoeing and kayaking. I have even built 

my own wooden kayak! Even though my work doesn’t involve a lot of field trips, I’m 

glad that I can spend my days thinking about a topic that is near to my heart. I also spend 

a lot of free time on musical pursuits; I play fiddle in a string band and dabble with the 

mandolin and the piano.

There’s something called 

a hydraulic jump, when 

shallow, fast-moving 

water abruptly “jumps” 

and starts moving at 

greater depths but much 

more slowly. When I discovered that we can write 

equations that predict 

exactly when this will 

happen and then verify 

them in the lab, I thought 

it was the coolest thing 

ever!

Julie Kiang has a bachelor’s degree 

in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University and a 

master’s in civil and environmental 

engineering and a doctorate in 

hydrology and water resources 

from the Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology.
50 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Heather Krempa

Hydrologist with the Missouri Water Science Center in Lee’s 

Summit, Missouri

My passion for biology and drive to further understand the natural world was 

launched by my high school biology teacher. He used his time and resources to bring 

students outdoors to experience and explore the world that we were studying. He was a 

role model to look up to not only professionally but also as a kind, compassionate, and 

encouraging person.

During undergraduate school I traveled to the Amazon rainforest in Peru with the 

biology department at my university and was able to experience the amazing social 

culture and biological diversity of the rainforest. This experience opened my eyes to a 

way of life that was previously unknown to me. I spent a lot of time with villagers whose 

main resources were limited to what was available naturally, and they spent a great 

amount of time with family and as a community. The children were the most generous 

individuals I had ever met. Our native guides were intimately connected to their environment and were able to help us forage meals and construct shelter on a camping excursion. 

The plant and animal diversity was awe inspiring, and the whole experience instilled in 

me a passion for adventure, exploration, and understanding of new cultures and habitats.

At work, my research tries to understand the effects that proposed water control 

structures have on the water quality, flow, and stream health and on the communities of 

amphibians at wetlands that dry up during hot seasons and long droughts. I also assess the 

effects of conservation practices and agricultural activities on stream and river quality.

My hobbies include mountain bike riding, rock climbing, and hiking mountains. I 

have met irreplaceable friends during these adventures who inspire me to continue to get 

out there and explore and never give up on pushing myself to be better and go further. I 

camp a lot during these adventures and love great conversation around a campfire after 

a hard physical day of exploring. I also enjoy gardening and hunting for ecologically 

sustainable food resources and to be more connected to our environment. The cliffs of 

the Ozarks hold a special place in my heart. This is where I first learned to rock climb 

and where I discovered that the world holds secret wondrous views reserved for the 

adventurers that push limits and travel the roughest and hardest paths. I try to bring this 

mentality to all things that I pursue, remembering that the hardest roads bring you the 

greatest rewards.

When you feel strongly 

about something or feel 

a deep connection to a 

particular thing, pursue 

it. Be open to changing 

your mind, but explore the 

options you are drawn to. 

You can have many passions, which may change, 

but there are few things 

that bring more happiness than spending your 

time doing things that are 

important to you.

Heather Krempa has a bachelor’s 

degree in chemistry from the 

Benedictine College and a master’s 

in biology from the University of 

Central Missouri.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/heather-m-krempa
Profiles 51

Jennifer Lacey

Observing Systems Branch Chief with the Earth Resources 

Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

“We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe 

that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” —Marie Curie

As a child, I knew that little girls in South Dakota grew up to be teachers, nurses, or 

maybe even lawyers like my two uncles. The thing was, I liked mathematics; I liked the 

calculus of figuring out angles for scrambling over rocks and up hillsides. In high school, 

I loved the way one of my teachers turned math problems into witty, funny stories. So I 

pursued a math degree in college and was all set to pursue a career as an actuary when a 

chance visit with my college Math Club to the USGS Earth Resources Observation and 

Science (EROS) Center near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, changed all that. Talk about love 

at first sight! At EROS, my passion for math was inflamed by the possibilities of working 

with satellites, algorithms, and earth science data. Before our visit, I had no idea such a 

place existed, so I submitted my resume to the center—the only one I ever sent out—and 

have been enthralled ever since with the work of data processing and archiving, project 

management, and software development.

With the USGS, I oversee the operations of the Landsat satellites, including two 

Mission Operations Centers located at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. I was at Vandenberg Air Force Base in 

California for the launch of the Landsat 8 satellite; that was one of my proudest moments. 

For the first time, the USGS was involved in developing and helping to launch a Landsat 

satellite, and I was on the front lines of that effort. Today, I lead the team that collects, 

catalogs, and archives Earth imagery, and I oversee the daily operations of the Landsat 7 

and 8 satellites, working with flight operations teams and other staff to efficiently and 

effectively ensure that these valuable assets continue to enable world-class science. We 

are now also working on the Landsat 9 mission, which is scheduled to launch in December 2020. It is exciting to be a part of the continuation of our unprecedented land imaging 

record of the world!

It has been an exciting career for the girl who loves equations. Turns out knowing 

numbers is handy outside the office, too, whether calculating the miles for the traveling I 

love to do or squeezing faster times out of the road races I run. In fact, my husband and 

I are trying to run in all 50 States. The math is getting easier on that one; we only have 

five left!

I have three wonderful 

daughters. I have focused 

on showing them the 

opportunities, rather than 

the hurdles, that exist for 

their future.

Jennifer Lacey has a bachelor’s 

and a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of South 

Dakota and has worked toward her 

doctorate in geospatial science and 

engineering at South Dakota State 

University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jennifer-lacey
52 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Cassandra Ladino

Physical Scientist with the Office of Enterprise Information in 

Reston, Virginia

“Learn every day, share what you know!” —Anonymous

I started at the USGS as a student volunteer. At the time, I was very young and not 

sure about the profession I wanted to pursue. However, I quickly came to love working at the USGS because it was a really creative environment. I began my career as a 

geographic information systems (GIS) specialist and enjoyed solving questions that 

didn’t always have straightforward answers. My work at the USGS also gave me a way 

to connect to my own backyard in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. My supervisor was 

highly influential in my career and encouraged team mentoring and opportunities to learn 

new skill sets. As a result, I progressed from being a GIS specialist, to being a software 

developer and a lead data management expert for the agency.

Today, I enjoy working for the Office of Enterprise Information and supporting 

scientists with enterprise data management needs. My role involves providing expertise 

in information management and technology and representing the USGS at Federal Open 

Data meetings.

Work-life balance is important, and in my free time I enjoy traveling and photography. I find that being creative in my personal life helps me be more creative at work. I 

also have a group of friends that I’ve made through getting to know other recent graduates who have taken positions at the USGS. We do out-of-office activities like playing 

volleyball and going to baseball games.

Great careers are curated 

and developed. The path 

you start on may not be 

the path you end on, and 

that is okay. Science and 

science support is one of 

the most cross-disciplinary 

career domains you’ll find, 

and that’s why it is a lot of 

fun to be working in this 

profession.

Cassandra Ladino has a bachelor’s 

degree in geography and environmental science and master’s 

degrees in information systems and 

geographic information systems 

from the University of Maryland, 

Baltimore County.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

cassandra-ladino
Profiles 53

Kathy Lee

Deputy Program Coordinator of the Toxic Substances 

Hydrology Program in Reston, Virginia

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and 

above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something 

and that this thing must be attained.” —Marie Curie

My curiosity and love of science developed during childhood. Much to my parents’ 

chagrin, I recall digging ditches in my backyard as a child to understand water movement. I spent hours exploring local streams observing the animals and plants that reside 

there. Throughout my life, I was lucky to have many teachers who fostered my love of 

science. I can’t say enough about the influence teachers have had in the formation of my 

career.

I started working with the USGS as a graduate student, studying how different types 

of vegetation in wetlands influence how quickly pesticides break down in water. I continued as a hydrologist, working with and leading teams researching the effects of chemical 

and physical stressors on animal and plant life in aquatic systems. I spent many cherished 

hours in the field collecting water samples and aquatic organisms from streams and lakes 

throughout the country.

Because of the support of my colleagues and supervisors at the USGS, I have had 

the opportunity and freedom to pursue my career goals in balance with my family life. 

I’m proud to have been able to pursue science throughout my career at the USGS that 

has provided information essential to prioritizing health issues arising from exposure to 

contaminants in the environment.

My husband and I live with our two children in the Northwoods of Minnesota. We 

intentionally chose a house outside of town to enjoy the natural surroundings and to 

encourage our children to explore. We kayak, boat on the local lake, hike, cross-country 

ski, and of course play hockey! We take every opportunity we can to explain the natural 

environment to our children and to give them information to help them understand the 

ecology of the area. I hope that like me they will also have wonderful teachers that open 

the world for them in their pursuits.

I love the cool mornings and evenings watching the wildlife. The mayfly hatches 

from the lakes and rivers here in northern Minnesota, and the tandem dragonfly and mosquito emergence is truly a site to see! They are a reminder of our interconnectedness with 

the physical environment and other living organisms.

I am honored to work 

as part of a team at the 

USGS to provide scientific 

data critical to protect the 

health of our Nation.

Kathy Lee has a bachelor’s degree 

in environmental science and a 

master’s in aquatic ecology from 

the University of Kansas.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

kathy-e-lee
54 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Cindy Lonergan

Supervisory Human Resources Specialist with the Office of 

Human Capital in Reston, Virginia

Service to the country runs in my family. My father was a Navy chaplain, and listening to the stories of my dad helping people inspired me to want to make a difference in 

people’s lives. In college, I had two professors that made human resources management 

interesting and fun. They are the reason that I majored in management with a concentration in human resources, and one of my professors was instrumental in helping me get 

my first government job in human resources.

I started working for the Government in human resources, providing services that 

included staffing, employee benefits and relations, and other human resource functions. 

I was drawn to the USGS because of the mission of the agency; I have been a program 

manager, providing human resources policy and services for senior leaders of the USGS, 

and now lead the team that provides those services.

With all three of our children having moved out of the house, my husband and I enjoy 

traveling and have made a number of trips to Napa Valley, California, to do wine tastings. 

Wine tasting has become a fun hobby for us to do together (but unfortunately has nothing 

to do with my job!).

It is nice to know that the 

science that I support in 

my work is so important 

for protecting lives and 

property and for managing natural resources. In 

addition, the public has 

such a positive response 

to the work we do at the 

USGS. I love working for 

the USGS because there 

is a strong family friendly 

work environment.

Cindy Lonergan has a bachelor’s 

degree in business administration 

from George Mason University.
Profiles 55

Michelle Lorah

Research Hydrologist at the Maryland, Delaware, and District 

of Columbia Water Science Center in Baltimore, Maryland

“Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the 

Earth are never alone or weary of life.” —Rachel Carson

My father started rock and mineral collecting when I was 4 years old, and I spent 

many weekends throughout my childhood traveling with him to different places to hunt 

for specimens. His collection quickly took over our basement. I loved being outside, 

free to play in the dirt and enjoy all the beautiful places that we went to. Along the way, 

I learned so much from my dad about the Earth, mineral formations, and mining history, 

as well as how much fun it can be to discover new specimens. I was overjoyed when I 

later understood that geology could be a career, and people actually get paid to search 

for rocks!

I grew up in Slatington in eastern Pennsylvania, along the Lehigh River. I loved 

walking along the river and the view of the mountains from our small town. I undertook a science project in eighth grade to measure zinc concentrations along the Lehigh 

River, and I found high concentrations that were likely leaching from waste piles at a 

zinc-smelting plant upstream of our town. Another major influence on my career path 

was a marine sciences program that I did as an undergraduate student where we spent a 

semester living at Wallops Island, Va., learning coastal geology, ecology, and oceanography. The wetlands studies that we did were my favorite part of this field-based program 

and were an early influence on my interest in wetland contamination as a major area of 

research. In my last year as an undergraduate student, I took a hydrogeology class that 

I loved, which led me to apply to grad schools to focus on the study of water flowing 

through rocks. Combined with my earlier experiences, I knew that I wanted to focus on 

groundwater contamination.

I have spent my career working on solutions to eliminating hazardous waste contamination, and I enjoy doing research on real-life problems. Some of my work involves looking at microbes that can break down contaminants that have been in the soil for several 

decades. When I work with sensitive ecosystems, I try to disturb them as little as possible. I’m able to bring together my knowledge of groundwater and coastal and marine 

environments to help protect the ecosystems and habitats of wetlands and streams.

Outside of my career, my greatest joy has been raising two children (now 18 and 

19 years old and studying science and engineering) with my husband, and our new 

favorite activity has become 

traveling to their college 

tennis and music events. I 

still enjoy hiking and birding, 

and I keep multiple feeders 

supplied on our property and 

at the office. I love to walk 

in the early morning hours, 

anywhere that I can see trees 

and hear birds. Yoga has also 

become a favorite activity in 

the past 20 years. No matter 

how busy I am, taking time 

for yoga keeps me happy and 

rejuvenated.

The same excitement in 

discovering something 

new and analyzing it, and 

determining what it is, all 

of which I experienced 

with my dad as a rock 

hound, is what has driven 

my career.

Michelle Lorah has a bachelor’s 

degree in geosciences, with a 

minor in marine sciences, from 

Pennsylvania State University, a 

master’s in environmental science 

from the University of Virginia, 

and a doctorate in environmental 

chemistry from the University of 

Maryland.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

michelle-lorah
56 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Kristen Ludwig

Staff Scientist in the Natural Hazards Mission Area in Seattle, 

Washington

I spent much of my childhood at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science; from 

building “twinkisaurs” (dinosaurs made out of Twinkies and toothpicks) to catching 

crayfish in the nearby City Park pond, I enjoyed any hands-on science class I could take 

at the museum. When I was a high school student, I had the opportunity to participate 

in my first oceanographic research expedition as part of the K–12 STEM program of 

JASON Learning. I spent a week at sea learning about submarine technology, studying rock samples, and dissecting tubeworms collected from hydrothermal vents located 

6,500 feet below our ship in the Gulf of California. This inspired me to pursue a graduate 

degree in marine geology and a career in the earth sciences. While still in high school, I 

volunteered at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and helped to design exhibits, 

which introduced me to new ways to work at the intersection of science, art, and public 

engagement.

I became interested in hazards and science policy during the Deepwater Horizon 

oil spill in 2010, when I realized my expertise in deep sea geology had relevance to a 

national crisis. At the time, I contributed to the academic community’s response to the 

spill, and it spurred a desire to better understand the role of science and technology in 

informing response to natural- and human-caused disasters. Following that, I helped 

establish the U.S. Department of the Interior Strategic Sciences Group, which was created to quickly organize teams of experts in all sorts of fields to assess the short-term and 

long-term environmental, social, and economic consequences of a crisis and to identify 

possible interventions; this information would then be used to help those making decisions during environmental crises affecting resources stewarded by the Department. Two 

months after I started at the USGS, Hurricane Sandy barreled into the East Coast, and I 

found myself co-leading a field deployment to support recovery from the storm.

I love exploring new areas under my own power, whether it be on my skis, on my 

bike, or by foot. I’ve enjoyed cross-country skiing in places ranging from Nordic centers 

in the western United States to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and McMurdo 

Station, Antarctica. I’ve gotten into road biking in the last couple of years and appreciate 

both the challenge of long-distance riding as well as the simple joy of cruising on a paved 

trail on a nice day. My husband and I enjoy spending time with our son, and when we’re 

not on the trails, we are usually playing ultimate Frisbee, taking in a movie or ballgame, 

or chasing our dog at the dog park.

One of the things I enjoy 

the most about my work 

is the opportunity to work 

with so many bright, 

motivated people from 

different disciplines and 

sectors. On almost a daily 

basis, I cross disciplinary 

boundaries, take in new 

information, and forge 

new collaborations to 

apply science to socially 

relevant issues.

Kristin Ludwig has a bachelor’s 

degree in earth systems from Stanford University and a master’s and 

doctorate in oceanography from the 

University of Washington.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

kristin-ludwig
Profiles 57

Arista Maher

Budget Coordinator with the Energy and Minerals Mission Area 

and the Environmental Health Mission Area in Reston, Virginia

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” 

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

My interest in the intersection of policy and science started with great professors I 

had in undergraduate and graduate school. On the science side, my graduate professors 

and mentors at George Washington University sparked an interest in public health and 

health policy. In particular, learning about the environmental and public health crises in 

the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the graduate studies I did on public health policy 

after the emergence of the bird flu in Asia inspired me to look for a career that combined 

the skill sets needed for understanding complex policy and scientific issues. My experience working in the U.S. Senate during my graduate studies was influential in giving me 

a unique perspective of how policy shapes science and vice versa, especially as it relates 

to health care.

I have been a part of the USGS since 2001, when I began as a student employee. I 

currently lead the budget activities for energy and mineral resources and for environmental health programs in the USGS. I work with leaders at the USGS, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Office of Management and Budget, and with congressional 

staff to put together a budget for the USGS in the scientific fields of energy and mineral 

resources and environmental health. Much of my job focuses on supporting USGS science, working at the intersection between science and policy to increase awareness of 

the great work being done at the USGS and its relevance to the public interest. Working 

in various parts of the USGS has not only given me a diverse background in everything 

from geospatial policy to energy and mineral resources management, but it has also reinforced my respect for this great organization.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two children. I am 

an avid reader and have been a member of the same book club for almost a decade. I 

also love traveling, experimenting on my family and friends with ambitious recipes, 

going to concerts, listening to and playing all different kinds of music, running, and 

horseback riding.

Arista Maher has a bachelor’s 

degree in government from The 

College of William and Mary and a 

master’s in public health policy from 

George Washington University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

arista-maher
58 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Elizabeth Martín

Biologist with the Core Science Analytics, Synthesis, and 

Libraries Program in Gainesville, Florida

My career trajectory has been more of an evolution than one major “aha!” moment. 

As a child, my parents often took us to the beach, and I spent a good portion of my childhood by the ocean. That piqued my curiosity about the ocean and its living creatures and 

led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in biology. For my master’s degree thesis, I 

conducted field work on a marine snail that lives in seagrass beds and coral reefs of the 

Bahamas, and after that I worked on assessing how pollution from farming affects the 

Florida Everglades. While doing field work in the Everglades, I remember looking at 

some of the marshes that were less affected by nutrients and thinking about how beautiful they were. These research activities highlighted to me the importance of conserving 

biological resources, and the realization that ultimately conservation requires an understanding of the relations of humans to nature.

I went on to work with managers of protected areas in Latin America, assisting with 

data and technology transfer. It became more apparent to me that I could be of greater 

service and contribute more to natural resource conservation by helping bridge professional and scientific discipline divides and by considering the human dimensions not 

only of research but also of data and information dissemination and transfer. These 

experiences led to a new interest in more applied types of research and scientific information dissemination activities that support decision making about natural resources and 

biodiversity. Currently, my work involves providing biodiversity data and information for 

online systems and researching how professionals use biodiversity information system 

resources in their work.

I am an avid bird watcher. I became interested in the hobby when I started working on providing data and information to support bird conservation in North America. 

I started birding to become more familiar with birds and some of the methods used to 

study them. The result was that I became fascinated by birds. Observing birds in the wild 

brings me peace and joy, it is a very soothing activity when life gets hectic, it challenges 

me to improve my bird identification skills, and I am always learning something new 

about birds and wildlife behavior. In animals and nature I see beauty and a spiritual connection to something much bigger and more important that transcends my life.

I am often drawn to 

questions and activities 

arising at the boundaries and intersection of 

scientific disciplines and 

professional cultures. The 

potential for generating 

new insights and novel 

applications that may help 

bridge gaps in knowledge and cultural divides 

are exciting aspects of 

the work that I do at the 

USGS.

Elizabeth Martín has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico and a master’s 

in biological science from Florida 

State University.
Profiles 59

Melanie Mathesz

Hydrologic Technician at the Maryland, Delaware, and District 

of Columbia Water Science Center in Baltimore, Maryland

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental 

emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” —Albert Einstein

I grew up in Annapolis, Maryland. On weekends, I would go sailing on the Chesapeake Bay or bike riding at a park within a day’s driving distance. There was no one 

event that lead me into my career at the USGS—it was a childhood spent enjoying 

nature. In school, I grew particularly interested in environmental science, especially in 

relation to the Chesapeake Bay. My time sailing, kayaking, and windsurfing on the Chesapeake Bay led me to care deeply for the health of the bay. In middle and high school, 

I participated in the science club to grow and then plant the bay grasses in a restoration 

area. During this process, I learned how important the grasses were to the Chesapeake 

Bay. I wanted to contribute to monitoring the bay’s waters in order to provide decision 

makers with the information necessary to create the proper environmental policies to 

improve the health of the bay’s waters.

In addition to my love of the Chesapeake Bay, I have a great love of volcanoes in the 

Pacific Northwest of the United States. The earth processes required to make them and 

destroy them fascinates me. They were one of my favorite topics to learn in school and 

to teach as a teaching assistant for my geography department in college. They inspire me 

to want to understand the geophysics behind how the earth was made and is continually 

shaped. Volcanoes have such beauty, yet can become extremely dangerous without a lot 

of warning. They inspire innovation in monitoring capabilities in order to predict eruptions before they happen.

At my job with the USGS, I work on the Chesapeake Bay, collecting water samples 

and analyzing water-quality data collected from in-stream equipment. I am the leader of 

a team, organizing how and where samples are to be collected to monitor the effects of 

storms and keeping up the equipment that constantly monitors water quality in streams 

and the bay. I also train hydrologic technicians in water-quality sampling and processing 

simultaneously.

I enjoy kayaking, windsurfing, and paddle boarding in the Chesapeake Bay watershed 

with my husband. We hit it off over our love of watersports when we first met, and our 

first date was kayaking on the South River near Annapolis. In the past few years, I have 

started participating in sprint triathlons. This will be my third year competing in Iron 

Girl, where we swim, bike, and then run.

I wanted to contribute 

to monitoring the bay’s 

waters in order to provide 

decision makers with the 

information necessary to 

create the proper environmental policies to improve 

the health of the bay’s 

waters.

Melanie Mathesz has bachelor’s 

degrees in economics and geography and environmental planning and a master’s in geography 

and environmental planning from 

Towson University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

melanie-mathesz
60 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Katie McCulloch

Deputy Associate Director for the Office of Administration in 

Reston, Virginia

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” 

—Winston Churchill

I’ve always had an interest in numbers. Math and science were always so intriguing 

and exciting to me, and this interest led me to study finance in college. After graduating 

from college, I moved to the Washington, D.C., area and worked in the private sector. 

After a number of years consulting for the Federal Government, I had an extremely 

strong desire to become a public servant. I was inspired by those around me, and rather 

than continuing to work for a large corporation, I felt a deep-rooted desire to use the 

skills I had developed to serve my country.

While I am not on “the science side of the house,” my organization provides the backbone that supports the incredible work that the USGS does. In briefings with the Office 

of Management and Budget, I’m always fascinated to hear about all the various types of 

science and the vast portfolio of the USGS. I joke that those days are like watching the 

Discovery Channel all day long. I am continuously amazed and inspired by the scientists 

at the USGS and their passion for their work, which reflects the passion that I have for 

supporting the science and working for the USGS.

My work at the USGS has been under the umbrella of customer service. Part of my 

job is to foster an environment where the administrative support, budget, and finance 

communities help advance the science and mission of the USGS. Articulating requirements and obtaining needed funding for scientists, identifying efficiencies in business or 

planning processes, and providing outstanding support and advice make it easier for managers to focus on the technical aspects of their projects. I take pride in working toward 

the most efficient and effective way to implement a process and the clearest and most 

transparent way to provide additional information for decision making and in providing 

exemplary support.

I live in Vienna, Virginia, with my husband, two young boys, and two new puppies. I 

enjoy cooking, boating, visiting wineries, and cheering for my Penn State Nittany Lions.

Leadership can take place 

from any part of the organization; it only requires a 

person to raise their hand 

to want to take action on 

an issue and inspire others 

along with them.

Katie McCulloch has a bachelor’s 

degree in finance from Pennsylvania State University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

katherine-mcculloch
Profiles 61

Hirut Mengestu

Executive Assistant with the Energy and Minerals Mission Area 

and the Environmental Health Mission Area in Reston, Virginia

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” 

—Benjamin Franklin

I was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by parents who believed that education is the best investment one can make. Who I am today is thanks to the influences of 

my mother and father. Growing up, I was always interested in sketching and designing 

clothes; I spent a lot of time designing and stitching clothes by hand for my dolls, and I 

started designing and making my own clothes when I was 15 years old. When deciding 

what I wanted to study, however, I was limited by the choices available at my university. 

I was not interested in studying geography, economics, mathematics, or medicine, and the 

only other option I had was the field of executive assistant.

While I was in college, I spent summers working for Ethiopian Airlines, which gave 

me the opportunity to work on my English-language skills and exposed me to visitors 

from different parts of the world. That’s also how I met my husband who was also working for the airline at the time. After I graduated college, my husband and I moved to the 

United States, and eventually, I joined the USGS.

I have been the executive assistant for several senior executives at the USGS. I spend 

the majority of my time managing the schedules of the senior executives, making travel 

arrangements, organizing their records, coordinating office activities, and representing 

USGS management to a wide range of external entities. I use my strategic problem-solving skills to come up with solutions to problems across all levels of senior management 

and make sure those solutions are carried out as efficiently and effectively as possible. I 

enjoy working with changing situations and organizing and prioritizing work in highpressure environments.

I love spending time with my husband and our children and grandchildren, and I 

spend my free time coming up with designs and playing with fabrics. I also enjoy reading, swimming, and cooking, and I volunteer teaching the Amharic language to young 

Ethiopian-American children.

Hirut Mengestu has a diploma in 

executive assistant studies from 

Haile Selassie I University, Addis 

Ababa, an associate’s degree in 

liberal arts from Illinois Central 

College, and a bachelor’s in fashion 

and design from the International Academy of Design and 

Technology.
62 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Carol Meteyer

Senior Science Advisor with the Environmental Health Mission 

Area in Reston, Virginia

“Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not 

himself find peace.” —Albert Schweitzer

Growing up in the 1950s and 60s in a Mississippi River town in Iowa, I would disappear to some nearby swamp, creek, woods, or expanse of grass with neighborhood kids. 

This is when my wonder of the small, the feathered, the cold blooded, and invertebrate 

began. We spent hours searching for crawdads, catching bugs, building forts, and following animal tracks in the snow.

As an undergraduate research assistant, I studied leaf-cutter ants in the forests of 

Costa Rica. After graduating, I taught high school ecology, biology, geology, and chemistry before entering veterinary school. After completing veterinary school, a residency 

in pathology, and working as a veterinary pathologist for U.C. Davis, I was hired as the 

wildlife forensic pathologist with the National Wildlife Health Center first for the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service and later for the USGS. I was interested in the charismatic 

megafauna (large, popular animals like wolves and sea otters), but as others stepped back 

when asked to investigate the causes of amphibian malformations and disease, I couldn’t 

have been more excited to step in. I spent hours photographing and classifying bone 

changes in frogs that were illuminated by radiographs and looking at changes in microscopic limbs that might signal errors in future development. I spoke with such excitement 

to my daughters about what I was finding that the youngest asked, “Do you like the frogs 

more than you like us?” As a 4-year-old, there was nothing unkind behind her simple 

question asked casually while riding in the car, but I made a point after that to focus more 

on their interests and talking a bit less about my discoveries at work!

My investigations have contributed to defining the causes of white-nose syndrome 

in bats, Newcastle disease in young cormorants, conjunctivitis in finches, and the near 

extinction of Gyps vultures, previously common on the Indian subcontinent, because of a 

drug used in cattle. As a wildlife pathologist, I was part of teams that focused on effects 

of environmental toxins in birds, diseases in corals, monkeypox in rodents, plague in 

prairie dogs, and Asian bird flu in North American raptors and shore birds.

I enjoy being outdoors and over the years have immersed myself in scuba diving; 

mountain climbing; whitewater kayaking; swimming, cycling, and running, individually and in triathlons; downhill and cross-country skiing; bird-watching; beach-combing; 

native plant gardening; photography; and camping with my two daughters. Raising my 

girls has been the ultimate test of my skills of observation, communication, and “adaptive 

management” and the job that has given me the most joy.

My professional goal has 

been to contribute in some 

way to the health and sustainability of wildlife populations and their habitats 

and to the well-being of 

the public. As we wrangle 

with increasingly complex 

problems, the solutions 

require teams with more 

diverse perspectives, 

knowledge, and insight. 

As each of our pieces of 

the puzzle fall into place, 

it is obvious that these 

teams, not individuals, are 

what allow us to make a 

difference, and to make a 

difference is really why 

we are here.

Carol Meteyer has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology, chemistry, and 

education from the University of 

Iowa and a doctorate of veterinary 

medicine from Iowa State University. She is also board certified by 

the American Academy of Veterinary Pathologists.

https://www.usgs.gov/

staff-profiles/carol-u-meteyer
Profiles 63

Sarah Minson

Research Geophysicist at the Earthquake Science Center in 

Menlo Park, California

“[Science is] the teamiest of team sports.” —Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus, 

“The Problem With Nobel Prizes”

I grew up in rural northern California where I could explore outdoors every day. 

But I was also a math and science nerd and a theater geek. Geophysics is the thing that 

combines everything I love. I get to use math and science to model how a natural phenomenon like earthquakes shapes the world around us, and then I get to tell the stories of 

these events.

My work as a research geophysicist with the USGS ranges from the basic science 

of understanding the physics of how, where, and why faults rupture to applied projects 

aimed at reducing seismic risk. An overarching theme of my research is quantifying the 

uncertainty in our models of how earthquakes rupture: we do not get to directly observe 

earthquake ruptures that occur deep underground. The earthquake deforms the Earth in 

space and time; all we can observe is the motion of the Earth’s surface in response to an 

earthquake, and from that we must attempt to infer how the earthquake rupture evolved 

and the physics of that process. Because of this, there is significant uncertainty in what 

we think we know about how faults behave. A key to understanding the physics of earthquakes is understanding what we do and do not know about earthquake ruptures. In order 

to quantify this uncertainty, I have used supercomputers to work on large-scale Monte 

Carlo probability simulations of earthquake ruptures. On the opposite extreme from 

costly computations to learn about the basic physics of earthquakes, I have also worked 

on computationally inexpensive applied problems to reduce seismic risk.

I am part of the USGS ShakeAlert earthquake early warning project. The goal of 

earthquake early warning is to detect the beginning of an earthquake and provide alerts 

that strong ground shaking is expected before that strong shaking arrives at your location. 

People and automated systems could then take action to prevent injury and infrastructure 

damage from the earthquake. Devices such as smartphones contain low-cost (and lowaccuracy) versions of the scientific sensors we use to study earthquakes. In the future, we 

could use crowd-sourced observations to contribute to earthquake early warning or even 

basic science research. I am also collaborating on a project in Chile to provide earthquake 

early warning using dedicated smartphones.

I love math and science 

and going outside to play. 

Studying earthquakes lets 

me turn everything I love 

into a profession. The best 

thing about working at the 

USGS is getting to work 

with an amazing group of 

scientists. Every day I get 

to hear new stories, learn 

new science, and collaborate to accomplish things 

I could never do on my 

own.

Sarah Minson has a bachelor’s 

degree in geophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and 

a master’s and a doctorate in geophysics from the California Institute 

of Technology. She is a recipient of 

the Presidential Early Career Award 

for Scientists and Engineers.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

sarah-minson
64 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Toni Lyn Morelli

Research Ecologist with the Northeast Climate Science Center 

in Amherst, Massachusetts

“The pursuit of truth will set you free; even if you never catch up with it.” 

—Clarence Darrow

I grew up chasing rabbits in our backyard instead of taking dance class. I also went 

to an all-girls high school, and I often wonder how that affected my trajectory because, 

at a key developmental age, I wasn’t being told that boys were better in math and science 

than girls. Perhaps most importantly, I had key female mentors throughout my education, strong women who believed in me and showed me by example that women could 

accomplish great things as professionals in science. A turning point for me was when my 

professor took me to Kenya to assist her hyena research while I was an undergraduate 

student. It was one of my first times camping and my first experience with fieldwork. I 

fell in love with wildlife research and with working in Africa. I went on to do my graduate work on lemurs in Madagascar and later worked for the U.S. Forest Service in the 

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

I am still doing research on habitat and species conservation; now, though, it involves 

studying the effects of climate change on wildlife, mostly in the mountains of New England, and helping land managers protect and identify areas that might be more resistant 

to climate change and, as a result, the species that may find refuge in them. I am also 

more and more engaged in efforts to increase 

the presence of women and underrepresented 

minorities in science.

When I have free time, I enjoy spending it 

with my husband and our 4-year-old son. I also 

enjoy gardening, hiking with our dog Kivu, 

whom we brought back from the Congo, and 

the local food, music, and outdoor activities of 

western Massachusetts. I look to wide-open, 

isolated spaces to recharge, but I balance that 

with fun and games with friends and family.

A science career involves 

effective communication skills, thoughtful 

mentoring, a collaborative personality, writing 

discipline, and imagination. You can be good at 

all of these things or just 

excellent at some and be a 

successful scientist.

Toni Lyn Morelli has a bachelor’s 

degree in zoology from Michigan 

State University and a doctorate in 

ecology and evolution from Stony 

Brook University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

toni-lyn-morelli
Profiles 65

Cheryl Morris

Coordinator for the Science Synthesis, Analysis, and Research 

Program in Lakewood, Colorado

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you 

didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from 

the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” 

—H. Jackson Brown, Jr., “P.S. I Love You”

All through school my teachers told me that I was good at math and should do something with that skill. When I chose a college major, I wanted it to be something that I 

would be good at, that I would enjoy, and that would provide good employment opportunities. I ended up choosing engineering. I’m very proud of earning an engineering degree 

at a time when women were a minority in the field, and it has opened many doors for me 

throughout my career. Since graduating, I have worked for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, and now, the USGS.

Currently, I lead a team of more than 80 staff and contractors in characterizing the 

patterns and relationships between living organisms and ecosystems, advanced research 

computing, science data management, and information science. My team develops 

national datasets that can be used by scientists all over the country and creates innovative 

tools and technologies for scientific discovery and rapid response to societal issues.

I’m proud to be part of the important mission to preserve the data of the USGS that 

cannot be reproduced because they were collected at a certain place, at a specific point in 

time, and under unique conditions. It is rewarding to be part of the effort to save data so 

future generations can study and understand the changing Earth.

Living in Colorado allows me and my family to enjoy the outdoors year round. My 

husband, two sons, and dog enjoy hiking and just being outdoors when we’re not busy 

at our older son’s hockey games or watching our younger son perform as an actor/stunt 

man; there’s never a dull moment in our home! I love the beach, and almost any beach 

will do. Many of our family vacations have been at the beach, and our boys are just as 

comfortable in the water as they are in the snow at home in Colorado. We enjoy all water 

sports like paddle boarding, kayaking, riding wave runners, and just taking in the surf 

and sun. A day at the beach fixes everything!

The core values of hard 

work, integrity, and the 

importance of family 

were instilled in me as a 

child and have helped me 

be successful as well as 

deal with the challenges 

we all face. I try hard to 

instill these values in my 

children as well as model 

them in the workplace.

Cheryl Morris has a bachelor’s 

degree in engineering from Purdue 

University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

cheryl-morris
66 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Jessica Murray

Research Geophysicist at the Earthquake Hazards Program in 

Menlo Park, California

After college, I wanted to do something where my work would not only have scientific relevance but could directly benefit the public at large. I decided to pursue graduate 

work in earthquake studies, a specialization that built upon my interest in structural geology and offered broad societal relevance.

I came to the USGS as a postdoctoral scholar and eventually became a research 

geophysicist where I have been investigating where and how fast strain builds up in 

the Earth’s crust and the processes by which this strain is released by movement across 

crustal faults. Much of my work has focused on developing models that use Global 

Positioning System (GPS) data to describe how the Earth is deformed through space and 

over time in seismically active regions. GPS and related techniques are uniquely suited 

to recording signals caused by aseismic fault slip or motion that is too slow to generate 

seismic waves, yet may release stored strain and increase stress on neighboring areas 

of the fault. This work is directly relevant to the USGS National Seismic Hazard Map, 

the Earthquake Early Warning System currently under development for the West Coast, 

and other efforts to mitigate the impact of earthquakes. As the geodesy coordinator for 

the Earthquake Hazards Program, I provide subject matter expertise to the program’s 

leadership, prioritizing the research and operational activities that will enable us to most 

effectively carry out our mission.

The best part about my job 

is having the opportunities 

to pursue research topics 

I am passionate about, to 

work with colleagues at 

the USGS and at other 

institutions, and to have a 

direct effect on the science 

that the USGS provides 

for hazard assessments 

and warnings, postearthquake recovery efforts, 

and improved understanding of the processes that 

underlie seismic activity.

Jessica Murray has a bachelor’s 

degree in earth sciences from 

Dartmouth College and a master’s 

and a doctorate in geophysics from 

Stanford University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jessica-murray
Profiles 67

Pam Nagler

Research Physical Scientist at the Southwest Biological 

Science Center in Tucson, Arizona

As a child, I dreamed of becoming an archeologist. Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, 

near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, and being a Brownie and Girl Scout 

gave me many opportunities to attend overnight nature camps in and around the Appalachians. I played outside my entire life it seems. I chose to study people and places by 

majoring in geography in college and was rewarded forever after by my experiences 

gained during an internship with the National Geographic Society. I never became an 

archaeologist, but I still dig in the dirt!

Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunities to plant rice for the Agriculture Ministry in Japan, capture photos from a Cessna over the delta of the Colorado 

River in Mexico, measure seaweeds in native Hawaiian fishponds on Molokai, plant 

native bushes to release pollutants from uranium mines on Navajo lands, and study how 

water and ecosystems influence each other around the banks of the River Murray near 

its end, close to Adelaide, Australia, for a year. I’ve also become known as “Tammy 

Pammy” because of my research on tamarisk water use. Helping to balance the health of 

aquatic ecosystems with meeting environmental needs for recreation and human uses has 

been a big focus of mine. Having been mentored by scientists and inspired by my parents 

from the time I was in high school, I’m also passionate about being a mentor and working 

with students from high school through postdoctoral levels.

My hobbies include getting into our national parks as much as possible with my three 

young kids. I have a passion for traveling to new places, particularly abroad, and can’t 

wait to continue sharing these experiences with them as they grow. I’m drawn to places 

that look like the Great Smoky Mountains. My favorite spot that is oddly similar is on 

Molokai, Hawaii, down by Halawa Valley. Really any place that is isolated from people 

a bit and surrounded by mountains, trees, waterfalls, and streams brings me peace and 

happiness.

My mentor, Professor 

Edward P. Glenn from the 

University of Arizona, 

said to me just before he 

died (suddenly) in November 2017, “You are now 

at the point in your career 

when you can look back 

and know that your greatest achievement has been 

helping to bring life to 

the delta of the Colorado 

River in Mexico through 

engaging people on both 

sides of the border with 

a shared interest and the 

scientific knowledge to 

make the restoration and 

monitoring of this special 

area a reality.”

Pamela Nagler has a bachelor’s 

degree in physical geography 

from the University of Florida, 

Gainesville, a master’s in physical geography from the University 

of Maryland, College Park, and 

a doctorate in soil, water, and 

environmental science with an 

interdisciplinary program specialty 

degree in remote sensing and 

spatial analyses from the University 

of Arizona, Tucson.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

pamela-nagler

Photograph by The Digital People, used with permission
68 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Natalie Nguyen

Veterinary Medical Officer with the National Wildlife Health 

Center in Madison, Wisconsin

“The man who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The 

man who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has been before.” 

—Alan Ashley-Pitt, “On Creativity”

From the time I was 4 years old, I knew I wanted to become a wildlife conservation 

scientist. While I was growing up, my mother was my biggest supporter. She would bring 

me to National Geographic exhibits and allow me to buy all the marine animal books I 

could find. When I was in high school, she supported my love of scuba diving and supported me in becoming rescue certified. I didn’t have a car when I was an undergrad, and 

she would drive me to aquariums and zoos all weekend so I could volunteer between 

studying and track and field practice. The love and support of my family has inspired me 

to be the change I want to see in public, environmental, and wildlife health.

I started gymnastics when I was 2 years old and continued as a Junior Olympic 

gymnast until the age of 16. Gymnastics and school were my life, and they taught me 

perseverance, dedication, and a strong work ethic, all skills I would need in pursuing my 

goal of becoming a leader in science. In high school, I was also a track and field athlete, 

with the triple jump as my main event. This brought me outdoors every day, and running 

and training outside brought me closer to nature. I began to appreciate the incredible 

wildlife surrounding me. I continued track and field in college as an NCAA Division I 

triple jumper, and I remember always looking for wildlife while training outdoors.

My life and work have taken me around the world; I was born and raised in southern California, but I lived in Vietnam for 3 years growing up and would visit family in 

Europe. I have traveled to and lived in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South Africa. 

Living outside the United States has given me an appreciation for the cultural differences 

across the globe and has influenced how I approach my goals toward wildlife conservation and public health.

I work with scientists throughout the world on collaborative research on wildlife 

diseases. During a research trip to Hawaii, I had the unique opportunity to travel on a 

6-day boat trip to and from Johnston Atoll and spend a week with researchers working on 

eradicating invasive species of ants that affect the local seabird populations.

I continue to run, and have picked up long-distance running, which allows me to 

explore and appreciate the outdoors to an even greater extent than ever before. Every 

chance I get, I’m either fishing with my husband, running miles along a trail, hiking up a 

waterfall, scuba diving in the deep blue ocean, or traveling the globe. I find it hard to sit 

still during my free time because there is so much more to explore.

As beings living on Earth, 

I believe it is our essential duty to protect and 

conserve the health of 

people, animals, and the 

environment.

Natalie Nguyen has a bachelor’s 

degree in biological sciences from 

the University of California, Irvine, 

a master’s degree in public health 

from the University of Minnesota, 

and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the Western University of 

Health Sciences. Natalie is the first 

Presidential Management Fellow at 

the USGS National Wildlife Health 

Center.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

natalie-t-nguyen
Profiles 69

Diane Nicks

Biologist with the Columbia Environmental Research Center in 

Columbia, Missouri

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” —Carl Sagan

Growing up in rural southeast Missouri, I developed a burning curiosity to learn 

about all of the wonders I encountered just playing and exploring the 27 acres that I and 

my seven older siblings called home. I needed to learn and understand how living things 

function and why they do what they do. The biodiversity, geology, karst topography, and 

weather extremes of this area provided constant inspiration to a developing scientist. The 

four-room, Catholic grade school I attended from first through eighth grade was fortunate 

to have a science teacher who fostered our curiosity, and she and the Ursuline sisters 

there encouraged self-learning in a time before the internet. My mother had purchased 

a set of “Time Life” science books that served as my “recreation” reading. I was able 

to attend a college preparatory high school and enrolled in all the science classes I was 

allowed; there, I began to focus on the biological sciences. When “Cosmos,” hosted by 

Carl Sagan, aired on PBS in 1980, I realized that a research scientist was not just a person 

of learning but should also be a communicator of that knowledge.

As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to be employed as a research 

assistant, working in muscle physiology research and then in reproductive physiology. 

I realized that doing research was the career for me. I began to develop microscopy and 

microdissecting skills that lead me to a research specialist position at the University of 

Missouri where I became proficient in research data collection, micromanipulation, and 

animal surgery. This unique skill set in the early 1990s made me the perfect candidate 

when Don Tillitt of the Columbia Environmental Research 

Center was looking for someone to further develop microinjection techniques for fish eggs.

I have found great personal accomplishment in my 

research position, which allowed me to work cooperatively 

with other scientists—biologists, ecologists, toxicologists, 

chemists, and veterinarians—to develop my own skills and 

knowledge, and then to use this knowledge to support such 

a dynamic group of researchers at the USGS and throughout the U.S. Department of the Interior. Working with 

young scientists and graduate and undergraduate students 

allows me to share all that I have learned with the upcoming group of researchers.

I really enjoy fishing and turning wild-caught fish or 

wild game into amazing gourmet meals. My husband, 

a retired fisheries research assistant from the Missouri 

Department of Conservation, is an avid white-tailed 

deer and turkey hunter and fisherman so I have plenty of 

supplies for my cooking endeavors. We also enjoy camping, canoeing, hiking, and traveling to beautiful natural 

places in Missouri and throughout the United States.

A career in scientific 

research is a lifetime of 

building personal knowledge and sharing that 

knowledge with others.

Diane Nicks has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from Lincoln 

University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

diane-nicks
70 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Andrea Ostroff

Manager of the Fisheries Program in Reston, Virginia

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” 

—Will Rogers

I grew up in Maryland near a wooded area with a small stream where I would often 

take solace during my childhood. My appreciation for the healing aspects of nature was 

instilled upon me at an early age, and every summer job I took as a teenager was aimed at 

maximizing time outdoors.

I discovered my fascination with ecology through a winding path that started with 

a general interest in biology and slowly narrowed to conservation biology. My wildlife 

biology professor in college sparked my interest in the field, and my advisor in graduate school extended my academic training beyond what you can learn in a traditional 

classroom or field lab. Every work experience and relationship built along the way had an 

impact on me, and many of those relationships have turned into long-time colleagues and 

friendships that I value deeply.

My career started in New Jersey, where I managed and mapped the data for programs 

on black bear populations and freshwater fisheries. This knowledge and experience was 

a tremendous advantage to my next job where I collected aquatic conservation project 

information provided by State agencies and helped get a national fish habitat partnership 

started. When I joined the USGS, I managed biological information and led the development of an online geospatial delivery system to provide open access to fisheries data. 

I am still motivated by mapping the intersections of science, data, and people and by 

developing these connections. This motivation guides my daily activities when identifying and developing new projects in response to needs expressed by Congress and other 

agencies. I lead my teams to work together toward the mission of the Fisheries Program 

and to process and archive aquatic ecology data in a consistent manner so they can be 

used by as many researchers throughout the world as possible.

My husband and two children share my appreciation for nature; we love to hike 

and canoe as a family on the lake where we currently live and in parks where we go 

camping. My children often help remind me to slow down and notice the details of our 

surroundings.

The deep connections with 

my friends, colleagues and 

mentors, my supportive 

husband and family, and 

my true inspirations, my 

children, empower me to 

feed my passions. They 

are the ones who have 

taught me to truly listen, 

celebrate our individual 

strengths, and realize the 

power of our collective 

human spirit to not see 

obstacles and to achieve 

great things.

Andrea Ostroff has a bachelor’s 

degree in agricultural sciences 

from the University of Delaware and 

a master’s in environmental biology 

from Emporia State University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

andrea-ostroff
Profiles 71

Jaime Painter

Geographer at the South Atlantic Water Science Center in 

Norcross, Georgia

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a 

trail.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I was six, my family and I traveled across the United States from Georgia to 

Seattle, Washington. I remember noticing the variety in the landscape along the way, 

from vast corn fields in Indiana to the large urban center of Chicago to the forest and 

mountain terrain of the Dakotas and westward and finally to the hot springs and animal 

life of Yellowstone National Park. As a 6-year-old, I wasn’t aware that this would lead to 

my adult vocation, but those memories have come back several times when I think about 

how humans, animals, and environmental processes interact over space and time.

As a freshman in college, I took an introductory geography class and learned that 

geography was so much more than the capital and country names I had to memorize 

in primary school. I learned about physical geography and a newly emerging field of 

geographic information systems. I instantly knew I wanted to learn more. At that time, I 

was a computer science major, and I was struggling with relating my major to something 

I actually wanted to do for a career. I wanted to write programs that had meaning beyond 

some business logic. Learning about geographic information systems and how they can 

help us understand connections between humans and the natural environment was exciting, and it allowed me to combine my initial career path with my passion for nature.

I have created maps and prepared three-dimensional models for investigations of 

fresh groundwater in coastal Georgia, of water use in agriculture, and of inland storm 

tides and flooding from Hurricanes Irene, Isaac, and Sandy. I have also participated 

in a national effort to document high-water marks to measure the effects of storms 

nationwide.

My husband and I and our two boys enjoy hiking, biking, and jogging at community 

parks and on trails on weekends; I like to experience the natural geography in the region 

as well as observing how people use the green space. I also enjoy traveling and seeing 

how landscapes and cultures change and vary, from the volcanic islands of Hawaii to the 

glaciers in Alaska to the deserts of Arizona. These environments make me wonder about 

the connections that exist to make these geographies what they are and how humans and 

animals interact and use that space to shape the future of those regions.

As a child, my family and 

I traveled around the country visiting family, and 

I was able to experience 

human and natural geography in different spaces. 

I think this allowed me to 

be able to see connections 

between things and ask 

questions of why these 

connections exist or how 

those relations vary over 

space.

Jaime Painter has a bachelor’s 

degree in geography from the 

University of West Georgia and 

a master’s in geography from the 

University of South Carolina.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jaime-a-painter
72 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Marie Peppler

Deputy Director of the Integrated Information Dissemination 

Division of the Water Mission Area in Reston, Virginia

“To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to 

others, the most valuable part.” —Aldo Leopold, “Conservation Aesthetic”

On the first day of class, my sixth grade science teacher lit the lab table on fire, and 

I knew then and there that I wanted to be a scientist. I found my direction in geography 

in college, when I took an introductory earth science class. As my teacher lectured us 

emphatically on the 12 soil orders, my mind just exploded. I had no idea that there were 

so many processes and types and colors and sizes and maps! If I had made it all the way 

to the age of 19 without knowing about soil orders, what else didn’t I know? There was 

so much else to learn and discover.

When I decided to switch my field of study to geography from education at college, 

my mom required me to get a summer job as a geographer to make sure that it would be 

something I really wanted to do long term for a living. So I joined the USGS as a student 

and spent my time hiking deep into the woods to survey erosion at streams and how it 

affects the morphology of the stream. I was naturally drawn to water, but the flood of 

June 2008 in southern Wisconsin propelled me in a new direction: flood mapping and 

flood hazard programs. I was an integral part of the team that standardized methods to 

map areas that are at risk of flooding and produced an online mapping application to help 

the public understand local flood risks.

It is natural to be drawn to water: we need it to live, we want to live by it, and yet it 

can be a fickle friend. I could spend hours watching a river or ocean. I once read Mark 

Twain’s Mississippi Writings in which he discusses how he used to see beauty on the 

river, peace and calm, but after living with the river and learning about its secrets, he 

could only see the perils of a snag or a tricky pool. I try very hard to understand the water 

but to still see beauty and find the tranquility in its power. When I get too deep into work 

and stressed, I try to remember to step back and just watch the water flow by and see why 

I was drawn to this science in the first place.

Be open to opportunities 

in unexpected places; you 

never know what doors 

will be waiting for you. 

And sometimes you are 

going to have to crawl 

through a tiny window and 

get stuck and scratched 

up in the process. Don’t 

worry, you will fit!

Marie Peppler has a bachelor’s 

degree in geography, with emphasis in physical processes, and 

a master’s in geography-fluvial 

geomorphology from the University 

of Wisconsin, Madison.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

marie-c-peppler
Profiles 73

Sandra Poppenga

Geographer with the Earth Resources Observation and Science 

Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

My father was a farmer for most of his life, and he always seemed to have some type 

of map or atlas around our farmhouse. When I was little, he would pull out paper maps 

and show me how to find places on them. To this day, I rarely travel anywhere without looking at a paper map first, and I credit my father with inspiring me to become a 

geographer.

After high school graduation, I visited my brother in Las Vegas, Nevada. He took 

me to see the Hoover Dam. After that visit, I read several books about the dam and other 

books on water rights in the West. That visit, along with a memory of our farm pasture 

flooding during my childhood, drew me to water science.

My work has me deriving bathymetry from satellite imagery, generating hydrography 

from digital elevation models, and analyzing the effects of land change based on remotesensing research. I was part of a team that developed a database of networks to describe 

streams and watersheds based on a nationwide elevation dataset, and I am part of a team 

that is developing topographic and bathymetric models in coastal regions of the United 

States.

I might be biased, but I do love living in South Dakota. Although cold in the winter, 

the countryside is diverse and beautiful with many friendly people. I consider myself a 

“flat-lander” because I like to look outside and see for many miles. However, I enjoy the 

diversity of the Black Hills of South Dakota as well. I also have an interest in aircraft, 

having taken fixed wing flight lessons in my twenties. Again, I think my father was an 

inspiration as he, along with his Army buddy, gave me my first airplane ride in my teens. 

My husband and I enjoy the peacefulness of gardening, bird-watching, mowing the lawn, 

and just being outside in general. On average, I read about 20 books a year, so one of my 

hobbies is definitely reading.

Having the opportunity 

to see the countryside 

every day gave me a better 

understanding of directions, geography, and the 

physical landscape.

Sandra Poppenga has a bachelor’s 

and a master’s degree in geography 

from South Dakota State University.
74 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Diann Prosser

Research Wildlife Biologist at the Patuxent Wildlife Research 

Center in Beltsville, Maryland

“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, 

do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” —Ralph 

Waldo Emerson

I grew up in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but I spent a lot of time in the Catskill 

Mountains of New York with my family. This area was true to my dad’s heart, and as 

children, my siblings and I spent many hours on the local lake or hiking the beautiful 

rocky bluffs. We also learned to ski in this area. These experiences are gifts that I cherish 

and that have helped shaped the person I am today. It wasn’t until college that I decided 

to study wildlife science and took a job at the USGS Wetlands Center where I really 

began to explore the natural world in a scientific setting. I also conducted an independent 

project on an amazing forested stream bird, the Louisiana waterthrush (check it out!). I 

was hooked!

As a wildlife ecologist at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, I now study a broad 

spectrum of issues related to avian ecology. One of the main themes in my research 

program is to integrate remote sensing and modeling with field research to study spatial 

questions related to wildlife, such as effects of climate change, advantages of restoration, 

and implications of disease. One of these projects required me to study birds in a completely new location: China. When the lethal avian flu virus, H5N1, came on the world 

scene, I was really interested in improving our understanding of how wild birds might be 

affected by and potentially involved in the spread of such viruses. The virus originated 

in China and did not exist in the United States, so I began working with local scientists 

to study this question. We made several important discoveries, including identifying 

connections between routes used by migratory birds and how the interactions of wild and 

domestic birds can affect the risk of transmission between populations.

My mom always told me 

that you can do anything 

that you strive to as long 

as you work hard and put 

all your effort into it. Her 

words are true!

Diann Prosser has a bachelor’s 

degree in wildlife and fisheries science and a master’s in ecology from 

Pennsylvania State University and a 

doctorate in marine, estuarine, and 

environmental sciences from the 

University of Maryland. Diann has 

hosted scientists visiting from the 

Chinese Academy of Sciences and 

has worked closely with multiple 

international partners.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

diann-prosser
Profiles 75

Maureen Purcell

Microbiologist at the Western Fisheries Research Center in 

Seattle, Washington

I grew up in rural Michigan, and I spent my childhood camping, fishing with my 

father, and swimming in Michigan’s many lakes. I think that spending my childhood 

outdoors drew me to biology. I could have never imagined a career as a research scientist. I feel very fortunate to have chosen a large land-grant college like Washington State 

University because it exposed me to many different science fields and showed me how 

science can be used to address real-world problems.

Because of my love for birds and other wildlife, I initially enrolled in the zoology 

program at Washington State University. I fell in love with fish while conducting undergraduate research on sockeye salmon, and I moved to the University of Maine to study 

population genetics of Atlantic haddock in the Gulf of Maine. After receiving my graduate degree, I worked on genetics research on heart disease in humans at The Jackson 

Laboratories. Although the research was interesting, I missed working on fish, so I moved 

to Seattle for a job with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 

started working on my doctorate degree.

For the past decade, I have been researching infectious diseases in fish in western 

North America. I use cutting-edge genomic tools to better understand how fish are resistant to disease based on their genetics and the effects of climate and environment.

The demands of work, homeownership, and parenting keep me and my family busy, 

but we grab any time we can out of our busy lives to go bike riding, hiking, and camping 

as a family. We also spend a couple of weeks each summer in my husband’s native Devon 

in the United Kingdom; the ruggedly beautiful coastal areas of Cornwall and the area’s 

history are among my favorite vacation spots.

I feel truly fortunate 

to work at the Western 

Fisheries Research Center. 

I am surrounded by an 

amazing group of dedicated colleagues that are 

passionate about producing the best science 

possible.

Maureen Purcell has a bachelor’s 

degree in zoology from Washington 

State University, a master’s in zoology from the University of Maine, 

and a doctorate in aquatic and 

fishery sciences from the University 

of Washington.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

maureen-k-purcell
76 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Mary Ratnaswamy

Director of the Northeast Climate Science Center in Amherst, 

Massachusetts

I recall my junior high teacher, Mrs. Slowicek, who challenged us in biology class 

to read rigorous scientific literature, do well-designed experiments, and truly function 

as scientists. She was a Russian immigrant and a true mentor to many young people. 

As a result, I ended up taking an advanced class in high school a year early. I won an 

award for high marks in that class but, more importantly, had an outlet for my passion for 

nature, biology, science, and learning.

In my senior year at Carleton College, I participated in a wonderful international 

program through the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. I spent 6 months in Costa Rica, 

first living with a local family in San Jose, then traveling to Guanacaste Province, where 

I designed a study of a mangrove estuary in the dry tropical forest. It was a truly beautiful 

and wild location, and I had the chance to do everything from the ground up, culminating 

in a senior thesis.

These experiences in Costa Rica led to an interest in marine and coastal ecosystems 

and marine mammal and sea turtle conservation. I went back to school and worked on fin 

whales along the Atlantic coast and then worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Alaska, California, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. I went back to 

school again, where I worked on an important conservation problem: destruction of sea 

turtle nests by raccoons.

One of my goals has always been to support in others an excitement and enthusiasm 

in science, conservation, and the outdoors. As the Director of the Northeast Climate Science Center, I spend much of my time mentoring young scientists and building partnerships with universities. I advise students who are studying the effects of climate change 

on mammals in far-northern landscapes and help provide science that natural and cultural 

resource managers need to help them with problems, from climate change to other major 

environmental issues.

I enjoy creative writing and gardening, although I end up sharing most of my produce 

with rabbits, squirrels, and other wild “neighbors.” Through it all, my love of water persists: I love the ocean after having worked on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and traveling through the Indian Ocean and other seas, I am inspired by serene lakes having grown 

up in Minnesota with its thousands of lakes, and I am moved by clean, running brooks.

I have always loved 

nature and animals. From 

an early age, I would 

stay outdoors as long as 

I could, wandering the 

woods and streams around 

our home. I would do 

my best to catch wildlife, 

wanting a closer look. The 

beauty in the wild speaks 

both to my intellectual 

interests and the need 

to connect to something 

larger than myself.

Mary Ratnaswamy has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from Carleton College, a master’s in oceanography 

from the University of Rhode Island, 

and a doctorate in forest resources 

from the University of Georgia.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

mary-ratnaswamy
Profiles 77

Sasha Reed

Terrestrial Biogeochemist at the Southwest Biological Science 

Center in Moab, Utah

“Science knows no country because knowledge belongs to humanity and is the torch 

that illuminates the world.” —Louis Pasteur

I grew up in Elmira, New York, a town in southern New York State quite close to 

Pennsylvania and not very close to New York City. In high school I had a chemistry 

teacher, Mr. Mitchell, who seemed serious and no nonsense on the first day of class. 

Mr. Mitchell also had a passion for chemistry, and that passion was a gift he gave to 

me. Probably against his better judgment, Mr. Mitchell let our class conduct hands-on 

experiments, and he didn’t just ask us to memorize facts, but really explained how things 

worked. I picture myself as I was then, a freshman with a big wall of permed hair and 

zinc pink lipstick, and Mr. Mitchell treated me and the others in my class with such 

respect, as if we were young scientists worthy of his scholarship. A few years later, this 

seed planted by Mr. Mitchell was powerfully nurtured by Dr. Modarelli, an incredible 

chemistry professor, advisor, and mentor at Colgate University. Chemistry is like physics 

in action, with a hidden beauty that underlies all of our planet’s processes. Mr. Mitchell 

and Dr. Modarelli instilled this perspective in me and let me see the chemistry happening 

behind the scenes. I’m so grateful for this view.

My experiences in science have allowed me to meld my love of chemistry with my 

curiosity about how ecosystems work in order to provide critical information that helps 

address pressing societal challenges. As its name suggests, biogeochemistry brings 

together perspectives from biology, geology, chemistry, and other fields of study, and I 

enjoy crossing these disciplinary boundaries to follow elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus as they move through plants, soils, microbes, and the atmosphere. 

My research has taken me to the wilds of Bolivia, the tall forests of Costa Rica, and the 

expansive deserts of the southwestern United States.

I love kayaking, rafting, mountain biking, and skiing, and I spend a lot of time 

outside because it keeps me connected to the world. I also love being with friends and 

family, particularly my husband. There is nothing better than being on the river with my 

husband, our dog Arlo, and friends and family.

Science is for everyone! 

We should all be offered 

the chance to benefit from 

science and to experience the joy of scientific 

discovery. My science 

has brought me around 

the world and back and 

has taught me how the 

ecosystems of this amazing planet work, as well as 

the role science can play 

in solving problems and 

bringing people together.

Sasha Reed has a bachelor’s 

degree in chemistry from Colgate 

University and a doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology from 

the University of Colorado, Boulder. 

For her research, Sasha received 

the Presidential Early Career Award 

for Scientists and Engineers from 

President Barack Obama.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/sasha-c-reed
78 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Karyn Rode

Research Wildlife Biologist at the Alaska Science Center in 

Anchorage, Alaska

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will 

live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” —Matthew Kelly, “The Rhythm of 

Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose”

I’m extremely fortunate to 

study species that people 

care so much about. I want 

to go to the places where 

we know the least and 

study the issues. Being 

able to provide results to 

inform wildlife conservation and management 

decisions is the ultimate 

reward.

I grew up in Kentucky with a creek down the street from my house where I’d catch 

tadpoles and crawfish, explore under rocks, and eat honeysuckles off a fence (and get 

a ton of chigger bites in the process). But by the time I got to college, I had decided to 

major in chemical engineering. During my third year of engineering school, I needed 

a break from my engineering studies and entered an exchange program to study for a 

semester in Malaysia. While touring parks and natural areas in Malaysia and Thailand, I 

realized my passion had always been animals. When I returned from Malaysia, I changed 

my major to wildlife biology.

The effects of human activities on wildlife ecology have been a consistent theme of 

much of my research. Before coming to the USGS, I worked in Africa studying relations 

between human activities and the ecology of primates and forest elephants, and in North 

America, I studied the nutritional ecology of brown bears. Most recently, my work has 

taken me to Alaska to better understand the population status and health of polar bears 

in the Chukchi Sea. In trying to identify how polar bears are affected by loss of sea ice, 

I work in the field and with zoos to develop new tools for monitoring the behavior and 

ecology of polar bears. My research has provided information to decision makers and 

managers who work with endangered species, marine mammal protection, and an international cooperation on polar bears.

My favorite pastime is spending time with my family, including my husband and my 

two kids. We like to hike, go beachcombing and exploring tidepools when we can, bake, 

play games, do art projects, and read books. I also like to run, which is usually when 

I figure out solutions to problems I’m having with my work or think of new ideas to 

pursue. I love any dirt path leading through a natural area that is safe to run on—the less 

developed, the better. There is something about the solitude of natural places that lack 

views of the changes humans have made to the landscape that always rejuvenates me. I 

particularly love runs in the fall when the leaves have changed color and have just started 

falling and the air is crisp and a perfect temperature for running.

Karyn Rode has a bachelor’s degree 

in wildlife biology from Colorado 

State University and a master’s 

and doctorate in zoology from 

Washington State University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

karyn-rode
Profiles 79

Coral Roig-Silva

Physical Scientist with the Eastern Geographic Science Center 

in Reston, Virginia

“To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake 

of all.” —Peter McWilliams

I am originally from Puerto Rico, and my love of learning goes back as far as I 

remember. As a child I was always drawn to books. We had an encyclopedia at home 

(this was before the internet and a computer at home were the norm!) that I would spend 

hours reading. It didn’t matter what subject it was, I was still curious. Reading that 

encyclopedia is my first memory of doing “research.” In the ninth grade, we moved to a 

different town, and the school’s only science class was earth science. That class was all it 

took for me to love geology! We learned how to read topographic maps, and the teacher 

took us outside the classroom to show us a normal fault in the school’s backyard. It was 

destiny! That year I made up my mind that I wanted to become a geologist.

I worked to support myself during college at the University of Puerto Rico, and 

couldn’t afford to do an internship. I focused on working in the summer and getting 

involved in student groups like the Association of Student Biologists. Through the group 

I made many friends and got to explore and visit places in Puerto Rico I had no idea 

even existed. During my graduate studies, I was able to participate in summer internships 

and traveled for the first time off of the island. After spending a summer interning in the 

Washington, D.C., area, I knew I wanted to come back. I was selected for a USGS internship in 2008, and I’ve been at the USGS ever since!

In college I tried to get involved in research being done on the island whenever possible. Some of the research I did was on earthquake-related topics, including the North 

Boquerón Bay and the South Lajas Valley Faults in Puerto Rico, seismic waves, and 

ancient beaches that have been raised above the seawater level because of earthquakes. 

I have studied bacteria and minerals and about how wind moves them in sediments 

and into rivers and streams. I’ve also studied issues related to forest deforestation and 

reducing harmful emissions from the environment and issues related to land use and land 

cover. I am working to help understand how changes in land cover from oil and gas drilling in Pennsylvania may be affecting natural resources and ecosystems and evaluating 

the accuracy of land-cover measurements from satellite data.

I recently moved to West Virginia, and while my commute to Reston, Virginia, is 

longer than I’m used to, I am enjoying the change in environment. We have a big piece of 

land we can work, and I enjoy gardening. I’ve been learning about wild edible plants and 

how to maximize the resources provided by our own land.

Many people only think 

about earthquakes and 

rocks when they hear 

“geology,” but the USGS 

is so much more than 

that. It is a combination of 

natural sciences, research, 

and applications that make 

the USGS a great place 

to learn and grow professionally, while contributing to our society and 

community.

Coral Roig-Silva has a bachelor’s 

degree and a master’s in geology 

from the University of Puerto Rico.
80 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Karen Ryberg

Research Statistician at the Dakota Water Science Center in 

Bismarck, North Dakota

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in 

the Universe.” —John Muir

I am originally from a farm and ranch, in an area that met the definition of American 

frontier (less than 2 people per square mile), 8.5 miles from a town of 50 people. I went 

to a two-room school for 8 years. My first through fourth grade teacher was excellent, 

and I received a fantastic education, also thanks to the influence of my parents. Growing 

up, my family enjoyed going to events at State and national parks and historic sights. We 

learned about natural resources, Native American cultures, and the history of the Dakota 

Territory. I appreciate that my parents took time for those activities, and they shaped my 

love of life-long learning.

I was very involved in 4–H, doing projects on everything I could from embroidery 

and baking to tractor maintenance and showing 4–H steers. The 4–H program encourages 

a project-oriented view, which has served me well at the USGS, and gives one constructive feedback. Accepting and incorporating feedback is important to scientific success.

My work involves analyzing data for various topics, including analyzing trends in 

concentrations of pesticides in the waters of rivers, streams, and lakes; analyzing the 

effects of climate change and variability on rivers, streams, and lakes; and graphically 

showing scientific data so that they can be easily understood by all audiences. I am also 

a teacher and a mentor of young scientists, teaching applications of statistics in scientific 

analysis.

I enjoy hiking, backpacking, kayaking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. I am 

the co-organizer of an outdoor adventure group, and while it is hard to find enough time 

for such adventures, I have made many friends through the group. My husband and I get 

together regularly with a group of friends to cook meals based on regional cuisine from 

around the world. We explore other cultures through food and fellowship. For years, I 

have attended a monthly gathering called Feminist First Friday, which was started to 

provide a venue for casual discussion of socioeconomic and cultural issues. This group is 

an important social outlet for me, and I always look forward to these Fridays.

In thinking about and 

planning a career in science, do not overlook the 

importance of communication skills. As scientists, we are professional 

communicators. A science 

project is not complete 

until it is communicated to 

the stakeholders.

Karen Ryberg has a bachelor’s 

degree in mathematics from Luther 

College, an associate’s in computer 

support from Bismarck State College, a master’s in statistics from 

Colorado State University, and a 

doctorate in environmental and 

conservation sciences from North 

Dakota State University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

karen-r-ryberg

Photograph courtesy of Sandra Putnam, used with permission
Profiles 81

Kristi Sayler

Physical Scientist with the Earth Resources Observation and 

Science Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

As a student, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do after college. I knew I was 

interested in computers and liked math, but that was about it. Once I applied for the 

internship with the USGS at the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, that’s 

when I fell in love with remote sensing and looking at how the world is changing through 

the eyes of satellite images. Once I got hooked on imagery and geography and learning about the Nation and how the landscape is changing, I knew that’s what I wanted to 

continue to do with my career.

Early in my career, I helped scientists studying land cover by creating algorithms to 

analyze image data to create land-cover maps and by programming web-based applications to provide imagery to the public. I’m lucky to have been able to take part in a large 

project that studied how land cover and land use in the United States changed between 

1973 and 2011. The team documented changes in land cover and then analyzed that information to figure out what drove those changes and what the consequences of the changes 

were. I had the opportunity to go out into the field and had the chance to see many areas 

of the country with which I had not been familiar. It was a great experience being able to 

learn about the differences in land use and culture across the Nation and how land cover 

affects these differences. My projects since then have been extensions of that project, 

as part of the team projecting land cover into the future and producing timelines of land 

cover from 1938 to 2011 for the entire United States.

I’ve been married to my husband, Jason, for 22 years, and we have two daughters. 

We like to travel as a family as much as we can now that our kids are older. I tend to use 

all my spare time to attend my kids’ activities and just spend time with them. I also like 

to read and try to fit that in as much as I can when I have down time. I do really love living in South Dakota; it’s a great place to raise kids and to be in a larger city without the 

troubles usually associated with big-city life. Living in South Dakota also inspires me to 

travel and see other places of the world because they are so different from where I live.

I always tell my daughters you can be and do 

anything you want. You 

just have to work hard to 

achieve it.

Kristi Sayler has a bachelor’s 

degree in mathematics with a minor 

in computer science from the South 

Dakota School of Mines and Technology and a master’s in geography 

from South Dakota State University. 

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

kristi-sayler
82 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Carol Schuler

Senior Science Advisor for the Ecosystems Mission Area in 

Reston, Virginia, and Corvallis, Oregon

“Knowing what I do, there would be no future peace for me if I kept silent.” 

—Rachel Carson

I grew up as a “military brat,” which meant we moved often; during my childhood, 

we moved eight times. With each move came a new school, making new friends, and 

exploring new areas. Moving this often helped me develop into a strong and independent woman, with a greater reliance on myself. I spent every summer as a child on my 

grandparents’ farm in Iowa. All day was spent outside working around animals, picking 

strawberries, baling hay, collecting eggs, weeding, riding horses, fishing, or whatever 

chores my grandparents could come up with to keep me and my siblings out of trouble. 

My grandparents were also into watching birds. Their farm and love of birds got me 

interested in wildlife.

As an undergraduate, I read “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carlson and “A Sand County 

Almanac” by Aldo Leopold. Both books helped me realize, as I still believe today, that 

each of us, no matter the job, can make a difference. I keep Rachel Carson’s quotation on 

my wall.

I have spent more than half my career leading programs on endangered species, 

ecological issues, fisheries, and refuges, mostly in the Pacific Northwest and the Pacific 

Islands. More recently, I was the director of wildlife and ecological research programs, 

working with great scientists researching issues on natural resources in the Pacific 

Northwest and the Pacific Islands. I have always kept in mind that the science has to be 

relevant, can be understood, and can be used to inform resource managers and conservation decision makers. I am currently developing and leading large national efforts to 

bring science and management together to address high-profile natural-resources issues, 

including the altered sagebrush steppe and greater sage-grouse, the effects of renewable 

energy on wildlife, and science for rare and declining species.

My husband is an ornithologist, so between his obsession with birds and my wildlife 

and botanical interests, we spend a lot of time outdoors. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, and swimming. I love to walk in the woods. There’s something spiritual 

about trees and the surrounding forest. It doesn’t matter if these are the Oregon Douglas 

firs, white oaks, California redwoods, or eastern deciduous forests. All give me a sense of 

peace and rejuvenation. I also love to garden and to grow our own food. The process of 

planting a seed, watching a plant grow, being able to harvest a vegetable, and then making it part of your meal is truly wonderful.

I knew since elementary 

school that I wanted to 

work with wildlife in 

some capacity. I was very 

much in the “save the 

world” camp and still am, 

although my efforts today 

are focused on getting 

relevant science into the 

hands of people making 

management and conservation decisions.

Carol Schuler has a bachelor’s 

degree in wildlife biology from 

Eastern Kentucky University and 

a master’s in wildlife science from 

Oregon State University.
Profiles 83

Kim Scott

Program Analyst in the Office of Enterprise Information in 

Reston, Virginia

“It is our choices... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” 

—J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”

Probably the biggest influence in my life that has shaped who I am today was that I 

grew up in the military. Being an “Army brat,” I had many opportunities to travel and 

live overseas, immerse myself in other cultures, and meet amazing people from all over 

the world. I learned to become comfortable with change and to be open to new experiences. I often describe myself as a lifelong learner.

My professional career began as a middle school teacher, teaching mathematics, 

language arts, and social studies. After 4 years, I left teaching to pursue my master’s in 

business administration, which then led me to become a consultant and project manager. 

What I have enjoyed most about my field is the diversity of projects I have worked on, 

such as budgets and financial support, capital planning, strategic planning, and management of information technology. I have continued my teaching tradition, teaching basic 

computer skills when I was a graduate student, training coworkers by providing writing 

classes, and mentoring young scientists and administrators.

Outside of work, I am an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. I enjoy staying active, volunteering, reading, and cooking.

I believe in lifelong learning and keeping an open 

mind. I don’t believe in 

luck; rather, I believe in 

recognizing opportunities 

when they present themselves. I am thankful for 

the opportunities that I’ve 

had, and I feel privileged 

to perform work that I 

enjoy while making things 

better for others.

Kim Scott has a bachelor’s degree 

in education from Appalachian 

State University and a master’s in 

business administration from The 

College of William and Mary.
84 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Jill Shaffer

Ecologist with the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in 

Jamestown, North Dakota

“You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and 

strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to 

be alone at times, and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give.” 

—E.O. Wilson

I am from Sparta, a small Wisconsin town in the heart of dairy country and in the 

beautiful geological zone called the Driftless Area. My grandparents on both sides were 

dairy farmers, as are many aunts and uncles. Growing up in a rural lifestyle that engenders pride in hard work instilled a work ethic in me, and growing up in a beautiful natural 

landscape formed in me a love of nature and an almost innate drive towards stewardship 

of that beauty. A college ornithology class focused my understanding that learning about 

bird diversification would also enhance an understanding of resource partitioning and 

ecosystem function.

My research focuses on how disturbances by humans, such as wind-energy generation, cattle grazing, and fires, affect the bird populations of grasslands in the northern 

Great Plains. On the one hand, my research shows how bird populations continue to 

decline as human society increasingly affects other species; on the other hand, it is 

rewarding to realize that my research helps answer questions on how humans affect 

grassland birds and devise solutions to mitigate some of those effects.

My work showed that birds avoid areas where there are wind-generation facilities 

and led to the development of a method that calculates the amount of grassland habitat 

affected by these facilities. This research was pivotal in providing a scientifically defensible framework from which to discuss options to mitigate the effects of wind-generation 

facilities. I have supervised large field crews who worked over several States, and in so 

doing, have trained and mentored young people who aspire to be our future biologists.

My great passion is horseback riding, especially furthering my, and my horses’, skills 

in the disciplines of English dressage and jumping. Riding is my stabilizing force in life 

because it inspires me to stay fit, embrace patience and understanding, accept failure, 

find reservoirs of strength and resolve to keep striving despite the inevitable setbacks, 

and to celebrate the victories. My other hobbies are birdwatching, flower gardening, 

and physical fitness. Because North 

Dakota has both a short breeding 

season (for birds) and growing season 

(for flowers), spring and summer are 

a frenzy of trying to fit in birdwatching, gardening, and horseback riding. 

During the frigid winters, I engage 

in a variety of physical activities, 

including swimming, martial arts, and 

aerobic workouts. As a wife and mom, 

my husband and son should also be 

added to my list of hobbies—that is, 

trying to keep them on the straight 

and narrow!

It is sobering to be working in an ecosystem more 

endangered than the tropical rainforests.

Jill Shaffer has a bachelor’s degree 

in biology from the University of 

Wisconsin and a master’s in zoology from the University of Arkansas. 

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

jill-a-shaffer
Profiles 85

Allison Shipp

Deputy Regional Director for Science for the Southwest Region 

in Columbia, Missouri

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” ―Marie Curie

I am a child of the 1970s. I remember waiting in gas lines only to get three cars 

away from the pump and learn the station was out of gas. I remember my parents and 

grandparents making tradeoff decisions about whether to put gas in a vehicle or a tractor. 

I remember the Cuyahoga River fire, the Love Canal environmental pollution, and the 

Three Mile Island nuclear reactor accident. We were one of the first generations to be 

schooled in recycling and understanding that our actions have consequences on the world 

around us. These experiences led me to want to learn about the effects of human-influenced activities on the environment. This in turn led me to study biology. When I was an 

undergraduate student, I participated in a program to bring science to underserved elementary schools, and I used the outdoors as an extension of the classroom, which I continued to do as a high school teacher. I took my students on field trips to plant community 

gardens, monitor streams, explore caves, and spend time discovering how landscapes 

around them are managed and how the activities of humans affect these landscapes.

A few years into my teaching career, I learned of the environmental and water 

resources program at the University of Texas in Austin, and I knew I had found my calling. As a returning, mature student, I was going a little crazy in the classroom, so one of 

my professors suggested a work/study or cooperative program. I interviewed with several 

places, including the USGS. I learned that the USGS was the perfect place for me to put 

my 1970s upbringing to the test, and I was hooked. I wore my USGS lapel pin or shirt 

everywhere I went and would strike up conversations about how much I was learning and 

how much I loved working for the USGS. My role with the USGS was to provide quality 

scientific information to individuals, agencies, and organizations charged with making 

decisions. I provided this information so that they could make the best decision based 

on weighing the pros and cons. I think I’m proudest of the fact that we provide unbiased 

information to everyone from senators to citizens.

I love reading, movies, walking, and baking. If you come to my house for a dinner or 

if we have pot luck at church, I’ll be baking for it. I challenge myself each year to make 

something complex that I haven’t tried before. I love the chemistry and the challenge of 

making something beautiful that tastes wonderful too.

What I always wanted 

was to make a difference; 

the USGS has been my 

vehicle for that ambition. 

The breadth of research 

done at the USGS is at 

my fingertips, and I get 

the opportunity to support 

science and scientists and 

learn about the science 

during the process.

Allison Shipp has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology and a master’s in 

environmental and water resources 

engineering from the University of 

Texas, Austin. 

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

allison-a-shipp
86 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Katherine Skalak

Research Hydrologist in the Hydrodynamics Branch of the 

Water Mission Area in Reston, Virginia

“What is success? It is being able to go to bed each night with your soul at peace.” 

—Paulo Coehlo

My interest in being outside and exploring the natural world started early; I grew up 

playing outdoors in the nearby woods and the creek. Family vacations were spent on the 

lakes and rivers of Canada, where my father and grandfather would take me fishing, as 

well as camping or at the beach. In middle school, I developed a keen interest in mathematics and science when I joined the Mathletes and the science club. I continued these 

activities in high school and took advanced mathematics and science classes. Growing 

up in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pa., I developed an understanding of how humans interact 

with their environment and saw the positive and negative influences that have arisen from 

these interactions.

During an ecology course in college, we had a field-based lab that we took to the Pine 

Barrens. We learned techniques for measuring biomass and assessing tree age and health. 

We also learned the unique ecology of the Pine Barrens. It was the first time I had the 

revelation that I could make a career of being outdoors and studying the environment. As 

the first person in my family to attend and graduate college, I had been exposed to a very 

narrow range of career possibilities. I didn’t know anyone who had studied earth science 

or gone to graduate school. Before this ecology course, I was a biology major with the 

intent to become a medical doctor. After the class, I changed my major and started on the 

path that ultimately brought me to the USGS.

My work at the USGS focuses on the processes and human influences that form and 

shape the landscapes near and around rivers and tidal and wetland environments. I have 

worked in the Cheseapeake Bay watersheds, the Upper Missouri River, the Florida Everglades, and the Prairie Pothole region in the northern Great Plains.

I spend free time with my family. I am married with a son and a daughter, ages 6 

and 3. I love running, hiking, weight-training, and practicing yoga and meditation. I cochair a working group on work-life balance and am committed to advancing myself as 

an example that you can have a fulfilling and meaningful career and a rich and rewarding 

personal and family life.

As a research hydrologist 

at the USGS, I have been 

provided with the diverse 

experiences of working in 

beautiful and remote field 

sites across the country, a 

laboratory to analyze samples, the office to analyze 

data. My work includes 

using remote-sensing 

applications, modeling, 

writing, and traveling to 

network and engage a 

variety of groups in my 

research. I feel like I have 

the best of all worlds.

Katherine Skalak has a bachelor’s 

degree in environmental science 

from St. Joseph’s University and a 

master’s in geology and a doctorate in geological sciences from the 

University of Delaware.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

katherine-skalak
Profiles 87

Hilda Smith

Lab Manager at the Southwest Biological Science Center in 

Moab, Utah

“Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity.” 

—Mae Jemison

I grew up on a farm in eastern Tennessee and have always enjoyed being out in 

nature, whether it was playing, working, or learning about something new that I stumbled 

upon. This cultivated in me a love of science and earned me a first-place ribbon in my 

eighth grade science fair.

I began my career with the USGS in 2006, and since that time, I have worked in 

multiple States and ecological environments and on numerous projects. I started out as a 

project lead on a national program for the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative 

and migrated towards soil and plant ecology projects. Plant and soil science has given me 

experience with complex equipment and experimental design. I quickly took on leadership roles both in the field and in the laboratory and have been recognized numerous 

times during my career for my ability to organize projects and assets and to prioritize 

resources and tasks to meet deadlines in support of station activities, grant requirements, 

and center-level goals.

I use my experience and problem-solving skills to coordinate multiple projects for 

different principal investigators, postdoctorate fellows, technicians, and collaborators 

in the contiguous United States, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Germany, China, and 

Antarctica.

My great loves are animals, hiking, snorkeling, and traveling. I have a myriad group 

of pets that keep me busy.

Hilda Smith has a bachelor’s degree 

in biology with a naturalist concentration from Lees-McRae College.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

hilda-j-smith
88 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Hilary Stockdon

Research Oceanographer at the St. Petersburg Coastal and 

Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” 

—Mary Oliver, “The Summer Day”

Growing up, I was drawn to nature and often spent my free time exploring the woods, 

roaming along the James River, and swimming in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. I 

have always loved the beach, and in college I chose to spend a semester at Duke University’s Marine Lab where I focused on marine studies. Those months spent living and 

working on the beach helped me find my professional passion: the ocean. In graduate 

school, I had many opportunities to travel to far-flung places, such as South Korea where 

I participated in a mock invasion with the U.S. Marines. At the time, I was funded by 

the Navy to develop technologies to prevent Normandy-style disasters of fully equipped 

soldiers drowning in the surf zone. Experiences like this helped me see the practical, 

more human side of oceanographic research. Another adventure, this one much closer to 

home, changed the arc of my life; I was part of a field study in Duck, N.C., which lasted 

3 months. There I met the researcher who would become my mentor, who encouraged me 

to pursue a Ph.D., and who ultimately hired me at the USGS.

With the USGS, I have studied the physics of waves and how they interact with 

beaches so that we can better understand how powerful storms shape our coastlines and 

affect our communities. My research on major storms, such as Hurricanes Katrina, Ivan, 

and Sandy, led to tools to help predict what might happen to beaches during future storms 

and to the first national assessment of potential coastal change hazards during hurricanes 

and nor’easters. A model I developed is now used to forecast shoreline water levels and 

potential erosion as storms make landfall, providing a necessary source of information for 

emergency responders and coastal managers. In my new position as science advisor, I am 

helping build a program for coastal change hazards at the USGS, and I am working with 

other Federal agencies to create the U.S. Coastal Research Program.

My favorite “pastime” is to escape from the scientific and bureaucratic method of 

my professional life and enjoy the wild freedom of music, the beauty of poetry, and the 

emotion of creative writing. I also enjoy exploring new cultures and raising awareness on 

social issues, all while balancing my personal life and career goals.

A driving force in my life 

has been to bring clarity 

where there is confusion, 

to find simplicity where 

others see complexity, and 

to help people live their 

truths. Scientific research 

and addressing societally 

important coastal issues 

allow me to do all of that 

as a career.

Hilary Stockdon has a bachelor’s 

degree in geology from Duke University and a master’s and a doctorate in oceanography from Oregon 

State University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

hilary-stockdon
Profiles 89

Mandy Stone

Supervisory Hydrologist at the Kansas Water Science Center in 

Lawrence, Kansas

“My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here.” —Jim Henson

I grew up in Kansas and, although I have since lived in Europe and Alaska, I still 

think the tallgrass prairie in Kansas is the most beautiful and interesting ecosystem I’ve 

ever studied. My love of nature and the outdoors blossomed in high school, when I took 

a student naturalist class. My teacher, Mr. May, really got me into nature and the outdoors. I appreciated being able to take that class; even though I was strongly interested in 

my other science classes, this was the first time we were able to get outside and explore 

rather than sit in a classroom and simply complete lab exercises. Mr. May regularly took 

us out to collect things like insects and snakes, and his enthusiasm was inspiring.

Since becoming an earth scientist, I’ve done fieldwork in Alaska, Illinois, Kansas, 

Missouri, and Oregon, ranging from collecting samples of soils and insects in the prairies of the Midwest to trapping small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles in the Pacific 

Northwest. My aquatic fieldwork experience includes collecting crustaceans, water 

worms and insects, and fish in streams and lakes. I started working in public service by 

joining AmeriCorps, where I surveyed streams throughout Missouri in an effort to protect 

streams statewide. My subsequent research for the USGS has focused on freshwater 

science, including effects of disturbances on ecosystems. I have modeled minerals and 

chemicals that affect water quality, and I have used continuous water-quality measurements to quantify how energy is generated and used within stream ecosystems.

I enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing, and fishing with my husband and 3-year-old 

daughter. It’s awesome to watch my daughter discover the natural world; she already has 

extensive rock, insect, and plant collections!

As a USGS scientist, unbiased and objective collection and interpretation of 

data on the quantity and 

quality of water provide 

me a sense of purpose and 

pride in the work I do.

Mandy Stone has a bachelor’s 

degree in wildlife biology from 

Kansas State University and a 

master’s in zoology from Southern 

Illinois University.

https://www.usgs.gov/

staff-profiles/mandy-l-stone
90 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Renee Takesue

Marine Geochemist with the Pacific Coastal and Marine 

Science Center in Santa Cruz, California

“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is 

not ‘Eureka!’ (‘I found it!’) but ‘That’s funny...’.” —Isaac Asimov

I grew up spending weekends at the beach exploring tide pools and summers visiting Hawai`i where my family harvested limpets and seaweed and caught reef fish with 

throw nets, so it was natural that I decided early on that I wanted to become a scientist 

and study the oceans. In elementary school, I took a summer course in marine biology 

that culminated in a harbor cruise on a research vessel. We made plankton nets with 

nylon stockings and baby food jars and used a bottom trawl to dredge up fascinating sea 

creatures. I had the time of my life and knew that I wanted to be a marine scientist.

My research with the USGS takes me through a wide range of coastal settings: from 

glacier-carved Puget Sound in Washington where large rivers and storms deliver sediment-bound contaminants to marine animals, to tropical coral reefs where agriculture, 

grazing, and development in coastal watersheds have resulted in sediment and contaminant runoff that harms reefs.

I like to go running along the coastal bluff a few miles from my office after work 

where waves from the Pacific Ocean constantly vie against human engineering to reshape 

the coastline. Sand bars, sinkholes, and slipouts appear and disappear with storms, 

seasons, and public works projects aimed at protecting homes and roads. This continual 

reminder about the power of nature helps put into perspective long-term science, management, and conservation issues that are relevant to my work with the USGS.

Perhaps because I spend so much of my time working in marine environments, I 

enjoy visiting the arid American Southwest. Its warm colors, vast landscapes, and cultural 

history impart a sense of connectedness with our earth system. In some cases, that connectedness is through time. The fossilized oyster shells I found in Utah attest to the presence of an ocean there in the distant past.

I live in a growing coastal 

town and see on a daily 

basis how my work with 

the USGS helps society 

understand how human 

activities affect coastal 

and marine systems whose 

functions are vital to the 

well-being and sustainability of communities.

Renee Takesue has a bachelor’s 

degree in oceanography from Humboldt State University and a doctorate in chemical oceanography from 

Columbia University.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

renee-takesue
Profiles 91

Susan Thiros

Hydrologist with the Utah Water Science Center in West Valley 

City, Utah

“Science is not a body of facts. Science is a method for deciding whether what we 

choose to believe has a basis in the laws of nature or not.” —Marcia McNutt

I began working for the USGS right out of college in a role that involved collecting 

data for a groundwater study in central Utah. Because of the large amount of field work, 

I learned to use maps and equipment as well as how to develop conceptual models of 

the groundwater system. During my career, I have worked with well drillers to install 

monitoring wells, tested wells to estimate aquifer properties, collected water samples 

from streams and wells for laboratory analysis, and interpreted various types of data to 

describe how hydrologic systems work. Using emerging techniques and methods to help 

advance our conceptual understanding of groundwater systems is an exciting part of my 

work.

Another exciting part of my work is to share this understanding of groundwater 

systems with others. Many people are not aware that there is water in the subsurface and 

how important it is to the environment and our society. I have strived in my career to 

make this information available and understandable to the public. Early in my career, it 

was rewarding to present a see-through tank with layers of sand and clay to elementary 

school students and demonstrate what groundwater is and how it works. They were interested in seeing how the water moved through the layers when pumped, especially with 

fluorescent tracer added to it under a black light.

I have lived in Utah most of my life. The West has such interesting geologic, hydrologic, and archaeologic wonders that you can’t help but think about the stories behind 

them. I enjoy looking at our natural world and finding the beauty that exists at all scales. 

It can be swirls in a muddy river eddy or lines of sandstone cliffs stepping off in the 

distance. I find it satisfying to try to understand the reasons and processes behind these 

wonders. The southwestern part of the United States is very scenic and fun to explore—

either by foot, bicycle, or boat. It is amazing how water has helped to form such beautiful 

landscapes.

I love trying to figure out 

something that you can’t 

really see, like water in the 

subsurface or chemicals 

dissolved in water. Interpreting the data and telling 

the story of our findings 

in an understandable way 

is a challenging yet very 

rewarding part of my job.

Susan Thiros has a bachelor’s 

degree in geology from Weber 

State College and many years of onthe-job training and experiences.
92 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Amy Vandergast

Research Geneticist with the Western Ecological Research 

Center in San Diego, California

“Of all the questions which can come before this Nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance 

with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants 

than it is for us.” —Theodore Roosevelt

It might be surprising that I chose to study spider genetics and conservation as a graduate student. Spiders and insects scared me so much as a kid that any time I found one 

in the house I would yell for mom or dad to come squash it for me. It took some effort to 

overcome my squeamishness, but once I learned more about them, I realized how beautiful and amazing insects and spiders are. Now I’m the household spider rescuer.

There is no doubt that my interests in ecology and conservation formed while growing up in southern California. The State has so much natural diversity and beauty it 

would be hard not to be influenced by it. As an undergraduate, I was most interested in 

ecology and conservation classes, and I was able to go on a semester abroad program to 

Costa Rica. That was my first immersion experience in field ecology, and I loved it. The 

program was run by two very dedicated tropical restoration ecologists: Lynn Carpenter 

and Martha Rosemeyer. This experience helped steer me towards graduate school where 

I was mentored by other dedicated scientists, including my graduate advisor, Rosemary 

Gillespie.

As a research geneticist, I now lead a research program focused on a wide variety 

of species, including desert tortoises, coastal songbirds, tiny pocket mice, and even rare 

plants. The common thread is applying conservation and landscape genetic techniques 

to help understand how populations are connected and function in landscapes altered 

by human activities. Growing up in southern California, I’ve seen firsthand many of the 

changes that urban growth has caused here, but I’ve also seen that nature and open space 

are valued. It is rewarding to live and work here and to be a part of a dedicated conservation science community.

Having benefited from the mentorship of other scientists as a student, I mentor and 

advise graduate and undergraduate students and hope to pass on my knowledge and 

experience to them. I live in San Diego with my husband and three children. Some of my 

favorite activities with them are hiking and camping throughout California. I hope that by 

passing on what I know and love about these ecosystems, I can help my kids to value and 

appreciate nature and be environmental stewards when they are older.

Just a decade ago, combining population genetics with spatial ecology 

and mapping was a new 

research avenue without 

a name. Now the field of 

study is called landscape 

genetics. One of the most 

exciting and challenging aspects of this work 

is designing research 

that directly contributes 

to conservation and 

management.

Amy Vandergast has a bachelor’s 

degree in biology from the University of California, San Diego, 

a master’s in zoology from the 

University of Hawaii, Manoa, and a 

doctorate in environmental science, 

policy, and management from the 

University of California, Berkeley.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

amy-vandergast
Profiles 93

Alexa Van Eaton

Research Geologist at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in 

Vancouver, Washington

“Imagination is the highest form of research.”—Albert Einstein

I was born and raised on the beaches of Florida, where volcanoes were about as 

mythical as unicorns or fairies. As a kid, you could generally find me climbing a tree, 

rescuing baby birds, or saving bugs in peril. Without knowing exactly what I wanted to 

do with my life, I knew it would involve discovery and exploration of the natural world. 

Yet I never could have predicted that volcanoes would end up being my calling.

My “unusual” interest in volcanoes led me to New Zealand to study one of the 

world's largest supereruptions for my doctoral research. That experience made me realize 

I wanted to do work that would help people and that would influence the way we view 

our role on this planet. When I returned to the States, I began research on hazardous, 

young volcanoes with the USGS.

Now my job as a volcanologist involves studying explosive eruptions in the Cascades 

of Washington and Oregon as well as in Alaska and abroad. I use fieldwork, computer 

models, and satellite images to understand what happens when volcanoes erupt. I have 

been involved in mapping volcanic lightning during explosions at the Sakurajima Volcano in Japan, backpacking into the wilderness at Glacier Peak Volcano in Washington, 

and flying by helicopter to Makushin Volcano in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to collect 

new samples of volcanic deposits. This research on explosive eruptions is done to help 

keep people and airplanes safe from volcanic ash by improving the way we detect and 

characterize hazardous eruptions, and also to contribute to the understanding of the way 

our planet works.

Being a volcanologist with 

the USGS allows me to 

work with a world-class 

team of scientists on some 

of the most fascinating 

natural processes on the 

planet, while helping 

protect our communities 

threatened by volcanic 

eruptions.

Alexa Van Eaton has a bachelor’s 

degree in geology, with a minor 

in English, from the University of 

Florida and a doctorate in geology 

from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. In 2017, she 

received the George Walker Award 

from the International Association 

of Volcanology and Chemistry of 

the Earth’s Interior for outstanding 

work as an early-career scientist in 

the field of volcanology.

https://www.usgs.gov/

staff-profiles/alexa-van-eaton
94 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers Photograph by Scott Griessel, Creatista, used with permission

Cynthia Wallace

Research Geographer at the Western Geographic Science 

Center in Tucson, Arizona

My love of nature was sparked in childhood as I hunted for agates with family and 

friends, paddled a canoe in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota, and chased 

tornadoes with my dad. As an undergraduate, the fortuitous choice of a geology elective class turned into a major after the professor took the class outside to explore the 

Precambrian strata of the North American Craton. I was hooked, and went on to hunt 

for buried treasure as an exploration geologist in Alaska, Wisconsin, Nova Scotia, and 

Texas.

After more than a decade of locating economic mineral deposits, I realized that 

a career change was in order when I looked around a prospective area and thought, 

“What a pretty place. I hope we don’t find anything.” I returned to college to reinvent 

myself, and discovered the beauty of satellite images and the power of digital geographic data. I like to tell people that I study the color green, using satellite images 

to capture the dynamics and pattern of vegetation on the landscape, and linking those 

features to natural resource issues. My most recent research was on the invasive plant 

buffelgrass that fills in the natural spaces between desert plants. In its dried state, it 

forms a highly flammable fuel that dramatically increases wildfire risk, threatening the 

nonfire-adapted native vegetation of the Sonoran Desert, such as the iconic Saguaro.

I live in Tucson with my husband, who is the principal and cofounder of an innovative, alternative high school. We love to read, cook, travel, camp, and hike, and we are 

becoming avid birders. I am the mother of two amazing adult daughters and am excited 

to witness their futures unfold.

Don’t be afraid to imagine 

a whole new future for 

yourself. Transitions can 

be hard. Having found 

myself in graduate school 

as a single parent with 

two young children, I 

can share two strategies 

that proved invaluable. 

The first is to schedule 

and honor “sacred time” 

each day for yourself. 

You will access some of 

your best insights during 

these times that allow for 

a deep breath. The second 

is to set aside and honor 

one entire day per week 

as “family day” to allow 

you and your children to 

imagine, plan, anticipate, 

and experience adventures 

together. Dusting can wait.

Cynthia Wallace has a bachelor’s 

degree in mathematics and geology 

from the University of Minnesota, 

Duluth, a master’s in geology from 

the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a master’s and doctorate 

in geography from the University of 

Arizona, Tucson.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

cynthia-wallace
Profiles 95

Kelly Warner

Deputy Director of Investigations at the Central Midwest Water 

Science Center in Urbana, Illinois

“Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.” —Henri Bergson

I grew up in a small town along the banks of the Mississippi River. I was a Girl 

Scout, and I really wanted to earn the camper and hiking badges, so my friends and I 

would hike in the nearby woods and attend Girl Scout camp each summer. This grew into 

a tremendous love and appreciation for the natural world. Then, in 4–H club, I started 

a rock collection to show at the county fair. It was tough to collect unique rocks in the 

glacially buried plains of Illinois, but family and friends would bring me rocks for my 

collection, and I soon became enamored with studying rocks and visiting places where 

rocks were exposed.

Having grown up along the banks of the Mississippi River, I started realizing that the 

levels of the river as people remembered them did not necessarily match the measured 

levels of the river. I also realized that reliable data could help put floods into perspective in time and space, and my work with the USGS has enabled me to do just that. I’ve 

also been involved with researching water quality in the region. Most recently, I have led 

a team of scientists to find new ways to continuously measure water quality, providing 

information about impurities in water that are a concern for human health and the health 

of the ecosystems that rely on these sources of water.

Family vacations while my two children were growing up were centered around 

water activities or seeing new rock exposures. We would go on “science field trips,” and 

my two children were my field assistants; they have been my inspiration and have been 

key to my success. I continue to be involved in local theater, and I have a great group of 

friends in my local book club. I love coming home to my partner and our Wheaton terrier, 

who greets me every evening by springing up to eye-level to say hello.

I love a great cup of coffee 

with a little cream and 

honey. It is funny that 

as a scientist, I look at 

everything with a wonder 

on how it works. When I 

add cream to my coffee 

it drops to the bottom of 

my cup and then circles 

back to the top in a pretty 

tan swirl. It reminds me 

of the convection currents 

in the magma that drive 

plate tectonics. When I 

get a latte with beautiful 

foam art, I think about 

what causes the coloration 

of the foam and how the 

sediment of cinnamon in 

my coffee parallels the 

sediment that collects at 

the edge of the river. Coffee and curiosity are two 

of my great loves.

Kelly Warner has a bachelor’s 

degree in geology and mathematics 

from Knox College and a master’s 

in stratigraphy and geomorphology 

from Northern Illinois University. 

She has worked on a doctorate in 

natural resource economics at the 

University of Illinois.

https://www.usgs.gov/

staff-profiles/kelly-l-warner
96 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Linda Weir

Research Manager at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in 

Laurel, Maryland

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” 

—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Even as a young girl, I was always interested in wildlife conservation and science. 

When I was in fifth grade, I subscribed to a leading science magazine that was intended 

for adult readers... and read the articles! For me, one of the best parts of a science career 

is always learning new things.

As a wildlife biologist, I researched amphibians for more than 10 years. I coordinated 

a large-scale citizen science project that monitored calling frogs and toads in 24 States 

and focused a lot of my research on amphibian monitoring and citizen science, including 

understanding types of observer error and reporting population trend results. I coauthored a book that showcases the spectacular diversity of amphibians in North America, 

including many of which are endangered or threatened with extinction, and I manage the 

related National Amphibian Atlas database for the USGS.

As a research manager, I coordinate research programs specializing in migratory 

birds, coastal ecology, and ecotoxicology. I also coordinated a USGS program to research 

the effects of Hurricane Sandy on wetlands and bird populations.

In my spare time, I enjoy nature photography, including making my own calendar of 

nature photos.

One of the best parts of a 

science career is always 

learning new things. 

Science requires creativity 

and learning.

Linda Weir has a bachelor’s degree 

in zoology from the State University 

of New York College at Oswego and 

a master’s in sustainable development and conservation biology from 

the University of Maryland, College 

Park.

https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/

linda-weir
Profiles 97

Sylvia Wilson

Physical Scientist with the Eastern Geographic Science Center 

in Reston, Virginia

Growing up in Peru, I decided to do a school project about spiders when I was a 

teenager, for which I started a collection of live spiders in my room. Realizing that the 

spiders kept my mother and sister away, I had to learn to care for the spiders by myself. It 

was very exciting, and I became convinced that I was going to become a biologist. That 

is, until I had to dissect a frog the following year. But those spiders planted a fascination 

with science in my head. Oddly enough, I’m now terrified of spiders!

When I went to college, I decided to study forest science, despite never having been 

in a forest before. It was fun, but very difficult for me the first 2 years, and I struggled 

with many courses. My professors inspired me to not give up, and after getting to spend 

two semesters doing fieldwork in remote areas of the Amazon River Basin, I knew that I 

had picked the right career.

I started working with the USGS after college but was encouraged to get a graduate 

degree by my first supervisor and mentor. Inspired by my husband’s choice of field (and 

what appeared to be an easier course load!), I decided to study geography just as he did 

and got into a project that took me back to my native Peru to work on forest monitoring. 

I continue to work on forest science, providing information to decision makers on the 

effects of forest change on carbon emissions around the globe, though my work focuses 

on tropical forests. I am also part of an effort by many organizations to help developing 

countries with remote-sensing tools and applications so they can better monitor changes 

in land cover and estimate emissions from changes in land uses.

Sports have always been a passion; I was very competitive during my school and college years. I played soccer in college and participated in a few out-of-State and international soccer matches. I don’t play sports now, but I enjoy hiking with my husband and 

watching my kids play sports. My favorite activity these days after work is enjoying summer in northern Virginia on my back porch, engaged in rich conversations with neighbors 

and friends.

I love to get scientists and 

practitioners together to 

experience the power of 

capacity transfer. When 

you connect science with 

applications, science is no 

longer hard and unknown; 

it becomes a critical part 

of mitigation and policy 

and a common language 

for all that are aiming to 

conserve the forest.

Sylvia Wilson has a bachelor’s 

degree in forestry from the National 

Agrarian University-La Molina 

(Lima, Peru) and a master’s in geography from Texas State University, 

San Marcos. 
98 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Index of Women Featured in This Publication

The women profiled in this publication are representative of a wide variety of career choices supported by the USGS. Their 

biographies provide an insight into their personal and professional challenges and achievements. As you will discover when you 

read about them, many started with just a basic love of nature and natural curiosity. From these fundamental ideals came incredible contributions to the USGS and our world.

Name Degree Position Page

Jill Baron Ph.D., Rangeland Ecosystems Ecology Co-Director, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and 

Synthesis

Senior Scientist, Fort Collins Science Center

7

Miya Barr B.S., Geology and Geophysics Hydrologist, Central Midwest Water Science Center 8

Adrienne Bartlewitz M.A., Public Administration Chief of Staff, Water Mission Area 9

Jayne Belnap Ph.D., Botany and Range Science Research Ecologist, Southwest Biological Science Center 10

Kristin Berry Ph.D., Zoology Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist, Western 

Ecological Research Center

11

Amy Beussink M.S., Watershed Management Director, Central Midwest Water Science Center 12

Jesslyn Brown M.S., Geography Research Geographer, Earth Resources Observation and 

Science Center

13

Anna Chalfoun Ph.D., Wildlife Biology Wildlife Ecologist, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife 

Research Unit

14

Victoria Christensen M.S., Water Resources Research Hydrologist, Upper Midwest Water Science 

Center

15

Elizabeth Cochran Ph.D., Geophysics and Space Physics Research Geophysicist, Earthquake Science Center 16

Alissa Coes M.S., Hydrology Water-Quality Specialist, Arizona Water Science Center 17

Margo Corum M.S., Environmental Policy and Management Associate Coordinator, Energy Resources Program 18

Isabelle Cozzarelli Ph.D., Environmental Sciences Research Hydrologist, Water Cycle Branch, Water Mission 

Area

19

Kari Craun M.S., Geospatial Information Science Director, National Geospatial Technical Operations Center 20

Soupy Dalyander Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering Research Oceanographer, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine 

Science Center

21

Shari DeLung B.S., Sociology and Crime Deviance Management Analyst, Office of Administration 22

Aimee Devaris M.S., Engineering and Science Management Regional Director, Alaska Region 23

Claire DeVaughan B.S., Geography National Map Liaison, National Geospatial Program 24

Kim Dibble Ph.D., Biological and Environmental Science Fish Biologist, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research 

Center

25

Sherry Durst B.S., Geography Project Manager, National Geospatial Program 26

Amy East Ph.D., Geology and Geophysics Research Geologist, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science 

Center

27

Claudia Faunt Ph.D., Geological Engineering Supervisory Hydrologist, California Water Science Center 28

Laura Flight B.S., Environmental Studies Hydrologic Technician, New England Water Science Center 29

Mary Freeman Ph.D., Forest Resources Research Ecologist, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center 30

Carol Fritzinger B.S., Natural History and Outdoor Program 

Leadership

Logistics Operations Specialist, Grand Canyon Monitoring 

and Research Center

31

Angela Fuller Ph.D., Wildlife Ecology Wildlife Ecologist, New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife 

Research Unit

32

Lisa Gaddis Ph.D., Geology and Geophysics Astrogeologist, Astrogeology Science Center 33

Stephanie Gaswirth Ph.D., Geological Sciences Research Geologist, Central Energy Resources Science 

Center

34

Durga Ghosh Ph.D., Biochemistry Quality Assurance Coordinator, Chesapeake Bay Program 35

Nadine Golden M.S., Geography Deputy Director, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center 36
Index 99

Index of Women Featured in This Publication—Continued

Name Degree Position Page

Joan Gomberg Ph.D., Geophysics Research Geophysicist and Seismologist, Earthquake 

Science Center

37

Tabitha Graves Ph.D., Forest Science Research Ecologist, Northern Rocky Mountain Science 

Center

38

Susan Haig Ph.D., Biology Supervisory Wildlife Ecologist, Forest and Rangeland 

Ecosystem Science Center

39

Susan Hall Ph.D., Geochemistry Geologist, Central Energy Resources Science Center 40

Hannah Hamilton Ph.D., Mass Communication Public Affairs Specialist, Office of Communications and 

Publishing

41

Jo Ellen Hinck M.S., Zoology Contamination Biologist, Columbia Environmental 

Research Center

42

Michelle Hladik Ph.D., Environmental Engineering Research Chemist, California Water Science Center 43

Camille Hopkins Ph.D., Disease Ecology Wildlife Disease Coordinator, Ecosystems Mission Area 44

Susan Hough Ph.D., Earth Sciences Research Geophysicist, Earthquake Science Center 45

Kate Jones B.S., Environmental Science Hydrologic Technician, Utah Water Science Center 46

Leslie Jones B.S., Environmental Sciences Deputy Associate Director, Office of Communications and 

Publishing 

Chief, Science Publishing Network

47

Jeni Keisman Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Biologist, Maryland, Delaware, and District of Columbia 

Water Science Center

48

Julie Kiang Ph.D., Hydrology and Water Resources Chief, Analysis and Prediction Branch, Water Mission Area 49

Heather Krempa M.S., Biology Hydrologist, Missouri Water Science Center 50

Jennifer Lacey M.S., Mathematics Observing Systems Branch Chief, Earth Resources 

Observation and Science Center

51

Cassandra Ladino M.S., Information Management Physical Scientist, Office of Enterprise Information 52

Kathy Lee M.S., Aquatic Ecology Deputy Program Coordinator, Toxic Substances Hydrology 

Program

53

Cindy Lonergan B.S., Business Administration Supervisory Human Resources Specialist, Office of Human 

Capital

54

Michelle Lorah Ph.D., Environmental Chemistry Research Hydrologist, Maryland, Delaware, and District of 

Columbia Water Science Center

55

Kristin Ludwig Ph.D., Oceanography Staff Scientist, Natural Hazards Mission Area 56

Arista Maher M.S., Public Health Policy Budget Coordinator, Energy and Minerals Mission Area and 

the Environmental Health Mission Area

57

Elizabeth Martín M.S., Biological Science Biologist, Core Science Analytics, Synthesis, and Libraries 

Program

58

Melanie Mathesz M.S., Geography and Environmental Planning Hydrologic Technician, Maryland, Delaware, and District of 

Columbia Water Science Center

59

Katie McCulloch B.S., Finance Deputy Associate Director, Office of Administration 60

Hirut Mengestu B.A., Fashion and Design Executive Assistant, Energy and Minerals Mission Area and 

the Environmental Health Mission Area

61

Carol Meteyer D.V.M., Veterinary Medicine Senior Science Advisor, Environmental Health Mission 

Area

62

Sarah Minson Ph.D., Geophysics Research Geophysicist, Earthquake Science Center 63

Toni Lyn Morelli Ph.D., Ecology and Evolution Research Ecologist, Northeast Climate Science Center 64

Cheryl Morris B.S., Engineering Coordinator, Science Synthesis, Analysis, and Research 

Program

65

Jessica Murray Ph.D., Geophysics Research Geophysicist, Earthquake Hazards Program 66
100 A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers

Index of Women Featured in This Publication—Continued

Name Degree Position Page

Pamela Nagler Ph.D., Soil, Water, and Environmental Science Research Physical Scientist, Southwest Biological Science 

Center

67

Natalie Nguyen D.V.M., Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Medical Officer, National Wildlife Health Center 68

Diane Nicks M.S., Environmental Biology Biologist, Columbia Environmental Research Center 69

Andrea Ostroff M.S., Environmental Biology Manager, Fisheries Program 70

Jaime Painter M.S., Geography Geographer, South Atlantic Water Science Center 71

Marie Peppler M.S., Geography Deputy Director, Integrated Information Dissemination 

Division, Water Mission Area

72

Sandra Poppenga M.S., Geography Geographer, Earth Resources Observation and Science 

Center

73

Diann Prosser Ph.D., Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental 

Sciences

Research Wildlife Biologist, Patuxent Wildlife Research 

Center

74

Maureen Purcell Ph.D., Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Microbiologist, Western Fisheries Research Center 75

Mary Ratnaswamy Ph.D., Forest Resources Director, Northeast Climate Science Center 76

Sasha Reed Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Terrestrial Biogeochemist, Southwest Biological Science 

Center

77

Karyn Rode Ph.D., Zoology Research Wildlife Biologist, Alaska Science Center 78

Coral Roig-Silva M.S., Geology Physical Scientist, Eastern Geographic Science Center 79

Karen Ryberg Ph.D., Environmental and Conservation 

Sciences

Research Statistician, Dakota Water Science Center 80

Kristi Sayler M.S., Geography Physical Scientist, Earth Resources Observation and 

Science Center

81

Carol Schuler M.S., Wildlife Science Senior Science Advisor, Ecosystems Mission Area 82

Kim Scott M.B.A., Business Administration Program Analyst, Office of Enterprise Information 83

Jill Shaffer M.S., Zoology Ecologist, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 84

Allison Shipp M.S., Environmental and Water Resources 

Engineering

Deputy Regional Director for Science, Southwest Region 85

Katherine Skalak Ph.D., Geological Sciences Research Hydrologist, Hydrodynamics Branch, Water 

Mission Area

86

Hilda Smith B.S., Biology Lab Manager, Southwest Biological Science Center 87

Hilary Stockdon Ph.D., Oceanography Research Oceanographer, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine 

Science Center

88

Mandy Stone M.S., Zoology Supervisory Hydrologist, Kansas Water Science Center 89

Renee Takesue Ph.D., Chemical Oceanography Marine Geochemist, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science 

Center

90

Susan Thiros B.S., Geology Hydrologist, Utah Water Science Center 91

Amy Vandergast Ph.D., Environmental Science, Policy, and 

Management

Research Geneticist, Western Ecological Research Center 92

Alexa Van Eaton Ph.D., Geology Research Geologist, Cascades Volcano Observatory 93

Cynthia Wallace Ph.D., Geography Research Geographer, Western Geographic Science Center 94

Kelly Warner M.S., Stratigraphy and Geomorphology Deputy Director of Investigations, Central Midwest Water 

Science Center

95

Linda Weir M.S., Sustainable Development and 

Conservation Biology

Research Manager, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center 96

Sylvia Wilson M.S., Geography Physical Scientist, Eastern Geographic Science Center 97
Are you a woman working in Earth sciences? 

Do you have questions about Earth or natural 

sciences?

Visit answers.usgs.gov

Tag USGS with #WomenInScience and let us know!

Connect with us

More social media at usgs.gov/socialmedia

The manuscript was synthesized by Anna Glover, Stephanie St. Amand, 

and Alan Jones, and was reviewed by Teresa Davies of the National 

Science Foundation and Rebekah Davis, Shawn Komlos, and 

Keith Kirk of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Production support provided by the Pembroke and Rolla Publishing 

Service Centers

Managing editor: Anna Glover

Editorial review: Kimberly Waltenbaugh and Alan Jones

Design and production: Suzanne Roberts
Aragon-Long and others—A Snapshot of Women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and Related Careers—Circular 1443

ISSN 1067-084X (print)

ISSN 2330-5703 (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1443

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land use

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floods

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energy

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geomorphology

volcanology

research

ecology

cartography

research

hazards

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variability

plants

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data hydrology

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hurricanes spatial analysis oceanography

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