CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN PUBLIC HEALTH – GEOLOGISTS WORK THERE?

Although GSA established a “Geology and Health” Division almost twenty years ago (2005), and geologists were working on environmental health issues long before that, many students do not realize the employment opportunities available in the public health arena. For example, in the 1990s, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control listed over 300 staff scientists (about 5% of their workforce) in the ‘geologist’ personnel series classification. Recent hiring trends may have led to more flexible job titles (e.g., Environmental Health Scientist), yet those jobs still remain with many of them being held by persons with a geology degree.

This presentation will show some example public health projects where geologists contributed to the team effort – including both state health department and federal government scientists. A brief overview of typical coursework or skillsets needed for this work will be included. These skills typically include hydrogeology or low-temperature geochemistry, basic environmental geology skills, soil and rock weathering processes, sediment transport processes, strong oral and written communication skills, and an ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams. The reward for such skills can be a career full of fascinating projects and interesting field sites.