THE MANY HATS OF A HYDROLOGIST: CAREER EXPERIENCES OF AN INDUSTRY-TO-ACADEMIA MILLENNIAL

Before I wanted to be a hydrologist, I wanted to be a pilot. I took flying lessons, got my pilot’s license, but then went into the geosciences, which was considered (at the time) an unrelated individual career path. Nearly ten years later, those two fields began to intersect, in part as drones became ever more present within geology, and as a result I got my drone license and began using drones while conducting fieldwork. Although this may just seem like good luck, I think it points to another common theme among hydrologists – the many “different hats” we end up wearing while practicing our science of hydrology, and the importance of learning and incorporating new skills into our work.

Along with the different hats, my career path so far, focused on karst resources and groundwater protection, has taken me through Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Montana. These experiences resulted in new insights into how these different regions both research, regulation, and value water resources. Such projects have progressed from drafting engineering schematics for consulting firms, sampling water from municipal water supply systems, and developing local and regional groundwater models for state resource agencies. During this presentation I will share some of the more interesting experiences I have had along the way to my current position as a tenure-track faculty member. I also hope to emphasize the fact that it never hurts to learn something new and develop new skills, as there often ends up being some way to incorporate it into hydrological research, and the importance of experiencing the views of policies of water resources in different parts of the world.