BIO ALICIA KAHN

I have been working as a nannofossil biostratigrapher at Chevron in Houston, TX for 17 years. I got my MS/PhD at Rutgers U., a BA from Amherst College. Between undergrad & grad school, I travelled, worked as a waitress in Israel & Egypt, & worked for the US Forest Service & a botanic garden. In graduate school, I was a competitive cyclist & president of the Rutgers cycling team. I was offered a job following an internship w Chevron in my final year of grad school & have remained there ever since. During that time, I had two kids who have traveled w me for work as I breastfed for the better part of 7 years between them.

The coolest aspect of my job has been teaching, training, & travelling. I have worked offshore Angola, spent time in several African countries, Europe, & N/S America. The most rewarding aspect of my job has been collaborating w incredibly smart & motivated scientists, engaging in stimulating research w access to vast amounts of data. Through professional networks, I have been elected to serve on numerous boards as secretaries, presidents, and team leads, resulting in opportunities to lead discussions & steer conversations toward issues I think are important.

The greatest professional barriers I experienced coincided w the 2009 downturn & my first pregnancy. Maternity leave, childcare, & divorce have negatively affected my career due to common assumptions as to how these impact my job. Despite these challenges, I think Chevron is both understanding & encouraging of its employees. Most importantly, the excitement generated by the applied science I do every day stimulates my free time, particularly as a bicycle/foot commuter, art car artist, & curator/artist of local art shows, blending science and art.

I never expected to remain in Houston most of my adult life, certainly not working for oil & gas. My original plan was to hike into the Arkansas wilderness & scout birds for conservation studies. Sometimes I wish I had hidden out in the mountains, but the alternative life I chose, w all its experiences & relationships would not have been available to the hermit I wanted to become. As I think to the future, I want the same experiences & opportunities for my own children, & for the students & young professionals I mentor. For me, I’ll find peace w a good friend & a glass of red wine.