ROCKS, RIVERS, CONSULTING, AND EDUCATION – CHRIS’S IMPACT ON ME AND A GENERATION OF STUDENTS

Chris Bolhuis is a national leader in inspiring students to become America’s future scientists. Especially in a state where a career in geoscience is not considered highly regarded by many, the fact that about 15% of the students (well over 150 total) who take his geology course go on to pursue post-secondary degrees in geoscience speaks to his effectiveness in the classroom and in inspiring students. In this session I will share Chris’s impact on me by describing my journey as a geoscientist and presenting my undergraduate and graduate research, highlighting some projects throughout my career as a consultant, and discussing my role as Public School Board member and partner to Chris in Hudsonville’s Summer Science Institute.