FROM THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS TO THE BLUEGRASS: MY CAREER IN GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING

My career in geosciences has not been a straight path but my varying experience prepared me for my current career. I first became interested in the geosciences as a child living in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I obtained a BS in Geology and Environmental Geosciences at the College of Charleston in 2006. I then received my MS in Geosciences from the University of Montana in 2010. My research focused on Late Triassic Scleractinian corals from the Wallowa Terrane in NE Oregon. While still in graduate school, I began working as a laboratory and field technician for a very small (3 employees) geotechnical engineering and consulting firm. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this seemingly random and short-term job opened a career in this industry that I never would have foreseen.

That first job provided me with a skill set with which I was able to join the competitive market of geotechnical engineering. Life took me to Lexington, KY where I was hired by a slightly larger geotechnical engineering firm (22 employees). Here I was given the opportunity to obtain my GIT and PG licenses, as well as expand my geotechnical and environmental skillsets. I was promoted to senior geologist and lab director before getting recruited by another geotechnical engineering firm in Lexington. This position afforded me the ability to develop their environmental department and cultivate other skills including business development and marketing.

In this presentation I will outline my circuitous career path, while highlighting my different jobs and what recent graduates may expect. I will also share details about my experiences of being a woman and geologist in the geotechnical engineering and environmental industry.