A JOB AS AN INDUSTRIAL APPLIED BIOSTRATIGRAPHER

For me, there are two exciting aspects of working in oil and gas exploration. First, I study microscopic marine nannofossils to understand deep time and paleostratal continuity. In so doing, I use vast datasets to collaborate with scientists working in a myriad of paleoenvironmental settings and over large swathes of time daily. It is a fast paced and exciting scientific field that has exposed me to the biostratigraphic subdiscipline across the globe in scores of time periods. Second, working in industry provides me with a nuanced view of global energy interconnectivity.

My path to industry was circuitous and unplanned, from waitressing overseas, to working for the USFS, a botanic garden, graduate school travels to international conferences and microscope work at numerous universities. I love my job, my colleagues, the breadth and depth of biostratigraphic understanding I have gained, and the ability to apply it in my everyday life.