I discovered geology at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, as an undergraduate student, and graduated with a BS in geology in 1997. There aren’t many rocks in Louisiana, and I knew that the petroleum industry wasn’t for me, so I headed home to California, where I earned my MS in geology from UC Los Angeles in 2002.

I taught introductory geology courses part-time at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, CA, from 2002 to 2004, when I was offered a full-time teaching position at the Santa Rosa Junior College here in Santa Rosa, CA. Along the way, I worked at the US Geological Survey multiple times, primarily with the seismology and volcanoes groups, where I did field work in locations like Flagstaff, AZ, and Mammoth Lakes, CA.

At the SRJC, I have been teaching introductory geology, geology laboratory, the geology of California, natural disasters, and my favorite, geology field trips, for nearly 20 years. SRJC has had a sporadic geology club, of which I am the advisor. This group hosts trips, workshops, bad-geology movie nights, and sales. I am a member of NAGT (the National Association of Geoscience Teachers), and participate in their bi-annual conferences and field excursions as often as possible. I host yearly geology seminars for local non-profits such as the Pepperwood Foundation, LandPaths, and the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods.

Beyond geology, I am a mom and family gal. I have a wonderful young son, who, like his mom, has a passion for geology! Without coaching from me, he has started his own rock collection, he has asked to help me teach my college classes, and he wants to come on every trip! Stick with me, and you’ll certainly meet my geologist-in-training, though he’ll tell you he wants to be a ninja, chemist (I’m keeping and updated list here for future reference….).