What really goes into choosing a graduate program in the geosciences? In this episode, Yale PhD candidate Maoli Vizcaíno offers an honest look at the decisions that shape an academic career: from navigating funding and institutional support to choosing between a master’s and a PhD. —————— Did you like this podcast? Leave us a rating and review! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you get podcasts.  Got a lava questions or want to be featured next? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu —————— Transcript Choosing Between UT Austin and Yale [00:36:33] Diya Gaur: So what made you choose between like, okay, well, what were the things that you were considering when you had to pick between UT, Austin, and Yale? Like, what were the maybe different things in terms of, you know, academics or resources? What exactly drew you to Yale over UT?  [00:36:48] Maoli Vizcaíno: Yeah, so, um I think it was, it was a couple things. Uh, both were by my family. So it was by my dad and it was by my sister. So I was like, great. UT, uh, the professor, he, um, had a project that I could go in. For the first couple of years. And that was really attractive to me because I had never come up with my own research project before yet. So I was like, that'll be great to like, have something that I know I'm doing while I'm, you know, getting everything settled and like starting this program, you know, versus at Yale, I knew I'd have to come in and figure it out. [00:37:24] : And that was  [00:37:25] Maoli Vizcaíno: intimidating to me. Um, but I, you know, I felt both, both professors who I was looking at were people who like, I had heard a lot about from, you know, other people and like, you know, I think it's always important to like. Oh, and as a side note too, like, unsolicited advice you didn't ask me, but I will say if, you know, you are interested in going in, I would definitely, if you haven't already, like, think about where you would be able to do research. I think that if someone wants to do geology, like, undergrad research is, like, extremely important. I think more And then in other fields where it's kind of a given that you're not like gonna always be like, have done biology research or like, if you're pre pre med or whatever, because it's like, why, you know, lots of dangerous things going on. I don't, I don't know. I don't know anything about pre med, but for geology, I think, you know, you know, thinking about where, where schools, you will be able to like, talk to professors, gain a real relationship with a couple of them, like work in their labs for real, for real. Like, I think that's a huge, huge thing. Like, something you should think about. For sure. But yeah, so research wise, that was it. Um, I ended up choosing Yale, um, because, um, one, is I knew that I was going to be coming in with another student. So I knew that my, um, the professor, my professor here at Yale, she was also recruiting another student, so there were two of us. And so, um. I talked to her and she was like, I'm probably gonna go. She was actually also choosing between UT and Yale. Oh wow, interesting. She was looking at biology at UT and then obviously, but yeah. So then she was like, I think I'm going to go Yale. And I was like, okay, if I go to Yale, I'll be going with someone. And I love having a buddy, like I love commiserating. And I was like, pretty sure I would be the only student coming into the other lab. And then, um, UT. UT really did me dirty. So I did liberal arts undergrad, but I also did a master's. I remember they were like, um, you don't have the correct prereqs from undergrad for the program. So you'd have to take an extra class to fulfill those prereqs. And the professor I was applying with, he was like, she has a master's degree, like, who cares if she missed one science class in undergrad, like, you don't have the pre reqs. So that was another thing that was kind of like, I was like, okay, so I'm going to have to, if I go to UT,

In this episode, we crack open the microscopic world of marine plankton and deep-time data with Yale PhD candidate Maoli Vizcaíno. From dissolving 650-million-year-old Mongolian rocks to measuring microfossils the size of a grain of sand, Maoli takes us through her unexpected journey into geobiology and the surprising intersections between marine ecology, paleoclimate, and... sidewalk hammering? We dive into what foraminifera can tell us about ancient oceans, how a tedious lab job turned into a passion for research, and why feedback loops and frozen Earths might just blow your mind. Whether you're team fieldwork, team lab coat, or just curious how life and rock shape each other, this episode will most definitely rock your worldview —————— Did you like this podcast? Leave us a rating and review! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you get podcasts.  Got a lava questions or want to be featured next? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu —————— Transcript Introduction and Guest Introduction [00:00:00] Diya Gaur: Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Art of Subduction. My name is Diya Gore, and today I'm here with  [00:00:19] Maoli Vizcaíno: Um, Maoli Vizcaíno.  [00:00:22] Diya Gaur: So, Maoli is a PhD candidate at Yale University, and she's currently Do you want to give an explanation of what exactly you do?  [00:00:31] Maoli Vizcaíno: Yes. Um, I am a fourth year PhD candidate here, um, at Yale. I study foraminifera, which are marine plankton, and a bit of paleocenography. Slash, I guess, kind of more modern these days, also modern like, like marine ecology.  [00:00:51] Diya Gaur: Yeah. That's amazing.  Maoli's Journey into Marine Ecology [00:00:53] Diya Gaur: So my first question is like, how did you get into this? This is like such a niche and like fascinating field. So is there a certain experience or like? You know, just any event that kind of led you into what you do now. [00:01:05] Maoli Vizcaíno: Yes, um, yeah, so I had, um, this was not a life dream of mine. I did not grow up dreaming of the ocean, aside from, I feel like, really regular, like, yeah, let's go to the beach, because it's vacation vibes. Um, I, um, you know, I went to college, um, I got into college. I went to college. That was like, kind of the goal was ultimately college. And then I got there and I was like, oh, I need to, uh, figure out what I'm doing here. Exactly. So I took a bunch of intro classes as one does, and my freshman year, one of my professors would advertise. job opportunities at the end of her class.  First Research Experience [00:01:45] Maoli Vizcaíno: And, um, I applied, I hated my, oh, uh, this was my sophomore year actually, my sophomore fall. So I hated my current job. Um, so I applied to work in her lab and I was just doing sample prep. So it was like, she had these rocks and I worked in the lab to, to solve them and pick out microfossils. Yeah. So I literally was just doing that as a job for like almost a year. And then I got a fellowship. a research fellowship and kept doing it like more seriously. And so I think, um, not to, you know, start with the life lessons, you know, two minutes into the recording, but like, you really don't, there are so many people who are so amazing and know what they want to do their whole life and are super dedicated to it. And that's awesome. Um, and also though, you don't have to. I didn't. And even my job, my first like research job, I got it because I was just working in the lab. She just needed someone to do the really tedious stuff. And I was like, I'm getting paid 15 an hour. I'm from Texas, which I mentioned to you before. So moving from Texas to Massachusetts, I was like, man, um, wow, 15 an hour, like I'll dissolve as many rocks as you want me to. So. Yeah, anyway, I didn't know what I wanted to do and that job opportunity was literally just looking for a job and I ended up becoming more interested and working on that. And yeah, and so  [00:03:07] Maoli Vizcaíno: that first pro

Jennifer Peña, former GeoForce student and now an outreach coordinator, gives us the inside scoop on how the program has evolved, and why it’s still rocking today. From the days of quizzes galore to the current project-based fun, Jennifer shares how GeoForce has learned to keep things fresh, exciting, and way less stressful. She walks us through the 10th-grade academy, where students build canyons out of Play-Doh (yep, you read that right) and get up close with geology in places like Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon while using the scientific methods! —————— Did you like this podcast? Leave us a rating and review! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you get podcasts.  Got a lava questions or want to be featured next? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu —————— Transcript GeoForce Program Evolution [00:26:01] Diya Gaur: So, also, like, As a previous GeoForce student yourself and now like an outreach coordinator for GeoForce, how do you think like the program has like kind of changed from then versus now?  [00:26:13] Jennifer Peña: I feel like then, also just in the way kind of society was then whenever I was doing it, especially on things like test taking, quiz taking, all of that sort of thing. Whenever I was in the program, every single day we had quizzes. So at the end of every single academy, we would have a quiz, and at the end, like on that last day, we would have a final. It was intense! It was very much Even though, in all honesty, do I think GeoForce would have kicked out half of the kids? No. Do I also think half of the kids would be failing the GeoForce test? No. We were all nerds, and we were all very, like, worried and anxious people. Or little kids. So, I think we were fine. But it was still, it made us very anxious a little bit, and so seeing now this change to more so a project based, um, curriculum is really great, just because it then gives you guys the tools to work together as teams when it's something like the 9th grade, so now we do a 9th grade project at the end of it, where they work as, like, counselor groups or mini counselor groups, So that's really great, or in things like the 10th grade, wherever you guys do a project, and you do, you model a canyon by yourself, so it gives you that create, creativity, and that space to do what, what you would like to do, but also connect it to education, and connect it to what you've been learning throughout the week. So to see that change has been really great. Also, I I really like the 12th grade now, even though I will say whenever I was doing the 12th grade, it being the first one in Austin. And not, um, D. C., which it used to be. It was, it was sad, you know? They had been promising us, oh, on your last year, you're gonna go to Washington, D. C., and it'll be really fun. And at that point, we had traveled every single year, because whenever I was doing the program, the ninth grade was in Florida. And so we had been traveling every single year, so this last year being in Austin was kind of, kind of a downer a little bit for some of us. Um, but being in Austin then made us kind of want to go to UT and realize how interesting it is. So that was a really good change that they made whenever I was in the program. But the fact that now we give you guys these, like, tangible skills at the end of it, and really want you to gain something from GeoForce, whether it be geology or not, is really cool. Um, so just these STEM kind of points and these really good skills that you can use regardless of if you go to the Jackson School or if you study geology. I've seen that change in the program and I've really, really enjoyed it.  [00:29:08] Diya Gaur: That is amazing.  10th Grade Academy Highlights [00:29:11] Diya Gaur: So you did mention the 10th grade, like, canyon modeling project, we, I remember doing that as well, where we had, like, the different colors of play doh, and we put it all together, and then we got judged on how good it was, but on tha

How do hands-on experiences translate into skills in the workforce? On this episode of the Art of Subduction, we hear from GeoFORCE alum Jennifer Peña and her journey in both pursuing and working in the geosciences! Hear about her GeoFORCE experience, and how her experiences have helped shape her career. —————— Did you like this podcast? Leave us a rating and review! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you get podcasts.  Got a lava questions or want to be featured next? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu ——————   Transcript iously, because, you know, parents. They were just kind of waiting for that at the end of orientation slide to say, okay, well now it's cost this much and this much and this much to do the trips. But they were very happy when it did not say that, so that was great. Um, and then doing it all throughout four years was pretty wonderful.  Discovering a Passion for Geology [00:01:44] Jennifer Peña: I will say I did not initially get into GeoForce because I was in love with rocks. I was more so in love with the idea of having these new experiences, you know, meeting these new people, especially people outside of my hometown. And then it just so happened that doing it, I fell in love with geology a little bit. And after our 11th grade trip, which is for Geo4s, for people who don't know, is the trip that we go to the Pacific Northwest and we go to places like Mount Hood, Crater Lake. Being there, I realized, okay, well, I can do geology. Like, it's interesting. It's more than just these beautiful places, you know, there is science behind it and there's reasoning behind it. And so that kind of interested me. And then our twelfth grade trip, my year was the first year they brought us to Austin, and the first year they started doing, like, the Austin trip as the twelfth grade trip, and so it really kind of solidified that I was going to apply to UT after being here. I realized, okay, well, I'll do that. I'll do geology at UT, I'll apply, let's see what happens. And then I was fortunate enough to get in, and so then I did my Bachelor's in Geoscience here at UT. It was pretty, pretty fun. Pretty good time.  [00:03:01] Diya Gaur: Wow. That's amazing. Actually, yeah, I can relate to that a lot, myself, as like, you know, I went on these GeoForce trips, and now I actually want to pursue a major in Geology, so to hear that from you, like, as someone who shares that experience, like, super inspiring, that's really cool. Yeah,  [00:03:17] Jennifer Peña: it's, it's insane. And I don't think I would have, if I were to talk to my ninth grade self, she would not say, oh you're doing geology and you did this and you did that, you're working for GeoForce, like none of that, none of that would have even like come to my mind. But after all these experiences, I don't know, GeoForce just hooked me in a little bit. True,  [00:03:38] Diya Gaur: true.  Studying Geosciences at UT [00:03:38] Diya Gaur: So, I mean, how would you describe your overall experience, like, studying at UT and the geosciences there?  [00:03:45] Jennifer Peña: Studying at UT was really incredible because it allowed me to do so many things within the realm of geology. I will say whenever I did come into it, I kind of came into it with the base, Of, okay, I'm gonna do geology, I'm gonna go to oil and gas, and that's my life. Like, that is what's gonna happen, and that's how I'm gonna make money, and that's how I'm gonna, like, progress. Because that's kind of all I knew, and at the time, GeoForce was more so interested in showing that aspect of it, because that was a lot of our donor base. And so, that's really kind of most of what I knew about geology. And then coming to the Jackson School, I realized there's so much more, and there's so many more possibilities. Like, I didn't even know about hydrogeology or anything like that until I got here, and I saw that people were majoring in that, and people were making their whole lives around things of

In this episode of The Art of Subduction, Diya reconnects with GeoFORCE coordinator Eleanor Cote to explore the impact of hands-on learning and accessibility in geosciences. They discuss GeoFORCE’s 11th-grade academy's trip to the Pacific Northwest, where students come face-to-face with formations like Mount St. Helens and Crater Lake. Eleanor and Diya reflect on the importance of hands-on learning, especially when it comes to their own learning. Hear more from Eleanor on what it was like to study geology at UT Austin, how she overcame its challenges, and why it’s beneficial to study geology.   Stay tuned for part 2! —————— Did you like this podcast? Leave us a rating and review! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you get podcasts.  Got a lava questions or want to be featured next? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu —————— Transcript [00:00:00] Diya Gaur: Hello and welcome to The Artist's Production. My name is Diya and today I'm here with… [00:00:17] Eleanor Cote: with Eleanor! My name is Eleanor. I am a coordinator with I've been a program coordinator now for two years, and I had the pleasure of having Diya as one of my students for two of the summers.  [00:00:35] Diya Gaur: Yay!  [00:00:36] Eleanor Cote: 11th and 12th grade, right? Yes. Yes. So, Eleanor was one of my coordinators for the 11th grade academy, as well as the 12th grade academy. Um, it was super fun actually, like 12th grade we did like the research project and then 11th grade is what you're coordinating now, right?  [00:00:55] Eleanor Cote: Um, so I, program coordinators typically do, um, a couple of different things. Academies per summer, but it doesn't necessarily stay the same each summer. So, for example, last summer, I did, um, one of the 9th grades, I did two 10th grades, and then I did the 11th grade that you were on, um, then this summer, I did a 9th grade, I did, um, two 11th grades and then I did the 12th grade so I think next summer I'll probably be following along the two 11th grade academies that I had so I'll go and be with them on the 12th grade and then I'm not too sure what they're going to give me it kind of depends on just availability and then sometimes they want us to follow some of the groups that we had but it's not always a guarantee so yeah I think the schedule's out right now but I'm not I'm not too Like, I'm not for sure yet which one I'm doing, so, TBD. [00:01:51] Diya Gaur: Can you tell me a bit more about the 11th grade academy and what goes on during it?  [00:01:57] Eleanor Cote: Yeah, absolutely. So, the 11th grade, as you remember, is probably Coined as one of our best trips just because we take our students to a completely new environment. And so, um, just a bit of background, uh, the ninth grade students, they stay in Texas and they do like, um, life of the sediment, learn about the rock cycle, um, just introduction to geology, um, sophomore year, they go to Utah and Arizona. So it's sort of like the American Southwest kind of desert environments, which it's hot. And many students in Texas know that that's, you know, what Texas is like too, so it's not unfamiliar to them. But then going up to the Pacific Northwest on the 11th grade trip We take students up to, uh, places like Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood, and we see, um, like these big stratovolcanoes that you're not used to seeing in Texas at all. I think there is one quote unquote volcano in Austin. It's called Pilot Knob, and it literally just looks like this. A hill. So, um, students get to see these actual, like, big volcanoes for the first time, and then we talk to them a lot about geologic hazards, and what life is like on an active margin, and so, life on the coast, up in Oregon and Washington, you are sitting right on an active margin, and so, there is a lot of tectonic activity happening, um, You got, uh, plates subducting into one another, causing, um, you know, melt, and so that's why you have this line of volcanoes running from, I think it'

What do soccer, summer camps, and volcanoes have in common? For Mitchel Lambert, they all came together in the perfect storm to shape his role as a coordinator for GeoForce. In this episode, Mitchel opens up about his unexpected journey from sports administration to guiding high school students through the wild world of geology. From drone mapping to discussions about earthquakes, we dive into how GeoForce takes learning outside the classroom and shows students the real impact of geoscience on their lives. Got a lava questions or want to be featured next? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu —————— Transcript Personal Experiences and Reflections [00:24:20] Diya Gaur: What was one of your favorite, like, moments during the 12th grade academy? There were just so many. If I were to answer the question myself, I think one thing, not my favorite, but something memorable that I remember is that when we were stuck at the vending machines on the first day of camp, um, I was with my best friend Nadia, who you also know, and we went to go buy some snacks from the vending machines, and so we were trying to buy multiple items at once and then, you know, It just wouldn't dispense, and so Jennifer almost came up and checked on us, like, Okay, like, what is going on? And, I mean, it's just, kind of those moments that you also carry, like, as a GeoForce student, the interactions with staff members, fellow GeoForce people, it's just amazing, and so that's, like, a lot of things that I can take away from it. You know, my interactions with people, like my fellow students there, the staff members, as well as the guest speakers. Like, I've had such amazing conversations with some of the, like, guest speakers and also the research group leads and mentors, which we had at the Kiesling Lab, which is where I was doing the ice sheet modeling at J. J. Pickle. I just had so much of, like, meaningful conversation added to my experience there. It kind of just gave me another fresh perspective into the geologies. So I mean, that's super memorable and like one of my favorite parts of geology and geoforce. So I want to ask that question to you. What is your favorite part of geoforce, more specific to the 12th grade academy?  [00:25:48] Mitchel Lambert: Yeah, so I, pre summer, um, Jennifer and I had a number of conversations with Jamie Austin who, you know, has been a part of geoforce for a long time. He's been working at UTIG for 46 years. Like he has been around from geoforce. Um, early on, he used to lead every single one of our 12th grade academies, and what he would do, he was telling us, like, he would make students stand up at the front, in front of all of their peers, and tell them, do their career aspiration pitch, of like, this is who I am, like, this is where I'm from, I, this is why I initially got involved in GeoForce, you know, and this is what I wanna do with my, you know, when I go to school, when I go to college, this is what I wanna study, and this is what I wanna do for my career. Um, and he was like, I'm gonna make them stand up in front of everybody. In my head, I'm like, I am the a huge extrovert, I'm here for it. I have worked with so many kids who are like not about it at all and speak in front of people, and I'm like, how is this gonna go? He is like certain that this is gonna work, and I am like, I don't know if this is gonna work, but like, night one of that first group that went up, when Tim Gouge's group went up, and they all, like, had been practicing throughout the day, and they all crushed it, I was like, oh, this is gonna be, like, meaningful, to, like, sit here and listen to all the students and have them, you know, talk about, you know, how they got engaged with GeoForce, what they wanna do, um, hearing all these people saying, like, oh, I'm gonna go, uh, be a cardiac surgeon, or I'm gonna do Neurosurgery, or I'm gonna go into geosciences. I'm gonna be a geophysicist and study earthquakes specifically. Having all the stud

Join us on this episode of The Art of Subduction as we explore the various opportunities youth outreach programs like GeoFORCE offer to aspiring geologists! Diya and Mitchel share their journeys of their involvement in geology and youth outreach programs, and how these experiences sparked their passion for what they do! Did you like this podcast? Leave us a rating and review! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you get podcasts.  Got a lava questions (or want to be featured)? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu   Transcript: Introduction and Personal Interests in Geosciences [00:00:00] Mitchel Lambert: Was there a specific topic or, um, thing that, like, you latched onto and was like, oh, this, I want to learn more about this, or this is what I want to do, geosciences, or this changed my mind? Like, was there a specific, like, topic or, you know, lecture or field stop that kind of grabbed you?  [00:00:17] Diya Gaur: Yeah, so, okay, it kind of stems from the podcast name as well, but subduction for sure. Like, in the 11th grade academy, we kind of, like, learned about plate tectonics, because one of the main things that we were learning was And that is how these volcanoes, like mountain range, form. And for me it's just, I thought that was like, super interesting and cool, and like, one, I just don't know why, but I just think volcanoes are super cool, like, I could just keep on learning about them and like, just never get tired of it, it's just kind of been like that for me. And just also, I kind of want to pursue geobiology, and so it's like learning how geology interacts with people like us, and even just animals overall, like that's such an important, such an important aspect that we need to consider, and so it's kind of just my love for learning that kind of keeps on fueling why I wanted to go into geoforce and that type of stuff. But yeah, like, the art of subduction.  [00:01:12] Mitchel Lambert: Perfect. I love it. Meet the Hosts: Diya and Mitchell [00:01:41] Diya Gaur: Okay, so, just a bit about me. If you don't already know me, what you do. But my name is Diya, I go to Lamar High School in Houston, Texas, and I'm in 12th grade. I recently just went on GeoForce 12th grade summer academy, which was just last month, and I studied ice sheets in Western Antarctica and Mars. Can you tell me a bit about yourself, what you do in GeoForce?  [00:02:03] Mitchel Lambert: Of course, yeah, so, um, I'm Mitchell Lambert, I am a GeoForce coordinator, um, I have just finished my second summer with GeoForce, I had you both on two academies, one this summer, one last summer, um, it was great, I've done a total of eight academies, um, one, at least one with all of our different grade levels, um, so, it's been great, it's been great. I don't know anything about geology. I do all of the logistic stuff and everything like that. As you know, um, like, making sure we get from A to B, I am not the person who tells y'all what the rocks are, what we're looking at, anything along those lines.  Mitchell's Journey to GeoForce [00:02:38] Diya Gaur: So, you didn't, like, initially come from a background in geology, what did you do before becoming a GeoForce coordinator? [00:02:45] Mitchel Lambert: Yeah, so my, you know, degree was in sports administration, um, and I did some stuff with Rec Soccer Leagues, I was a soccer coach, gymnastics coach for a long time. Um, I have been working in summer programs, though, since I was a junior in college. And so, for the last 12 summers, I have been working in some summer program here and there. Um, I was at Project Transformation for 10 years across two different chapters, um, before coming over to, to be at GeoForce. And I worked with, like, little kids from, like, 2 to 5, elementary, youth. High school, I was the person who sat over the entire site, and then I came on in like a full time staff role and was the person who hired young adults to work with kids and teach them how to live togeth

What happens when a kid who finds geology “gross” ends up running a program that changes the lives of future earth scientists? Jasmine Gulick, the senior program coordinator for GeoForce, takes us on a whirlwind tour from eighth grade science fairs to field trips that shape careers. We talk about how GeoForce hooks students on geology, the unexpected journey to loving rocks and volcanoes, and why it’s not just about getting your hands dirty (but rather, about getting inspired to shape the future of our planet). Whether you're a future geologist or just someone who's still wondering what makes earth science so cool, this episode will make you rethink what rocks can really do.   Got a lava questions? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu —————— Transcript very rich patron would maybe hire someone to, you know, study whatever they wanted to study, and that's like, this is the modern version of that. Our patrons are now these big National Science Foundation or NASA grants, and you have to Have to ask your patrons for the money to keep researching. And universities themselves. Universities are the biggest funders of research. And that's a very special thing about the United States in general. There's a lot of really cool research being done all over the world and all over different institutions, but the U. S. specifically has a, our university system has a very big emphasis on research, and being a research institution is a really big deal. Uh, so It's a really cool part about our education system.  [00:56:43] Diya Gaur: And just like, to add on to that as well, like, I was actually researching this because I'm applying for college as well, right? So I was wondering, like, for geology majors specifically, how do they get to go on exchanges to these different institutions and continue, like, studying geology there as an undergraduate major? How exactly is the process? And yeah.  [00:57:04] Jasmine Gulick: Yeah, so they're different, just like any, um, major that you might be in. At any institution, there is study abroad opportunities, um, and some of those are major specific and some of them are generalized, uh, but certainly when it comes to UT, which is a rather large institution, there are several opportunities, uh, for our students to study abroad in different, uh, colleges that they have kind of a, an agreement with to study, specific things. Um, it's also something that is very, very common in the field of geoscience when it comes to what's called your post doc, your post doctoral research. So in the geosciences, if you want to do research, uh, you have to get a doctorate. You can get a master's, you can get a bachelor's and do stuff, you can get a master's and do stuff, but if you want to specifically do research, it's really, really common that you need a doctorate degree. So that final level, a PhD, um, of research and In the sciences, especially in the geosciences, you do get paid. So you don't ever have to pay to get your doctorate. Once you get to that level of graduate school, they pay you to get your doctoral degree. You usually actually get paid as part of one of those grants we were talking about. So written in those grants is money for the researchers to have students working on that project. Um, so when you become a PhD student, you are assigned a specific research project that you're going to be working on, um, as part of your doctoral research. So you'll, you'll get your doctorate, and then you seek out opportunities, uh, to continue doing research. These are, like I said, called postdocs, and those postdocs can take you all over the world. I know my dad, his first postdoc after he got his PhD was six months in Japan. Wow. So he went to Japan for six months, yeah, doing research with the Ring of Fire. Um, and there's a lot of opportunities like that. I know of researchers that went to Spain for nine months or Argentina, uh, or, you know, or other places in the United States. If you want to go experience what i

Here we have a chat with Jasmine Gulick, a coordinator of the GeoFORCE 9th grade academy. What is GeoFORCE? Why should you be interested in geology? — All the burning questions to get you introduced into geology, answered! Did you like this podcast? Leave us a rating and review! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you get podcasts.  Got a lava questions? Email me at dgaur@utexas.edu —————— Transcript Introduction to the Art of Subduction [00:00:00] Diya Gaur: Okay, welcome everyone to the Art of Subduction. This is episode three and we're with Jasmine. from UT Austin, and she is a coordinator for the Jackson School of Geosciences GeoForce program. So Jasmine, if you would like to introduce yourself.  Jasmine's Journey into Geology [00:00:42] Diya Gaur: Hi everyone,  [00:00:43] Jasmine Gulick: my name is Jasmine Gulick. I am the senior program coordinator for GeoForce, which means that I am currently the Longest standing and most experienced coordinator on staff with GeoForce. Um, I never intended to get into, uh, the field of geology. A fun fact about me is that my dad is a marine geophysicist, and when I was growing up in the way that geophysics was, Kids often are. I was like, I think geology's terrible and weird and gross because my dad did it. So obviously I wanted nothing to do with it. And then after college, I, uh, as I was sort of like looking for jobs, I was looking for coordinator jobs specifically because I've always really enjoyed logistical planning, um, and things of that nature. And I've always worked in education and, uh, summer camps. So, when I saw GeoForce, I was like, oh, this is amazing, this gets to combine my, you know, love of education, but also my love of science in general, and, and, you know, that outdoorsy nature of, of the program. Uh, so I applied, and I, I got the job as a coordinator, uh, almost six years ago now, so, uh, it's been pretty exciting. Actually, over six years ago now. Wow. Yeah, so it's been a really fun journey. I've had so much, so many amazing memories and experiences with this program, so I'm really happy to be here to talk about it. [00:02:06] Diya Gaur: Yeah, I mean, I'm really glad about your experiences as well.  Impact of GeoForce on Students [00:02:09] Diya Gaur: So I met Jasmine in eighth grade. She came to my middle school and basically gave me a presentation about what GeoForce was. And that's initially how I got involved in the program. And I think she's like the first person I really met from GeoForce. Um, I still remember the like presentation and the slides, which we were presented and that was in my science class during the pandemic. So even though it was virtual, I was like, Yeah, I like this program, I'm gonna stick with it, and I'm gonna see how it goes, and I think, like, GeoForce made such a big decision in what I want to do now, in, like, pursuing geology as an undergraduate major. [00:02:43] Jasmine Gulick: Always so wonderful to hear, and stories like that are absolutely why we do this program. Like, the reason I'm still here six years later is because of students like you, and the ones that really, you know, this is, uh, an experience that is so special because people don't get a lot of earth science education in school, there's like a little bit in middle school, and then the only earth science in high school is if you take it as an elective, and not every school even offers that, uh, so we find GeoForce to be so, so special and important because The geosciences are such an important field, um, and such a big field that really touches every aspect of our future, whether it's in industry or science exploration, space or the ocean or whatever it might be, right? So I love to hear the stories of all the students who've been touched by this program.  [00:03:30] Diya Gaur: And like, also just like, I know GeoForce is mainly just for Texas, but I just think that one reason why I was inspired to start my podcast as well is because w