From earliest childhood, I considered myself a scientist. I was one of those kids that collected bugs and rocks, toads and snakes, seashells and leaves, then went to the library to read books about the things I had found.
My parents encouraged my love of the natural world by taking me hiking and camping and pretty much guaranteeing that I would find more things to add to my collections.
As my collections grew, so did my knowledge. After I learned about the scientific method, I began keeping meticulous notes about my findings and read every book I could find about geology, biology, physics and chemistry.
I developed health problems during my high school years that kept me home a lot and ultimately prevented me from attending college full-time. I took classes when I could and kept reading science books, continually adding to my knowledge.
Years went by and I married and had my first child. I took a long look at my life and decided that, despite my age, I really wanted to complete a science degree. I have always considered education to be important, and I wanted to be a good example to my baby daughter.
When my little girl was 8 months old, I enrolled in college full-time. I can’t tell you how nervous I was, being in a classroom again after so many years, but I was determined to finish my bachelor’s degree.
My first thought was to teach math and science to high school students, but the more I studied and learned, the more education I wanted. I decided to finish up my bachelor’s degree then go to graduate school to study Earth systems science.
Earth systems science is a discipline that seeks to advance our understanding of the Earth by looking at the interrelated systems that make the Earth what it is. Earth systems scientists study chemistry, physics, biology, geology, atmospheric science, mathematics and geospatial modeling to better understand and predict, for example, how changes in the Earth’s atmosphere impact plants or animals, or causes changes in the chemistry of the oceans.
By transcending the normal boundaries that exist between scientific disciplines, Earth systems scientists can step back and get a “big picture” view of current, past and future conditions on our home planet.
There is no question that humans are affecting the Earth, and that many changes have come about because we did not in past decades understand the system-wide impacts of certain human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Earth systems science seeks to correct this deficiency and provide us with the tools to live sustainably on the Earth.
My greatest hope is that the work I am doing as an Earth systems scientist helps to build a better future for my children, and for yours too.