Transfer Decision Day

#UCDavis #Transfers #DecisionDay

As a transfer student, I always want to reach out to new transfers and give them early access to resources I learned about later in my progression at school. I was given the opportunity to be a tour guide for the (possible) incoming transfer students into the Geology Department. I took the transfer students and their families around our building and introduced them to various research labs while the PI's (Principle Investigator) or a Ph.D. student informed them about the lab and what work they wanted to accomplish.

I spoke with the students and their parents about all of the opportunities that UC Davis offers, not just to it's geology students, but to it's students holistically. I was able to answer questions about sports, student development centers, housing, financial aid, and the transfer process as a whole. I was also able to create an inquisitive environment between the researchers and the prospective students. Because I knew most of the researchers and their work, I could ask more pointed questions, and get them to give more details than their superficial or sometimes complex elevator pitch.

This opportunity built up my confidence in a number of ways. Firstly, it gave me confidence that my department understood that I could be a representative, or literally the face of the department to the prospective students. The department had asked me to do this for them, and I accepted gladly. Secondly, I felt like a comfortable transition between the department and the students it serves. UC Davis has provided me with a ton of fantastic opportunities and I want to share that with other students who have been in my position and are weighing all of their options. Finally, the prospective students felt free to ask me all of their questions. I appreciated that they felt comfortable with me enough to ask me personal questions as we transitioned between lab areas. To me, this meant that I am an approachable resource and can effectively help others like me, which is exactly what I want to do in life.

Photo: Dylan Spaulding of the Shockwave Lab presents his research focus to prospective incoming geology undergraduate students.

Ring Mountain Field Trip

#RingMountain #fieldtrip #geology

For our Metamorphic Petrology Class we visited Ring Mountain, in Marin County, which display serpentinite matrix melanges of the Franciscan subduction complex. Here, we were able to see evidence of multiple burial-exhumation cycles and subduction erosion. We were also able to observe more rare rock types like eclogite, amphibolite, and coarse-grained schist.

Translating Your Science Panel

#TYScience2019

As part of her outreach and collaboration within her Ph.D., Babs created and led a panel of renown scientists in various fields to talk to us about "translating science", meaning explaining our science to any age and any background. The panel consisted of Maya Wildgoose, Zack Valdez, Faith Kearns, and Andy Fell.

I was participating as a student, and also as media reporting. I live-streamed, or more correctly, live-tweeted the panel's discussion. Babs led the panel through some questions and also managed questions from the audience. After the panel discussion, we had lunch, then broke into small groups where we could talk to the panelists about perfecting our "elevator pitch". Most people are aware of the elevator pitch, but in science, this could be used as a way to gain a collaborator, or a new mentor in your field. Or to even just gain interested contacts in institutions you've wanted to be apart of. I'll admit that even I, with maybe the least amount of research experience compared to the rest of the audience which was filled with graduate students and professors, still had trouble breaking down my science into a chew-able, tasty soundbite.

To this day, the idea of translating your science sticks with me. It's a concept that everyone could work on--communicating at each other's level.