I am currently a Ph.D. student studying paleontology at the Florida Museum. My main interest are fossil sharks and how their distributional range (where they live) has changed over time. I have been lucky enough to travel to different places to look for fossils, including Florida, Panama, the Nebraska Badlands, and California. My two favorite finds, so far, have been a Megalodon tooth in California, and a carnivore humerus while in the Badlands. Along with the field work, I also develop and put on workshops for K-12 educators to teach them about paleontology and how to bring it back into their classrooms. I love hosting these workshops because I get to share my enthusiasm for paleontology and give teachers fossils to take back to their classrooms.
I do not have data in the same sense as most scientists because I have just begun planning out my research projects for my dissertation. But I have been working on various projects that allow me to try new data-finding tools, including 3D technology like desktop 3D scanners and microCT scanners. This technology has allowed us to scan fossils and do morphometric analysis on the specimens. I’m excited to see where these skills will take me with my research! Through the workshops I’ve designed, I have been able to create fossil kits for teachers and help them teach climate change, evolution, and geologic time, among other topics, using fossils as evidence for change. I’ve learned how to create programs that are impactful for participants by providing them content that they can bring back to their classrooms. I’m looking forward to continuing this aspect of my work. I enjoy having a direct large impact on communities. As for my research, I am interested in figuring out how shark population distributions will change as ocean temperatures change by looking at fossil shark distributions over deep time.
My favorite part of being a paleontologist is being out in the field finding fossils! There is nothing more exciting than finding a fossil because you realize that you are the first person to see a bone of an animal that lived millions of years ago! I also really enjoy taking people out to do fieldwork that have never done it before. To see the joy in their face when they find their first fossil is contagious! I remember how much I love my job and my career because I get to share that enthusiasm with them! My advice to young scientists is to never give up on your dreams! I took an unconventional path to get where I am at, but I am so grateful that I followed every chance I got, even the scary ones! Follow your dreams regardless of what they may be, science or not. It’s not easy and you will have days when you’re ready to give it all up, but know that it is true what they say, when you get to do what you love, it stops feeling like work!
Jennifer. I really enjoyed going over the article on fossil clubs working with students. (I shared Lee Creek reject material with many classrooms until my material ran out.) I was a teacher, administrator and worked in administration with intern teachers at MSU. I have a collection of fossils (touchable ones) with many classrooms of elementary children. I have been with FUMMP since 1991. While I am not an expert, I love sharing with the students my experiences and my “finds.”
I wish I could talk to you sometime about your projects.
Looking forward to “seeing” at our FUMMP meeting this Friday.
Hi Sally, So glad you checked out Jeanette’s post and outreach work. I hope things start to clear up so I can get you into the collection so we can spend more time together! I would LOVE to help with your work reaching K-12 students, what a great age to get them excited about fossils. I have a new outreach project that I think you will like – I will share it with everyone on Friday! See you then!