Diversity - Geobiology & Geomicrobiology Division

Welcome to the Diverse Faces of Geobiology

This website highlights the stories and research of folks from traditionally marginalized demographics who have helped build the field of Geobiology. In doing this, we hope to:

Show appreciation to scientists in our community who may have experienced marginalization
Give aspiring and early-career geobiologists examples of people they can identify with Send the clear message that our field welcomes, values, and was built by people of a wide range of demographics
Provide a resource for educators wishing to highlight people from underrepresented groups and the contributions they have made
Provide a resource for geobiologists to discover the work of people from outside their network, thereby stimulating new collaborations and research directions in our dynamic, interdisciplinary field
Actively combat racism and bigotry in our discipline, in science, and in our communities

We welcome you to check out the bios below. Please come back often; we will be continually updating this page with new faces!

Dr. Estella Atekwana

Biogeophysics

Dean, College of Earth, Ocean, & Environment
University of California, Davis

Dr. Estella Atekwana grew up in Cameroon, where as a little girl a teacher once told her that geology was not for girls. She took that as a challenge...

#biogeophysics #deep biosphere #geomicrobiology #women of geobiology #black geobiologists #African geobiologists #outstanding educators #distinguished career #family life #dual-career couples

Dr. Eliot Atekwana

Geochemistry

Professor, Earth Sciences
University of California, Davis

Dr. Eliot Atekwana began his scientific career researching landfill leachate retention for his undergraduate senior thesis. The project kindled an interest in hydrogeology and geochemistry...

#biogeophysics #deep biosphere #geochemistry #carbonates #environmental geomicrobiology #Black geobiologists #distinguished career #family life #dual-career couples

Dr. Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe

Geoscience

Professor of Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
College of Engineering and Computing
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T)

Dr. Oboh-Ikuenobe is the epitome of resilience. Despite being a Nigerian woman, whose expertise was often not respected early in her career, her unbending resolve led her to achieve great success...

#palynology #sedimentology #paleoecology #biostratigraphy #women of geobiology #Black geobiologists #African geobiologists

Riley Black

Science Writer

Freelance Science Writer, Vertebrate Paleontologist
Salt Lake City, Utah
Author of Skeleton Keys, My Beloved Brontosaurus, and Written in Stone

Riley is the author of some of our favorite books and articles about all things paleontology. She has written several critically-acclaimed popular science books for adults and kiddos alike...

#paleontology #vertebrate paleontology #dinosaurs #science writing #science communication #LGBTQ+ geobiologists #trans geobiologists #mental health #fieldwork

Dr. Paula Welander

Geomicrobiology

Associate Professor, Earth System Science
Stanford University

Paula is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation college graduate who took a circuitous path to find, and then become a leader in, the field of geobiology. ...

#geomicrobiology #biomarkers #lipid biosynthesis #Latinx geobiologists #women of geobiology #first-generation college graduates #work-life balance #passion for teaching #finding a faculty position

Dr. James Scott

Geomicrobiology

Assistant Professor, Earth Sciences (Deceased)
Dartmouth College

A tribute to James Scott by Ken Nealson

James Scott was one of the smartest, most insightful, and beloved people who ever worked in my laboratory...

Read more

#geomicrobiology #extremophiles #astrobiology #Black geobiologists #passion for teaching #undergraduate research

Dr. Amanda Garcia

Astrobiology

NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Arizona, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Dr. Amanda Garcia began her undergraduate education determined to study fine art. Leaving her hometown of Los Angeles behind, she packed her bags and moved across the country to attend art school on the east coast....

#astrobiology, #paleobiology, #paleoenzymology, #women of geobiology, #Latinx geobiologists, #outstanding educators, #postdocs

Dr. Lisa White

Paleontology

Director of Education and Outreach
University of California Museum of Paleontology

Dr. Lisa White is a San Francisco native, who grew up a block away from the California Academy of Sciences. While she loved visiting museums and seeing the specimens, she never imagined that she would one day be working as a director of education at a research museum...

#paleontology, #paleobiology, #diatom micropaleontology, #geoscience education

Contacts

The project is being coordinated by Dr. Carie Frantz (cariefrantz@weber.edu). For the fastest response, please put “Diverse Faces of Geobiology” somewhere in the subject header.

Dr. Rowan Martindale (martindale@jsg.utexas.edu) and Dr. Vicky Petryshyn (petryshy@usc.edu) are the Chair and Vice-Chair of the GBGM division. This website has been built and is maintained by Dr. David Gold (dgold@ucdavis.edu). You can contact them with any concerns.

You can find out more about the Geobiology and Geomicrobiology Division of the Geological Society of America (a.k.a. GBGM) here: https://community.geosociety.org/gbgm