Where did you grow up? If not in Richmond, how long have you
lived here, and what brought you here?
I grew up in northeast
Ohio—Warren, to be exact. I have lived
in Virginia since 2007, but my home is actually close to Williamsburg. I graduated from the University of Georgia
with my Ph.D. in 2007 and moved to Virginia with my family to do a visiting
assistant professorship at the College of William and Mary.
When and why did you get interested in Geology?
I have loved geology since I
was a child. I had a box of rocks that I
collected on walks in the park with my grandpa, or from the gravel driveway at
my aunt’s house. For my third grade
science fair project, I classified the rocks from that box and it’s been in my
blood ever since! When I started college
at Penn State University, I began as an engineering major, but after three
semesters, I just wasn’t excited by what I was learning. One afternoon my sophomore year, I stumbled
across a mineral museum on campus and it was like finding old friends. I went up to the geoscience department office
and changed my major that day! Geology
is dynamic and exciting—it’s all about our home, our planet. I am captivated by the history recorded in
rocks and fossils. And getting to do
research in the mountains or on the beach is pretty great, too!
How long have you worked for Reynolds?
I have been a professor at
Reynolds since August 2013. I love it
here—I have wonderful colleagues and I truly enjoy getting to know my students.
In 2015 you were chosen to participate in a four year National
Science Foundation project. How is the project progressing?
The SAGE 2YC Change Agents
project is fantastic! Through this
project, I partner with colleagues at Thomas Nelson Community College as one of
ten regional teams around the country who are working to improve geoscience
education at two-year colleges. In
particular, the project aims to increase student success through implementing
research-based best teaching practices, broaden participation in the
geosciences, and foster pathways to geoscience careers. Here in Virginia, my team takes advantage of
resources like the VCCS Science Peer Group meeting to run workshops to share
and present information related to the project goals with other VCCS faculty. We have also gotten 2YC students involved in
career-building and networking opportunities, such as the annual Virginia
Geological Field Conference and Southeastern Geological Society of America
meetings. Check out our website for more info on the
project: https://serc.carleton.edu/sage2yc/teams/virginia/index.html
For the past two years you have been a Faculty Star Award
Recipient. What is the secret to your success as a faculty member?
When I first began teaching, I
attended an National Association of Geoscience Teachers On the Cutting Edge
Early Career workshop for geoscience faculty.
One of the reflections we did asked us to think about our favorite
instructors and consider what they did well.
I most admired teachers who were approachable, genuine, and passionate
about their area of expertise. These are
traits I try to bring to my interactions with students and colleagues.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
I love spending time with my
family—hiking and camping with my husband and 11-year old sons is a great way
to spend a weekend. I also enjoy quiet
time on the couch with a cat or two and a great book. I am a big fan of historical fiction.
If you could travel to any place, where would you go?
Does it only have
to be one place? My students would
probably tell you how I mention all the places I need to geologically
pilgrimage to someday. Right now, top of
the list is Iceland because glaciers, volcanoes, and a divergent plate boundary
all in one country must be visited. I
also have the goal to get to all of the U.S. National Parks in my lifetime—I’ve
done 27 of the current 59 so far. I
would also love to spend time on the International Space Station to be able to
appreciate Earth from a different perspective—I bet Google Earth isn’t quite the
same.
If you won several million dollars what would you do with the
money?
I would invest it in the
stock market to generate more funds for philanthropic purposes—my faith
community, college scholarships, environmental protection, animal welfare, and
public libraries. And I’d probably hit a
few more national parks, too.(Photo from Karen's trip last summer to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington.)
