257-13 Laboratory Research Experiences for High School Students, a Student’s Perspective

Session: Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals (Posters)

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Our new U/Pb and Hf isotope data show that the rocks from Coats Land, Antarctica match the rocks from El Paso, Texas. This observation supports the hypothesis that Coats Land was once part of Laurentia (ancestral North America) near west Texas. This research was one part of a larger NSF-funded project led by Staci Loewy and Ian Dalziel. I worked with Dr. Loewy as a high school student during a summer research program at the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. 

During that week I engaged in Dr. Loewy’s daily activities. This gave me insight into the routines and challenges that a research scientist faces. Specifically, I learned how to pivot and continue making progress when things don’t go as expected. Our group used an excimer laser ablation system. During the first scheduled day of machine time, the laser stopped working. Instead of stopping progress we analyzed an existing data set to learn how to use Excel and IsoplotR to ensure that when the laser was operational again, we would be ready to process the new data. Excel is widely used and the skills I gained will be very useful in any career I choose. The research activities introduced me to laser ablation mass spectrometry, expanding my knowledge and confidence with technology. While high school classes help with the acquisition of knowledge, they commonly leave out real life applications. This project allowed me to use my existing knowledge from chemistry classes and apply it to a professional research situation. Furthermore, this project facilitated my interaction with people from other schools and with different  lifestyles. I gained interpersonal skills as we collaborated to create our final project and increased my scientific knowledge of the subject. Our group tested an hypothesis, processed real data, summarized observations, and drew conclusions based on our data. We created a research poster to summarize our work, and I learned how to present findings in a professional and scientific way. Being able to present our conclusions was inspiring as I was able to see the scope of our contributions to a real research question. These opportunities helped to grow my professional, technical, and social skills and have invigorated my love of geosciences. 

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-11287

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