Is Geology for me?

In this series of interviews, we chat to geology graduates and friends of the School of Earth Sciences about their connection to geology and what a career in geology looks like.

'I think field trip-based learning is different to any other kind of learning that you experience at university, because you're taken out into the field, and you're asked to think for yourself. In a lot of other programs I wasn't getting that kind of stimulation. I think it encouraged a kind of community discussion and learning that I didn't get in other courses. It was a really eye-opening experience.'

Grace Fitzgerald, 2019 UCD Geology Graduate, talks to us about how she first became interested in geology, what the UCD degree was like, and what she has been up to since graduating. Read the full interview here. 

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'To me, geology is the study of the Earth, it's not the study of rocks. Geology includes past climates, earthquakes, volcanoes, the history of life on Earth, dinosaurs and planetary geology. The people (and robots!) studying Mars are earth scientists! I think people often don't quite realize the variety on offer when you study earth sciences or geology.'

Dr Nick Scroxton, postdoctoral researcher in UCD’s School of Earth Sciences and Marie-Skłodowska Curie and Irish Research Council CAROLINE Fellow talks to us about his career in geoscience so far. Read the full interview here.

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'I liked that the class was quite small and that there was a personal, informal atmosphere. I enjoyed the fact that the lecturers also told us about their personal research. It was this personal atmosphere in UCD that struck up a love of geology inside me.'

 

Ffion visited UCD as an Erasmus student in 2019. Read about Ffion's experience here.

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"Understanding the Earth quantitatively is the best challenge, the best adventure, you can embark upon. It's a very challenging, but very satisfying process, because you look at the world with totally different eyes when you understand its geology."

From geophysics to machine learning to video games, we chat with Dr Aline Melo, Lecturer/Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fellow. Read the full interview here. 

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"I use my degree in ways that I didn't expect. Understanding the different ways in which rock formations were formed and how they relate to each other, as well as thinking in geological timescales, is very important and useful."

 

Corine Oggell is a graduate of our school and works as a hydrogeologist. Read the full interview here. 

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"My favourite thing about being a geologist is the way that we can apply the more traditional sciences to a subject that is relevant to our daily lives. When a bridge collapses or a landslide disrupts a railway line, those things are often rooted fundamentally in geology"

Dr Claire Harnett, Ad Astra Fellow, UCD School of Earth Sciences. Read the full interview here. 

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"What drew me to geology was being out in nature and the feeling of discovery that you get when doing fieldwork. I love the beauty of the natural landscape and being able to see geology in all its glory. If that element wasn't there, I'd probably be doing something else."

 

Dr Lawrence Amy, Lecturer and Assitant Professor, UCD School of Earth Sciences. Read the full interview here.