Sean Scott (BS Geology, 2009)

This year has been a big year! I have recently finished my PhD at the University of Wyoming, and also got married the day before graduation at Vedauwoo in the Laramie Range, Wyoming. We were married amongst the 1.4 billion year old Sherman Granite, a fitting place for two geologists!

For the last year of my PhD, I was living in the Appalachian Mountains near Blacksburg, Virginia. Being from the west, it has been very enlightening to live in such a different place than what I am used to. I have lived in the Cascades, southern Rio Grande Rift, and within the Rocky Mountains that formed during the Laramide orogeny, which are all relatively young. Living in the Appalachians allowed me to see a much older aspect of the geological evolution of North America!

Next, I will be moving to Madison, Wisconsin to start a post-doctoral research position in the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I will be using the same techniques I have used as a geologist (isotope geochemistry and mass spectrometry) to investigate issues more closely related to human health. I am excited to start a new position that will allow me to explore additional isotope systems, specifically non-traditional stable isotope systems like cadmium, copper, chromium, and others!

Lastly, I always make sure to point out how fondly I remember my years at Central Washington University. After spending time in several other geology departments, both in the US and abroad, I am convinced that CWU Geology provides top tier geological education! I am so lucky to have attended CWU!