Page 31 - i1052-5173-26-8
P. 31
Why GSA Membership Connecting the deep-time community
Is Important to Me
Tiffany Rivera on the island of Bornholm, Denmark. STEPPE welcomes 2016 Fellow, Rachel Salter, from
North Dakota State University. Salter is currently pursuing
My membership with GSA has offered me a dual doctoral degree in Evolutionary Biology and STEM
numerous “firsts,” including my first presenta- Education. Salter will work closely with the STEPPE
tion at a conference, my first grant, my first team, consortium members, and collaborators to further
time working on public lands, and first experi- develop education and outreach programs and materials
ences serving on guiding committees. Throughout my career, focused on early career professionals, K–16 students, and
I have found myself looking for opportunities to serve GSA. teachers. Keep your eyes open for her blog posts, which
After a summer as a GeoCorpsTM America intern, I realized will be featured on the STEPPE website (steppe.org).
that GSA is more than just a membership. It is a community
of learners and scientists. It is a way to be involved with STEPPE
geoscience beyond my institution, and a way to give back to
an organization that has given me so many opportunities. Sedimentary Geology, Time, Environment, Paleontology, Paleoclimatology, Energy
PO Box 9140 | Boulder, CO 80301-9140 | 303-357-1012 | steppe.org
Last week, I had another first experience with GSA. Thanks
to funding available through my institution, three of my GSA Today is
undergraduate research students were able to attend the GSA open access online.
Rocky Mountain Section Meeting. I was proud to watch them
present research, participate in student mentoring activities, Go to
and meet other geoscience students. But mostly, I was excited www.geosociety.org/pubs/
to provide them with their first conference experience. and click on the
GSA Today cover.
My GSA membership has evolved from a passive one into a
way for me to be a leader. My membership has also given me a Follow the link on the GSA Today homepage to sign up for
place to advance, and it will be a place for students to flourish e-Alerts and be the first to know when a new issue comes online.
for generations to come.
GSA TODAY | www.geosociety.org/gsatoday
Dr. Tiffany Rivera
Assistant Professor of Geology
Westminster College
GSA Member Since 2006
31
