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Partners in Science, in Life, and in Giving Back

A lifelong commitment to promoting young geoscientists is a
passion for a couple who met early in their geophysics careers.
When Carol and Seth Stein crossed paths at the California
Institute of Technology in the late 1970s, Carol was an undergradu-
ate whose brother shared an office with fellow grad student, Seth.
One of the first women to receive a degree in geophysics at Caltech,
Carol explained that at the time, most computing was done in a
computing center: “You handed in your cards and waited an hour.”
Those hours allowed time for the two young geoscientists to get
acquainted, although it wasn’t until Seth was working on his post-
doc and Carol went to grad school that the two started dating. Seth
took Carol on her first backpacking trip in the Sierras; with smiles,
they still recall the bear who went to great lengths to devour their Carol and Seth Stein at Rocks National Lakeshore
(above the Midcontinent Rift), 2014.
tree-stashed food in Yosemite.
Now married 39 years, the Steins are grateful to have benefitted learned to appreciate the value of jointly looking for a solution, rather
from enormous encouragement early in their training. Both are than one or the other being right, and carried this guiding principle
esteemed geophysicists: a professor in the University of Illinois at over from work to their home lives.
Chicago’s Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Carol has For the past decade, the Steins’ vacations around Lake Superior
been an editor for AGU’s Eos, is a GSA Fellow, and served as chair have led to extensive research on the 2,000-mile-long Midcontinent
of GSA’s Geophysics and Geodynamics Division. Seth, William Rift that underlies the lake and is responsible for much of the region’s
Deering Professor of Geological Sciences at Northwestern University, beauty and growth. As their work focused on this major feature of
has received prestigious medals and awards from GSA, AGU, EGU, North American geology, their involvement with GSA increased.
and the Royal Astronomical Society. He has served as scientific Although the Steins have both been heavily involved in other organi-
director of UNAVCO and as a visiting senior scientist at NASA’s zations, the greatest overlap between them is with the Society. With
Goddard Space Flight Center. this new project, they started attending GSA’s annual meetings
Much of their careers have been spent working side-by-side, main- together and discovered many things they enjoyed. Seth appreciates
taining the scientific integrity that sometimes means brutal honesty GSA as a “human-scaled entity.” For instance, he often meets GSA
and vigorous articulation of differing perspectives, while recognizing officers and leadership sitting next to him at technical sessions.
that scientific disagreement and spirited discussion did not translate During Carol’s service as chair of the Society’s Geophysics and
to animosity in their personal life and family. This understanding has Geodynamics Division, she started the Division’s best student presen-
allowed for an unusual extent of gratifying scientific work together. tation awards based on talks and posters at the annual meeting:
For all of their shared work and interests, their differences contrib- “It’s a way of acknowledging that this is very important. It’s saying
uted to rewarding scientific collaboration. Although their greatest ‘We really value our young people.’”
research interest is in plate tecton- Now, Carol and Seth are generously giving back as a couple
ics, Carol was trained as a marine through the Seth and Carol Stein Early Career Award in Geophysics
geophysicist, and Seth’s training and Geodynamics. The Steins are passionate about encouraging and
was heavy in mathematics and supporting the next generation of scientists, and these efforts are an
physics. Carol describes her hus- important part of what they do together.
band as more process oriented, If you are interested in learning how you can help the next genera-
while Seth values her field-based tion of geoscientists thrive and flourish in your footsteps, please con-
background. The couple has found tact Debbie Marcinkowski at +1-303-357-1047 or dmarcinkowski@
it “very useful to bring different geosociety.org. We are grateful for those in a position to give back
ways of thinking about the world” like the Steins, and we are pleased to help you find the right fit for
into their shared work. They your interests.

Carol and Seth Stein at Arches National Park, 2019.
www.gsa-foundation.org