When most people think of scientists, they picture them in pristine white coats, toiling away in laboratories or sitting in front of computers.
But geoscientist Sarah Nagorsen prefers to be out in the field roughing it with the great outdoors as her laboratory.
This adventurous spirit earned the 2003 Oxford High School graduate the 2009 Association for Women Geoscientists Brunton Award. The prestigious award promotes the future of field mapping and data acquisition for the upcoming generation of women geoscientists.
‘This is great,? said Nagorsen, who’s currently pursuing her master’s degree in geology at Central Washington University (CWU). ‘I’m being acknowledged for all this hard work I did, something I never thought I could do.?
She earned the award by spending nearly three months working in the field last summer. She started off by working three weeks as a teaching assistant for her department’s summer field geology course.
Nagorsen followed that up by spending two months living in the desert and mapping a 168-square-kilometer area in the Adobe Hills on the California-Nevada border. She submitted her compiled geologic map and cross-section to the U.S. Geological Survey for review.
The project was part of her master’s thesis research on ‘Pilocene sinistral slip across the Mina deflection, California-Nevada.? Her focus is on active tectonics ? how the current motion between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates affects our crust.
It was just her and a field assistant against the elements.
‘I lived out there six days a week, then I’d go back into town to get supplies, get a shower,? Nagorsen said. ‘I did this for two months.? Her endurance and ability to live and work in such a Spartan environment came as a surprise to Nagorsen.
‘I had no idea I’d be able to go out in the middle of the desert, live out there for that long and collect as much data as I did,? she said.
The trip was far from a simple camping adventure.
‘You’ve got sand blasting in your face the whole time. Scorpions, rattlesnakes, stuff like that was scary,? Nagorsen said. ‘Because you’re in a remote location you have to make decisions. If my field assistant gets bit by a rattlesnake, are we going to airlift him out of here? Who can we contact? You’ve always got to be aware and that’s a challenge when you’re fatigued from hiking all day.?
But all the hardships were worth it.
‘The trade-off is waking up outside in the morning and wondering what you’re going to see,? Nagorsen said. ‘Even though you’re looking at rocks and mapping geology, you see different animals, different vegetation and you’re always thinking the whole time.?
‘You’re not just aimlessly hiking around, you’re always looking at land forms and making interpretations,? she continued. ‘You’re thinking about what happened here 3 million years ago and it’s really awesome to see things through that perspective all the time.?
Although ‘less and less field work is being conducted? because of computers and new technologies, according to Nagorsen, there’s always going to be a need for people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty.
‘We make models because we want to understand our planet,? she said. ‘You have to get out there and get data for that.?
Nagorsen went into the geological sciences field because she ‘always wondered about land forms and how they’re created.? Plus, she enjoys being outdoors.
It was a geology class at OHS taught by Sam Coram, who’s now retired, that heavily influenced Nagorsen’s career path.
‘He took us to Canada and we collected fossils. He taught us orienteering skills with a map and compass,? she said. ‘That really encouraged me to follow geology.?
Nagorsen’s glad Coram fought so hard to keep the class.
‘It had low enrollment, so it was almost cancelled,? she explained. ‘But he really pushed for keeping this class.?
After high school, Nagorsen went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Geology from Grand Valley State University in 2008.
As for the future, she indicated she’ll put her environmental experience to use and probably work for a while doing environmental consulting or petroleum geology or perhaps even researching renewable energy.
‘A research job would be best,? Nagorsen said.
But in the end, she wants to help shape and guide young minds just like Coram did for her.
‘My ultimate goal is to teach at a university, get a Ph.D,? Nagorsen said.