A career in coalitions: forging linkages among scientists, society, and the natural world

My home state of Pennsylvania is ribbed by interlocking ranges of the Appalachian Mountains and flanked on its southeastern corner by gentle hills and coastal plain. A lifelong fascination with geology began with family camping trips to rugged terrain in the American West. Observing geological features was a joy that became a hobby and then a career aspiration. My decisive career moment happened at the age of 12 while charmed by the complexities of upturned and faulted sedimentary rock layers at the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah/Colorado, United States.