Geology & Environmental Sciences Alumni

Many of our graduates have been accepted into excellent graduate school programs around the country.

They find quality employment directly out of their undergraduate degree program, or after completing one or more graduate degrees. Our alumni work in academia, in the natural resources industries, for the US Geological Survey, for the National Park Service, for state and local governments, for major museums, as well as for environmental engineering and monitoring firms around the country.

Graduate School & Employment

Jessica Domino ‘15
M.S./Ph.D. in Geological Sciences
(plate tectonics, geophysics, volcanism)
Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Keith O’Connor ‘15
Ph.D. in Environmental Geochemistry
(organic geochemistry)
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana

Andrew Grabo ‘15
Physical Science Technician
Mine Safety and Health Administration (US Dept of Labor)
(employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

Caitlin Pointer ‘14
MAT in Science Education (Earth science)
Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Danielle Lord ‘14
M.S. in Geological Sciences
(environmental geology)
Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Lydon Schultz ‘13
J.D. and Masters of Environmental Law and Policy
Vermont Law School – University of Vermont, Burlington, VT

Shiela Niedziela ‘13
M.S. in Geology (paleontology)
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI

Matthew Robertson ‘13
Oil Rig Project Manager in North Sea
Stork Technical Services, Aberdeen, Scotland (employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

Tyler Hall ‘13
Mine Geologist
Freeport-McMoRan, Inc., Bagdad, AZ
(employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

Hayley Cooney ‘13
Membership Coordinator
SEPM – Society for Sedimentary Geology, Tulsa, OK
(employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

Ellyssa Tennant ‘12
M.S.Ed. in Earth Sciences
State University of New York at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY

Sierra Derby ‘12
Environmental Specialist
Moody and Associates, Elmira, NY
(employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

Jeremy Weremeichik ‘11
M.S. and Ph.D. in Geology
(karst/cave geology)
Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS

Brian Terbush ‘11
M.S. in Geophysics
(volcanic seismology)
Boise State University, Boise, ID

Andrew Parisi ‘11
Ph.D. in Geology
University of Texas – Austin, Austin, TX

Katrina Neiss ‘11
Ph.D. in Geology (metamorphism/structural deformation)
University of Nevada – Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

Kimberly Negrich ‘11
M.S. in Geology (geomicrobiology)
University of Maine

Brandt Kayser ‘11
M.S. in Geology (environmental geology)
University of North Carolina – Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Jeremy Weremeichik ‘11
Assistant Professor of Geology (starting Fall 2016)
Chadron State College, Chadron, NE
(after recently completing a M.S. and Ph.D. in Geology at Mississippi State University)

Brian Terbush ‘11
Earthquake/Volcano Hazard Program Coordinator (starting June 2016)
State of Washington
(after recently completing a M.S. in Geophysics at Boise State University)

Brandt Kayser ‘11
Staff Geologist
Hart & Hickman (engineering), Charlotte, NC
(employed during a M.S. in Geology at UNCC)

Sarah Timm ‘10
Dual M.S. degrees in Mineral Science & Museum Curation
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA

Matthew Caldwell ‘10
Environmental Specialist
Moody and Associates, Elmira, NY
(employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

Alexandre Fowler ‘09
M.S. in Geology (biogeology and sedimentary chemistry)
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Scientific Contractor – Division of Mineralogy
National Museum of Natural History/Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC

Timothy Young ‘09
Supervising Well Logger
Horizon Well Logging, LLC
(employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

Adriann Partrick Hergert ‘09
Park Interpreter/Ranger
National Park Service (began at Glacial National Park and Outer Banks National Seashore – now at Grand Canyon National Park), Northern Arizona
(employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

William French ‘09
Self-employed hydroelectric dam engineer
SFR Hydro, Vermont
(employment directly out of Hartwick undergraduate degree)

Geology & Environmental Sciences Alumni Careers

Are you interested in…

Being a national park ranger?

Addie (Partrick) Hergert ’09 – The National Park Service hires many geology majors as ranger interpreters. As a Hartwick geology major, Addie did a summer internship at Glacier National Park. Upon graduation, she was hired at Glacier, then transferred to Grand Canyon, and now to Mt. Rainier National Park, WA.

Water resources protection?

Nicole Mehr ’17 – Nicole prepared for her career by choosing the environmental track of the geology major, by completing environmental summer internships and by doing a groundwater geochemistry senior research project. She went on to get an MS in hydrology from the Oregon State University. Now she works as a staff hydrogeologist with Pacific Groundwater Group in Seattle, WA.

Mineral resources?

Sam Nowak ’17 – Humans still need many Earth resources to live, including mineral resources. Even the “green economy” needs crucial mineral resources in order to develop. Sam focused his senior thesis research on ore mineralization in rocks from Minnesota. Upon graduation, he was hired to locate and extract zinc minerals from a long-established mine in northern New York as a geologist with Titan Mining Corporation at Empire State Mine.

Environmental regulation?

Skylar Kortright ’17 – There are several pathways to working in environmental regulation and compliance. Skylar’s strong Hartwick geology background and focus on sedimentary deposits made her a natural for work in the oil-gas industry or in oil-gas regulation and compliance work as well. Now she works as Mineral Resources Specialist with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC).

Environmental law?

Lydon Schultz ’13 & Kelly Sprague ’17 –  The geosciences are a great pathway into environmental law. Unlike the majority of law school applicants from non-science programs, geoscience students have demonstrated that they can handle highly technical and analytical information in this specific field. Lydon graduated from Hartwick’s geology program and went directly to Vermont Law School. He is now Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida! After a stint doing sustainable farming, Kelly is currently studying Environmental Law at Albany Law School.

Geotechnical work?

Dave Chapman ’05 – Like many of our majors working in the Northeast, Dave found work in several private firms doing geotechnical investigations and environmental assessment. These geologists are involved in air, groundwater and soil sampling/analysis and impact reports. He is a Maine Licensed Geologist who now works in the public sector as Project Manager for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in Portland, ME.

Natural hazards careers?

Brian Terbush ’11 – Brian prepared for his dream job by participating in our Hawaii J Term course and our short field course trip to the Cascade volcanoes, a summer geophysics field internship with the IRIS Consortium, and an MS degree in volcanic geophysics at Boise State University. His interests and expertise led him into communication and education work as the Earthquake/Volcano Program Coordinator in Washington State Emergency Management Division.

Traditional energy resources?

Liz Klonowski ’17 – Humans still need energy resources and, at least for the near future, that includes petroleum. Liz focused her interests in sedimentary geology at Hartwick. After an MS degree in sedimentology and a corporate internship, she is now exploring the world of oil exploration as an operations geologist for ExxonMobil in Houston, Texas.

Sustainable energy resources?

Will French ’09 – Will worked on energy-related geoscience as his senior thesis research at Hartwick. After graduation, he used his knowledge of hydrology, Earth systems and engineering to refurbish an old hydro-electric powerplant in New Hampshire and is now Owner-Operator of SFR Hydro Kingston, New Hampshire.

Secondary Earth Science teaching?

Caitlin Pointer ’14 – Well-trained Earth Science teachers are in high demand right now. One can get provisional certification directly out of Hartwick through our Earth Science Education track. However, Cait took her broad-based geoscience knowledge from Hartwick directly into the MAT program at Binghamton University, to secure a full-time position as an Earth Science teacher in the Vestal School District.

IEnvironmental mineralogy?

Matthew Daignault ’08 – Matt’s solid training in mineralogy and petrographic microscopy from Hartwick paved the way for a career analyzing construction materials for hazardous asbestiform minerals. His talents are so in demand, that he was tasked with setting up a brand new asbestos lab in Springdale, Ohio, that he now manages for SanAir Technologies Laboratory, Inc.

Geoscience writing and publication?

Lexy Fowler ’09 – Lexy co-developed senior research that satisfied her interests in paleontology and environmental science, and published her results! After a MS degree at the University of Connecticut and a research stint at the National Museum of Natural History, she developed a start-up company BlueDotWriting.com to help instructors, researchers, and companies with STEM content development, lesson plans, science writing and manuscript editing.

Research and college teaching?

Jessica Domino ’15 – Once a dedicated Hartwick student, now a dedicated adjunct instructor in our department, Jess prepared for her compelling Ph.D. research by immersing herself in tectonics, structural geology and igneous petrology courses (including J Term field courses in Hawaii and West Texas). She recently completed her Ph.D. at Binghamton University by researching how volcanoes work in the depths of the Andes Mountains of Chile. She teaches geology at Alfred University presently.