Job options draw students to geology

Geology used to be a major that was on the rocks — but now it’s one of the most solid programs at UNC.

The program has seen enrollment grow to about 60 students in the major and 20 in the minor this year.

In addition, students of UNC’s graduate program in geology can likely expect a six-figure salary when they start working.

High-paying jobs at NASA, Chevron and the U.S. Department of Energy are among the reasons more students are pursuing geology degrees at UNC, said Lara Wagner, the director of undergraduate studies in the geology department.

Wagner said the most prevalent jobs in geology are in natural resources, such as mining, oil, coal, rare earth elements and the materials used to create batteries.

Josh Rosera is a UNC geology alumnus who is currently working for Chevron Mining Inc.

“I was planning on continuing on for my Ph.D. at UNC, but I was offered a job from some contacts I made while working on my thesis,” Rosera said. “I decided that industry experience would be beneficial and I put my Ph.D. on the back burner.”

Geological sciences department chairman Jonathan Lees said the study of geology is often perceived as people digging for fossils and studying other ancient rocks.

Lees said the field also focuses on a variety of other topics — such as the environment and the human relationship to the planet, the management of resources, the increase in natural disasters and the sudden change in the earth’s energy.

Lees said these topics are drawing more students into the field.

Ryan Frazer, a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in geological sciences, said he has seen these changes firsthand.

“Last year I was the TA for Geology 301, which is a core geology class … there were 18 students,” he said. “This year, I am the instructor for the same course, and at the beginning of the semester there were 31 students in the class — so many that we had to move classrooms.”

Both Lees and Wagner said the field is a mix of geology and other sciences. Students can choose which branch of the science they prefer, such as geophysics or geochemistry.

Daniel Portner, a senior majoring in geology and minoring in biology, said he enjoys the hands-on aspect of the geology labs.

“For the most part, (the geology professors) have been the best professors I’ve had,” Portner said.

He said professors in the geology department are not just teachers — they are also researchers who take students on field trips all over the world.

“UNC is built on the remnants of a large volcanic arc estimated to be 500 to 600 million years old,” Lees said.

Most of the geology research is on campus, but departmental field trips span as far as Canada, Guatemala, Russia and Peru.

Lees said students are attracted to geology both because of the opportunity to tackle questions of the future — such as global climate change — as well as the chance to study the earth’s natural history.

“There is nothing more awe-inspiring than standing in front of an active volcano,” Lees said.

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