Winter Quarter 2008
GEL 98: Careers in the Geosciences
CRN 25852 (informally the "Shlemon Seminar")
Wednesdays 12-1; 285 Physics/Geology
Instructors:
Dave
Osleger, osleger@geology.ucdavis.edu
Isabel
Montañez, montanez@geology.ucdavis.edu
TA: Mike
Eros
- AEG Sacramento Meeting, February 27, 2008,
6:00 to 9 pm
for more information see Current Newsletter
Sudwerks in Davis, 2001 Second St.
- Please send your suggestions for the Top Ten best pieces of advise that you've heard through the quarter to Mike Eros. Your 'research results' are due on March 5 - please send them to Mike for posting on this website.
Goal of the seminar:
To provide undergrad majors and Master’s level grad students with an
overview of what types of careers and opportunities are available
during summers and after graduation. The emphasis is not on getting
into grad school and academia, but rather on facilitating the search
for internships and jobs for BS and MS students.
Format: Short
presentations by visiting speakers ( CVs
available here) of perhaps 15-20 minutes, followed by student-driven
Q&A sessions.
Student Responsibilities:
- Attendance and participation are mandatory. The
seminar will not work if the students don’t proactively guide the
discussions.
- Each student needs to prepare two written questions
in advance of each speaker’s arrival and send them to Mike Eros eros@geology.ucdavis.edu
the Tuesday before class. The questions obviously should be directly
relevant to the occupation of the visiting speaker. We’ll provide
either a resume or some background on each speaker as far in advance as
possible.
- Each student will choose (or be assigned) a
simple project to research on the web. Projects might be “What are the
top 25 environmental geology companies in the Sacramento region?” or
“What does the Internship and Career Center on campus have available
for geology majors?” You’ll help to develop this list of projects.
- We’d like each student to build a resume that
we’ll evaluate. A first draft is due February 6. We’ll provide
feedback and you’ll hand in a final version on the last day of class,
March 12.
- Through the quarter, we’d like each of you to
develop a personalized “Top Ten” list of the best pieces of advise and
council that you’ve heard over the course of the seminar. We’ll compile
a final list toward the end of the quarter and disseminate it to the
rest of the Geology and Natural Sciences majors.
Looking for Internships?
Check out the website for the American
Geological Institute, a single clearinghouse for 44 geological
organizations who advertise internship opportunities through their
portal.
- Considering a state government job or internship? Browse John
Russell's ppt presentation (from class on Feb. 6) for great websites and lots of useful information.
- More useful sites on state jobs, internships and careers can be
found at these sites:
- California state jobs
Looking for Jobs and want to start a Career?
- How to get
a job with the California Department of Water Resources or other State
Agency: DWR
- Which State Departments use
geologists? DWR, CalTrans, Dept. of Conservation (Calif.
Geological Survey, CGS), State (and Regional) Water Quality Control
Board (part of CalEPA), Dept. of Toxic Substances Control (part of
CalEPA), Dept. of Fish & Game. DWR and CalTrans geologists do
classic engineering geology and geohydrology. The Water Boards do
groundwater regulation, hydrogeology, and environmental
geology. In my opinion, DWR is the best place to work,
followed by CalTrans and CGS, There are open positions at the
Water Boards almost anytime. Once a geologist has a job within a
State Agency, it is easy, and common, to move to another State Agency.
- For more information on finding a job as a geologist with a state
agency, browse John Russell's ppt presentation
(geologist and UCD alum who works for the State Water Quality Control
Board) for great websites and lots of useful
information.
- More criteria for getting a job with a state agency
(compiled by w'08 GEL 98 student Maia Kostlan)
- Geology careers in
the mining
industry: (compiled by w'08 GEL 98 students Rubi
Medrano and Sierra Nelmes)
- Interested in the jewelry industry in California? (compiled by w'08 GEL 98 student Tamsen
Burlak)
- What careers in geology are in the highest demand right now? (compiled by w'08 GEL 98 students Bart Critser, Tucker Lance
& Emily Kleber)
- What salary
ranges might you expect as a professional geologist?
(compiled by w'08
GEL 98 students Jake
Lippman & Shane Edmunds, with Katrina Arredondo)
- Greg Chavdarian (w'08 GEL 98 student) asked 7 recent UCD
geoscience graduates 5 questions about their careers after
graduation. Check out the responses
Career Builders at UCD
Classes that are strongly recommended if you would like
to enter the
Environmental & Geotechnical Consulting world
(You would receive elective credit in Geology for any of these courses.)
- HYD 144 - Groundwater Hydrology
- HYD 146 (cross-listed as GEL 156)
– Hydrogeology and Contaminant Transport
- SSC 100 – Introduction to Soil
Science
- ABT 180 – Introduction to
Geographic Information Systems
- HYD 440 – Hazwopper ($300,
minimum enrollment of 15, spring quarter)
If you're interested in combining geoscience with policy (as discussed
by Mindy McIntyre on Feb. 13), these classes will provide you with the
appropriate background (and you can apply them toward elective
credit, with prior advisor approval).
Lunch: Each of you will be able to attend
a
lunch at the Silo restaurant with one of the speakers and 2 or 3 fellow
students. Speaker Lunch Schedule
- We have speakers representing each of the
jobs/careers/internships listed below:
- Environmental & Engineering
Geology
- Hydrogeology
- CAL-EPA
- California Geological Survey
- Museum Scientist
- Environmental Lobbyist
- K-12 Science Teaching
- Women in Geosciences
- Oil & Gas Exploration
Speaker
Schedule:
Some of the above speakers and dates are tentative and subject to
change.
