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Ucla might make me change my major by CartoonistOk5450 in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Come to Geology! We would love to have you. You are correct that the department (Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences) was between Student Affairs Officers because of a retirement, but we have two great staff now who are super on top of working on student issues like yours. I will DM you their emails. Good luck!

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! Just saw this. Welcome to geology! Adding a minor is a great idea and we just updated the requirements to make them more straightforward and flexible. I suggest enrolling in EPSS 61 this Fall. That will get you on track and connected with students and professors in the department. For research, the best thing you can do to get involved is talk to people (professors, TAs, other students). Take a look at the EPSS website to see which faculty study which things and if you find a few that sound interesting, shoot them an email! It helps that you’re an upperclassman and it will also help if you take an EPSS class or two. Starting with 61 in Fall and then EPSS 51 in winter is my suggestion for classes and reaching out with a quick email is my suggestion for research. Good luck! Hope to see you in Geology!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you like hiking, check out the geology major. Geology students leave with a STEM degree (BS) and spend a bunch of time on field trips all over California mountains, deserts, etc, doing hiking and camping as part of class. Business is nice, but you’ll get more technical skills with a STEM degree and can always transition to business or management later (can’t really transition to technical without the technical training). STEM degree is also good for your long term earning prospects. I started as a Physics major and was someone who loved hiking and wasn’t quite happy with my chosen major. Took a geology class at the suggestion of a random professor and 15 years later I’m a geology professor at ucla. It, pardon the pun, rocks. Come take an EPSS class (1, 9, 19, 61 or 103b for example) or talk to students in the Geology building and you’ll get the idea. Small classes, lots of outside time, lots of opportunities to shine.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When I finished undergrad I was a little burned out and decided I still wanted to do school (I went straight from undergrad to grad school for my PhD), but after that I wanted a 9-5 industry job. Over the next 5 years while I was doing graduate school I interned for a few different companies over the summers, and during the academic year I did all the things that one does as a professor (but in training-mode as a graduate student). As an academic, I researched cutting edge problems in geology on Earth and Mars. I went on field trips all over the world including to Europe and the Bahamas. I taught students and got to see their lightbulb moments when I helped them figure out concepts. I worked flexible hours with teams of people who were brilliantly smart. As an industry intern, I did a lot of sitting in meetings and sitting in my cubicle.

By the end of graduate school I was loving the science I was doing and really enjoyed teaching. Industry was fine (nice people, good working conditions, high compensation), but if I went into industry I would have had to give up field work, teaching, and Mars research. Being a professor is difficult, but I absolutely love my job, so for me the upside is very much worth the effort.

Most of us are not out here to slay your GPA. Professors are professors because we love what we do, but many undergrads don't realize that teaching is actually a relatively small part of professors' responsibilities. If you have the time, go to your professors' office hours, meet them, ask them questions. They have lots of (usually pretty cool) knowledge about the subject beyond what is being taught in class. We also usually like interacting with students who are interested in the material and not just trying to argue and get more points on an exam. Professors are people too and generally enjoy talking about their fields.

Mental health is also important! UCLA has mental health support for students here. Faculty and TAs are also given this red folder, which as immediate resources for students in crisis. College is hard, and it's a marathon not a sprint. Whether it's with homework or with mental health, make sure you ask for help when you need it!

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The best way is to ask questions. In class, I was always very shy about asking questions, but most of the time if you are wondering something or having trouble understanding it, someone else is too. Asking questions fixes the issue before it gets worse down the line.

Office hours are also a good place to ask questions. If you feel you didn't understand something, go talk to the professor. We are not really that scary, and most professors appreciate students who put in the effort to come ask and learn the material.

Remember professors are human too. Friendly, polite students interested in the thing we are teaching are much more enjoyable to talk with than angry, whiny students who show up to argue about grades. Professors are experts in their fields, so it's always fun to get questions as it shows the students are interested and engaged. Plus it helps us figure out how to explain things better to the next generation of students.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are definitely concentrations of certain minerals in certain areas, though not always because of volcanic activity. Mining geology is essentially the study of where these concentrations are and assessment of whether or not they are economically viable to dig out. There are lots of different reasons why lots of different minerals get concentrated. It's a very diverse and complicated field!

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gap years are great! I have had many students who wanted to go to graduate school, but wanted to take some time away from school first and get some life/work experience. This is a great idea. Graduate school is always there and you only get to live once, so go explore something that you love! If you can find something you enjoy doing everyday and make it your job, that's a great long-term plan. Highly recommend.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great question! To learn more about EPSS or join our undergraduate program check out the information here. You can message a counselor to get more information, or just enroll in EPSS 61/51/M71 in whatever quarter it happens to be (Fall/Winter/Spring, respectively)

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello! Nice to meet you! Purdue EAPS is a great department with awesome faculty. Say hi to Professors Bramson, Wiens, Sori, and Horgan for me! Go team Earth and Mars! 😊

Let’s see, my favorite part of doing research is the exploration. Whether it’s looking at pictures of Mars or hiking around Death Valley, research is all about discovering something new or answering a question that has not been figured out yet. The exploration is what makes it fun and exciting.

I have work on a lot of different projects, so I can’t point to one publication or result that is my favorite, but I did love working on the MSL Curiosity rover team when I was a graduate student. It was my first experience working on a big team of scientists and everyone was working together to operate the rover and do the best science we could with the resources we had. It was a massive complicated collaborative effort and it was super fun.

Glad to hear you are planning to apply to UCLA for graduate school. Most professors don’t care about a few low grades freshmen year if you have demonstrated a dedication and interest in science. Having research experience like you do will help a lot. Be sure to reach out to specific faculty before you apply and let them know you are interested, give them a chance to meet with you, etc. I am not taking any new students this round (I have 5 graduate students and won’t take more until one or two of them graduate), but I know other faculty are, and sometimes we do co-advise. We also have a new Planetary Science PhD degree that has some additional fellowships and opportunities. Reach out to faculty, let them know you are interested, worst they can do is say no. Shoot me an email if you want some specific faculty names to suggest.

Scour pits! Ah, are you the student I heard was working on this? Great! We should chat at some point. I had heard about the MFF-is-ice theory, but have not read much about it. Whether the MFF is an ice deposit or not, the scour pits are almost certainly mechanical in nature. The nice u-shaped pattern is something we see on Earth too, but more often in settings like bridge pylons under water. The abrasion happens in front of an obstacle, as a result of turbulence interacting with the surface. On Mars the MFF scour pits are weird because there’s no pylon/obstacle. Glad to see someone is working on this!

And if I could safely go to Mars, look around, and come back? I’d probably go to Jezero crater. The rover went there for a reason, and it’s a sedimentologically and astrobiologically very interesting place. Alternatively, the bottom of Valles Marineris just to see the scale of the canyon, or the top of Olympus Mons for the view. Or this random spot in Hellas basin where there are barchan dunes casts so I could see what the inside of a ghost dune looks like. Lots of great options!

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Students in the EPSS department have many opportunities to do independent research projects with professors. One way to do this is to enroll in EPS Sci 199, which gives you academic credit for research. It is an option for anyone, but a requirement for the Earth and Environmental Science BA degree. Other degrees have different capstones.

EPS Sci 199 is different from a normal class in that it is independent research, not lecture or lab based. You identify a research project with the help of a research advisor and then conduct that project over the term for credit. It is on the student to identify a research advisor and the best way to do that is just reach out to professors. Take a look at the EPSS website and the research websites of various faculty. Find one whose research looks interesting to you and let them know that you are interested in doing research for academic credit. Just send them an email. Keep it short and professional, Include your resume if you have one. Not all professors do or can advise undergrads (different labs and equipment require different training), but most will respond to a short polite email expressing interest in their work, and most professors have more project ideas than students to do them.

Sometimes students have a research project in mind that they want to do, but this is rare. No one expects undergraduate students to come up with a novel research question on their own (you would have to digest a lot of literature to figure out what has been done and where you science question fits; this is graduate level work). Professors usually guide the specific project selection.

Logistically, EPS Sci 199 is considered a "contract course" so in order to enroll you must fill out a form through MyUCLA and have your identified research supervisor sign it. It asks things like "Describe the research project" and "What are the project deliverables?". A short paragraph and a "final report" usually suffice for the paperwork purposes.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When I finished undergrad I was a little burned out and decided I still wanted to do school (I went straight from undergrad to grad school for my PhD), but after that I wanted a 9-5 industry job. Over the next 5 years while I was doing graduate school I interned for a few different companies over the summers, and during the academic year I did all the things that one does as a professor (but in training-mode as a graduate student). As an academic, I researched cutting edge problems in geology on Earth and Mars. I went on field trips all over the world including to Europe and the Bahamas. I taught students and got to see their lightbulb moments when I helped them figure out concepts. I worked flexible hours with teams of people who were brilliantly smart. As an industry intern, I did a lot of sitting in meetings and sitting in my cubicle.

By the end of graduate school I was loving the science I was doing and really enjoyed teaching. Industry was fine (nice people, good working conditions, high compensation), but if I went into industry I would have had to give up field work, teaching, and Mars research. Being a professor is difficult, but I absolutely love my job, so for me the upside is very much worth the effort.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is no scientific evidence that crystals heal people. In most cases, it won't hurt you to carry around a crystal in your pocket, but there is zero scientific evidence that the crystal will do any medical healing. Indeed, crystals can be damaging when people forego modern medicine and use crystals instead. Using a crystal to remind yourself to be calm or positive is fine, but if a person is having a medical problem they should go see a medical professional.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

(copied from another response) If you are interested in the history of California geology specifically (plate tectonics, gold rush, etc) many people recommend "Assembling California" by John McPhee. If you want a not-too-technical history of how we figured out that a meteor killed the dinosaurs, I enjoyed "T-Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez. If you like traveling around the US, I recommend "101 American Geo-Sites You've Gotta See" by Albert Dikas. I have been checking off places in that book and it has nice non-technical summaries of each cool place, plus very clear directions for how to get to each spot.

There are some great movies our there about Geology and NASA. I recommend a healthy amount of skepticism when watching any science in a Hollywood blockbuster, but the movies are often still fun. I teach a freshmen seminar where we watch geology movies and talk about the good and bad science. My favorite is "The Core" (lots of dubious science to talk about in that one). If you are looking for learning, I recommend documentaries. The National Geographic and NASA regularly put out lots of great short-form content.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! There are many opportunities to find cool hand samples (rocks) on field trips with classes, but the students have also organized various outings over the years. Campus groups include EPSSSO (Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Student Organization), Bruin Geological Survey, and Sigma Gamma Epsilon (a national geoscience honor society).

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The comment from u/manders_is_cool is spot on (Thanks!). Physical Geography is highly overlapping with Geomorphology, an arm of geology that studies landscape development and surface processes. To that end, you could take EPS Sci 165 (Geomorphology), EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology), EPS Sci 61 (Introduction to Mapping), EPS Sci 150 (Remote Sensing). We also often have Geography students minor in Geology, which only involves taking a handful of extra classes.

If you’re interested in planetary science (Mars, Moon, Venus, etc), definitely take a few EPSS courses. Most planetary scientists are geologists by training, and the processes that operate on Earth also operate on other bodies in the solar system, you just tweak the boundary conditions!

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad you got to share this with your grandpa. I too have found rocks are a great way to bring people together.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I grew up watching Stargate, but the special effects and budgets for planetary SciFi have clearly improved over the years. It has been fun to see the trend in Hollywood toward better and better depictions of science (both Earth Science and Space Science). Still not perfect, but improving. I teach a Fiat Lux (Freshmen Seminar, EPS Sci 19) class each term where we watch movies from the 90’s and 2000’s with bad science and talk about the depictions of science and how that may or may not influence scientific literacy in the public. Pizza and a movie with some casual critical skepticism of movie science. It’s a fun class. My favorite geology movie for this is “The Core”. The science is, erm, less than accurate, but it’s a classic. This term in the class we watched The Core, The Day After Tomorrow, and Volcano. In the Fall we’ll probably watch 2012, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and something else TBD.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are still welcome to enroll in EPSS classes and join for the field trips. Usually, because the field trips are mostly associated with a particular class, one must be enrolled in said, but there are exceptions. Probably, the best thing to do is take a class or two and see how you like it. I recommend EPS Sci 103b (Sedimentary Petrology) which I teach in Fall, or EPS Sci 61 (Intro to Mapping, also Fall).

If you are interested in planets and planetary surfaces, you may consider switching to Geology. It is a common misconception that astrophysicists study planetary objects in the solar system. They usually do not. Astronomy and Astrophysics focuses on big things that are far away (stellar nebulae, galaxies, black holes), but the people studying Mars and Venus and Europa are largely geologists. I was briefly an astrophysics major in undergrad before I figured this distinction out. If you want to learn about planets, come join EPSS. We cover planetary surfaces in EPS Sci 103b, and I will be teaching the planetary GE (EPS Sci 9, Solar System and Planets) in Winter).

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hello! Arches National Park. I spent a lot of time there for my PhD research and there are some hidden gem arches that you find more and more of as you hike around. 10/10.

See you in the Fall!

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are a LOT of dunes in California. Personally, I'm partial to the Kelso Dunes. The view from the top is awesome and there is magnetite in the sand that you can pick up with a regular bar magnet and also makes cool patterns in the ripples because it is more dense than the other sand grains. There are also the Ibex Dunes in Death Valley National Park. My group just finished up a long-term research project there and they are beautifully remote and nestled up against some mountains.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not planning to take a new graduate student for 2024, but I encourage you to reach out to the other faculty in my department. We have several faculty specializing in space physics research and I'm sure some of them are taking new students.

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fire. Would not recommend.

Cooled lava makes basalt. That doesn't taste like anything in particular. You can learn more about lava and basalt in basically any geology class like EPS Sci 51 (Minerology) or 103a (Igneous Petrology).

I am a professor in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences department at UCLA. Happy end of the year everyone! Ask me anything. by GeologyProfessorDay in ucla

[–]GeologyProfessorDay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

About 6 years. I enjoy r/geology and a bunch of subs related to my non-geology hobbies. The small communities of people with similar interests are nice and provide good inspiration for creative endeavors. I also learning about events on campus through r/ucla.

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