Jeff DeFreest earned his BS in Geology from SES in 1986 with a minor in Zoology and currently works as a Regional Geologist for the US Forest Service, Alaska Region.
Contact: jdefreest@fs.fed.us
"I’ve enjoyed working & living in some really cool places (pun intended). My career path, mostly as a geologist, has taken me to faraway places as well as the western states, Pacific Northwest, and around Alaska."
Where has your degree taken you?
After working a few seasons in Antarctica & Greenland thanks to OSU’s “Institute for Polar Studies” (now Byrd Polar Research Center) I went onto the University of Idaho for graduate work on the Juneau Ice Field (in Alaska). My plans were to continue on in Geophysics and exploration geology. The USFS was an unexpected career opportunity for me; geology in the forest, who knew? A minor twist took me to work with the USFS in Geotech Engineering, building roads in the Pacific Northwest Region (Prineville, Oregon). Then another turn took me into Coal, Oil & Gas operations of the Intermountain Region (Price, Utah), and eventually to the Alaska Region, permitting large mines in Southeast Alaska on the Tongass National Forest. The USFS has been great for me because there is (or can be) a lot of variety to your day job. I have fought wildfires all over the west, worked on dinosaur paleontology inventories, operated various motor vessels on the ocean, presented at an international symposium on vertebrate paleontology, managed horses & mules in the high country, performed archeological surveys while paddling a kayak through amazing fjords, been charged by brown bears, trained people on firearms use (for bear defense) - And I had the opportunity to serve 7 years as District Ranger for the Ketchikan and Misty Fiords Ranger District, a 3.2 million acre multiple use District, Wilderness and National Monument. I only recently accepted the position as Regional Geologist, and am now what a coworker refers to as a “Computer-Hardened Field Scientist” … where I work on regional and national policy, oversee mining operations, and work on administrative details such as budgets, training, and succession planning for personnel.
I’ve enjoyed working & living in some really cool places (pun intended). My career path, mostly as a geologist, has taken me to faraway places as well as the western states, Pacific Northwest, and around Alaska. My wife Kari and I currently live on Revillagigedo Island in SE Alaska, with our dog Magneto, cat Bugg, and about 10,000 people. With a whopping 30 miles of road - boats and planes are our way of life - and sometimes “ya just can’t get there from here”, as they say. A quality life it is.
Good luck on your journeys.
How do you feel your experience, specifically as an SES/geology student at OSU, prepared you for your career or life in general?
OSU’s Geology program and field camp provided me with a solid range of skills in geology and related disciplines, and the opportunities to work in the Polar Regions provided me with excellent logistics, planning, and field technical skills. When I graduated in the mid-1980’s, I recall Professor Tettenhorst remarking to us in a senior level class – to look to our right & left and see people that would earn their geology degree, but either never use it directly, or perhaps apply it to a related career path. I took that as a personal challenge, so with some great mentors, good fortune & a little tenacity, I have been able to make a satisfying career in geology & minerals and public lands management with the US Forest Service.
What is your favorite memory as a student?
There are too many memorable experiences to specify – my work & field experience with OSU in Antarctica and Greenland was professionally inspiring and also lead to some life-long friends and professional relationships. Geology Club Friday evening events including darts, pool tables, and beverages at the Outer Inn or Larry’s Pub also bring back fond memories. And of course academic & geology club field trips to collect mineral samples from neighboring states, or explore & learn about the Canadian Shield, or look at glacial geomorphological features in our own back yard were fun as well!
What advice do you have for current and future students?
Keep your mind open, and consider what’s important to you. I decided many years ago that where I lived (and played) and traveled was ultimately more important to me than just a paycheck. I have not lived in a community greater than 30,000 people since leaving Ohio in 1986. When I moved to Alaska in 2001, my dad used to ask me when I would be moving back to a reasonable zip code, “define reasonable” I replied. Please do keep in mind how much you would be willing to travel or relocate for your career, or how remote you might choose to live & work because these elements can and do have impacts on personal & family life – be flexible, choose wisely and communicate well.