Kelsey Bisson earned her BS in Geological Sciences from SES in 2013 and is currently an Assistant Professor at Oregon State University.
Contact: kbiss0990@gmail.com
"The professors I had are some of the most supportive and intellectually stimulating people I’ve met. I am so lucky to have attended undergrad with their guidance, and they’ve made me feel more confident to pursue things that are new and challenging."
Where has your degree taken you?
My degree, and all of the opportunities I received throughout, inspired me to pursue a PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara in biogeochemical oceanography. I am working now to study the ocean’s role in global climate by modeling the biological drawdown of CO2 using a combination of satellite observations, field data, and numerical models. A lot of my work requires quality satellite products so I have also have the opportunity to take boats to remote locations around Earth to help validate and calibrate NASA satellites. These include Tahiti and Moorea and a trip from Hawaii to Alaska along 140W! OSU does not offer a lot of oceanography courses but I know that my training in the solid earth sciences makes me a much better scientist and creative thinker. The math classes I took at OSU prepared me to pursue a computationally heavy PhD, and the field trips and regional studies I was lucky to participate in with the Lyons group ground me in the importance of observations.
How do you feel your experience, specifically as an SES/geology student at OSU, prepared you for your career or life in general?
I suspect many other SES students will probably feel the same but in a very real way attending field camp transformed me into a better spatial thinker. I love that I can go into the backcountry in California to hike and I feel comfortable traveling around because of the experiences I had in Ephraim with field mapping. The professors I had are some of the most supportive and intellectually stimulating people I’ve met. I am so lucky to have attended undergrad with their guidance, and they’ve made me feel more confident to pursue things that are new and challenging.
What is your favorite memory as a student?
In the winter of my senior year I went to Antarctica with members of the Berry Lyons group and I’ve yet to have an experience that felt as special or remote or fun! Also, I have vivid memories of eating challenges at the Satisfied Ewe... not as fun, but probably still as remote :)
What advice do you have for current and future students?
Take a diverse array of classes and pursue research early so that you can develop and focus your goals by the time you graduate. This department has a tremendous amount of resources and amazing people – it’s a cliché but nevertheless important- take advantage and have fun!