Lienne Sethna earned her BS in Earth Science from SES in 2016 and is now a postdoc at the St. Croix Watershed Research Station.
Contact: lsethna@smm.org
"Being an SES geology student prepared me to think critically as a scientist – science is about asking the right questions rather than knowing the right answer."
Where has your degree taken you?
I’ve gotten to spend time in Utah working for a conservation corps, and now I work in an “aquatic ecology” lab. Even though I work in streams, my geology background is relevant because so many things in the environment are closely connected to the underlying geology!! If you know about the things beneath your feet, you can understand many of the processes occurring in our environment today.
How do you feel your experience, specifically as an SES/geology student at OSU, prepared you for your career or life in general?
Being an SES geology student prepared me to think critically as a scientist – science is about asking the right questions rather than knowing the right answer. Working on an undergraduate thesis prepared me for my research work currently. It was really valuable to have the experience of connecting with a faculty member and working on unanswered research questions.
What is your favorite memory as a student?
The best part of being a geology student were all the opportunities for field trips. Field camp in Utah was an unforgettable experience that taught me just as much about performing field work as it did geology.
What advice do you have for current and future students?
Take the undergraduate thesis seriously, do original research and don’t wait until the last year to start.