Alumni Spotlight: Gabriel Villaseñor

September 12, 2023

Gabriel Villaseñor first began his GeoFORCE journey in 2012 as a rising freshman. Coming from a rural town, he hadn’t seen much of the broad geologic landscapes the United States has to offer. “I’m from Eagle Pass, coming from a small town in South Texas along the border of Mexico, I was a stranger to mountains and their immense majestic personalities.” Now since going through the program, Villaseñor has gone on to obtain a Bachelor’s and Master’s, and begin work at Roux Associates, an environmental consulting company.

As a professional, Villaseñor joined us on our Southwest 9th grade as the corporate sponsor representative for Roux. After high school, Villaseñor attended the University of Texas at Austin where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in General Geology from the Jackson School of Geosciences in 2020. He continued his education at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he obtained his Master of Science in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

“As a student at UT Austin, I really enjoyed meeting with coordinators and mentors over a cup of coffee to discuss opportunities in the geology community,” Villaseñor said. Throughout his academic journey, he was initially drawn to the oil and gas industry. However, his perspective shifted to a desire to help the environment, so he began exploring other avenues in the environmental discipline of geology.

Villaseñor states, “I hope to use the knowledge I gained throughout my studies to make a safer and healthier community for people.” Villaseñor now works as a Staff Geologist for Roux Associates Inc and assisted in bringing the company on as a sponsor. He had interest in connecting his employer with the GeoFORCE program as a sponsor because Roux Associates utilizes avenues in geology and STEM that are not usually discussed much in geology courses at the high school/collegiate levels. Environmental consulting provides a safe and healthful environment for all communities, at all levels.

Villaseñor joined us on the Southwest 9th grade as the professional mentor and representative from Roux Associates. He was joined by students from his hometown, in the same position he had been in nearly a decade ago.

“Being a mentor for the 9th grade Southwest group was amazing! I was able to see the GeoFORCE program through a different set of eyes than I did before. My intention was to give students this knowledge, so they may have a broader understanding of what other opportunities/disciplines are available in geology. I saw students become engaged and interested in the science I grew to be passionate about because of the program. Looking back to when I was a student in GeoFORCE, I realize how thankful I am for the GeoFORCE mentors that I had, who made me appreciate geology. So, to be able to give back to GeoFORCE as a mentor was a memorable experience for me.”