GeoStories
Everyone Has a Story to Tell
LOOKING FOR THE OUTCROP THAT EXPLAINS IT ALL
SUSAN HOVORKA
Senior Research Scientist Susan Hovorka remembers her early days of field camp credits, wild goose chases, shattering rocks with hammers, and her efforts to prove Professor Bob Folk wrong.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
GRATITUDE AND THE GOLDEN RULE
Gretchen Gillis
Jackson School Graduate Gretchen Gillis (MS ’89), shares memories and reflects on the university as a place to find your path.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
CT SCANNING THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS HUMAN ANCESTOR
Jessie Maisano
UTCT Research Science Associate Jessie Maisano tells the story of how the skeleton of Lucy, the world’s most famous fossil, was transported in complete secrecy to the university’s high-resolution scanning lab.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
BUILDING STRONG BONDS THROUGH GEOFORCE
Eleanor and Jennifer
Join Eleanor Cote (BS ‘22) and Jennifer Peña (BS ‘22) discuss their experiences with the GeoFORCE Texas program
and its influence on shaping the next generation of geoscientists.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
BOB FOLK’S LESSONS IN GEOLOGY, ITALIAN AND LIFE
Pam Darwin
Pam Darwin (MS ’84 and GeoFORCE Texas Sponsor) memories of Professor Bob Folk’s life lessons, limestone, and studying Italian in Italy.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
FRIENDSHIP ROCK: A LOVE STORY
Erin and Ben Byerly
Jackson School alumni Erin (MS ’12) and Ben (PhD ’14) Byerly trace the intersections of their lives – from field camps, airports, emails, and one very important lodestone.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
LESSONS IN CANOE PHYSICS
Kris Voorhees
Jackson School graduate Kris Voorhees (MS ‘16) re-lives a canoeing trip lead by Professor Charlie Kerans, and the time
the Pecos River decided to swallow him whole. This one’s a classic campfire story.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
HIGH-STAKES SCIENCE UNDER PRESSURE
Peter Flemings
Professor Peter Flemings takes us back to the Gulf of Mexico to recount the (often) harrowing tale of pressurized methane-hydrate core extraction.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
A SHORT REFLECTION ON A LONG CAREER
Jamie Austin
Research Professor Jamie Austin has been a part of the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics for decades. He reflects on his past and offers words of advice for today’s students.
RECORDED APRIL 4, 2025
The University of Texas at Austin
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