WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:04.620 --> 00:00:09.719 I was always participating in Science Fairs and things like that. So I always did well 00:00:09.719 --> 00:00:11.950 in science and math-related courses. 00:00:11.950 --> 00:00:17.460 I’ve typically not been afraid to take a bit of a risk here and there. So, we’ll 00:00:17.460 --> 00:00:19.090 see how that goes. 00:00:19.090 --> 00:00:23.210 I remember being at the beach and most kids are building sandcastles and I’m timing 00:00:23.210 --> 00:00:28.739 when the waves are coming in to see if there is a pattern. 00:00:32.020 --> 00:00:39.020 When I was growing up my dad was a uranium miner. And he always emphasized the importance 00:00:39.050 --> 00:00:46.050 of going to school and getting a good education. So he always encouraged us to do well in school. 00:00:46.289 --> 00:00:51.769 And through that endeavor I was always participating in Science Fairs and things like that. So 00:00:51.769 --> 00:00:55.649 I always did well in science and math-related courses. 00:00:55.649 --> 00:01:01.280 Obviously uranium mining is a dangerous job, it’s a tough job, but he wanted better for 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:06.240 us. So he thought by getting an education we could have more opportunities to do other 00:01:06.240 --> 00:01:08.270 things. 00:01:08.270 --> 00:01:12.990 There was a time when I was at University of Michigan studying arsenic in aquifers and 00:01:12.990 --> 00:01:19.220 trying to figure out methods to clean up aquifers. And I wondered what I was going to do beyond 00:01:19.220 --> 00:01:25.980 my PhD. And I went home for a Christmas break or something like that and I saw the local 00:01:25.980 --> 00:01:31.560 newspapers and they talked about the contamination from uranium mining. And I though, “Oh my 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:37.070 gosh, I’m totally equipped to work on these kind of subjects.” And it totally sparked 00:01:37.070 --> 00:01:42.210 me. And it excited me. And it gave me a passion to do something with my science. 00:01:42.210 --> 00:01:48.600 As I was finishing up my PhD I noticed an advertisement in one of the scientific journals 00:01:48.600 --> 00:01:54.030 for a Mendenhall post doc to study the environmental impacts of uranium mining and I knew that 00:01:54.030 --> 00:01:59.750 job was for me. So I applied for the job and 6 months later I found out I got the position. 00:01:59.750 --> 00:02:03.610 So I did a post doc at USGS. 00:02:03.610 --> 00:02:09.200 Coming to USGS allowed me the opportunity to work with other really knowledgeable scientists 00:02:09.200 --> 00:02:16.200 in the subject area and to gain that knowledge. And to apply it to both contamination issues, 00:02:17.379 --> 00:02:23.159 as well as new mining issues. To understand better ways to do uranium mining and other 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:27.219 types of energy development. It’s a really exciting place to be because there are so 00:02:27.219 --> 00:02:34.219 many other scientists who have a broad knowledge base that I can learn from.