By: Ingrid Gendron

Hello and happy Monday!


The start of a new semester means the beginning of a new set of enjoyable classes. This fall I am excited to be a part of the small group of ESYS 500 research projects. Considering my pursuit of undergraduate studies in physics and computer science, this class is out of my comfort zone. Regardless, I have been interested in the field of Earth Sciences as I enjoy learning the behavior and physical constitutions of the planet we live on. This class provides a perfect opportunity to explore the domain in the research-oriented setting which I am accustomed to.

8 year old me with my volcano project


Every Friday evening my mother calls and asks the same repetitive questions. She is always interested in what I had for lunch that week and the classes I am taking during the semester. Sometimes she unintentionally asks the daunting questions in life that make most physics undergraduates cry: “why did you choose to study physics?” To be honest mom, I still remember when I was in grade school and we built that volcano and made it erupt with a mixture of dish soap, baking powder and vinegar. I was so impressed that ever since that day I knew I wanted to design equally cool experiments. This led me to choosing physics as they had many lab sections which I enjoy.


As I am now in my third year and approaching my graduation, I want to get more involved in Earth sciences that I don’t know much about. I was drawn to this course because it is a balanced blend of both my interests in research orientated projects and this domain of Earth System Sciences. I can’t wait to see what this fall has in store for us and how we will direct our research topic!