Department of Applied Environmental Science
AES/BIO Student Rocked at Geological Society of America Conference
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Abraham Porras-Vargas, an Environmental Science minor and Biology major, recently attended the Geological Society of America conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Abraham presented his research project “Creepy Hillslopes: Multimethod Analysis of Earthflows in Hollister, CA,” which was completed alongside Dr. Jimmy Guilinger, Dr. Doug Smith, Ellery Charleton (a current ESTP major), and Manuel Villa Alvarado (a current ESTP major).
We recently touched base with Abraham to learn more about his research and the conference overall. Check out his interview below!
In 3-4 sentences, please summarize your research.
The research that I'm doing with James and Manuel is on earthflows, a type of landslide that's characterized by clay rich soils with gradual movement caused by water saturation. Specifically, we're monitoring movement and sediment delivery of two previously studied slide complexes exhibiting differing morphology. We're using multiple techniques, both for gauging the factors we're interested in, as well as to judge the reliability of novel methods by comparing them to proven practices.
What did you gain from this experience, and does this experience contribute to your career goals?
It's fair to say I've gotten more out of this project than I could've imagined. I had the opportunity to work in a lab, perform several field techniques, generate and present a research poster, and even got the chance to interact with like minded researchers from other institutions. Needless to say, I've been given a very good foundation for geology early on.
What was your favorite part of the conference?
It felt very good to know that there is a large pool of aspiring paleontologists, and that the field was still very active.
What are your future plans (career, academic, etc.)?
Short term, I want to continue this project, and get involved in other related research. Long term, I have my eyes set on a geology and paleo focus in grad school.
Any advice for fellow students interested in participating in this kind of research?
Be happy! You've got the opportunity to add something to our field, and what other department gets to spend as much time outside?
Congratulations on this experience, Abraham! We are so proud of you and look forward to seeing where your professional and academic endeavors take you!