CSUB welcomes 150-plus high schoolers for Geology Day

Inaugural event highlights research, careers for prospective students

Por California State University, Bakersfield

07 de November de 2025

The Department of Geological Sciences at California State University, Bakersfield recently welcomed more than 150 local high school students for its first-ever Geology Day. The event was a chance for the department to get the next generation of geologists excited about exploring the earth beneath their feet.

Prospective students visiting campus for Geology Day on Oct.17 learned all about the wide world of geology and the many different career paths they can take with a degree in the subject. Current geology majors shared about their research experience, while alumni and other working geologists answered questions in a career panel and keynote speaker Kerry Klein talked about her journey from geology graduate to science reporting.

The students were all from dual enrollment geology classes, meaning they are already earning college credits from CSUB as part of their high school education.

“We want to expand our connections with regional high schools and community colleges, and Geology Day offers a way to bring students to campus to engage with our students, faculty and alumni,” said Geology Chair Dr. Anthony Rathburn. “I hope that students came away with a sense of the diversity of geoscience and environmental science careers, the excitement of geoscience activities at CSUB and the many job opportunities in the region.”

For Klein, a degree in geology eventually took her to a career she might not have initially considered. Now a reporter for KVPR, the Central Valley’s NPR affiliate, Klein covers a variety of topics, from climate and health issues to everything science. But as a first-year student at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, it was geology that first grabbed her attention.

Klein decided to pursue her geology degree when the professor teaching an introductory course arrived 15 minutes late to class with one exceptional excuse for his tardiness.

“He strides in from the back of the room breathless, and he goes, ‘So sorry, everybody, so sorry. My plane got in just a few hours ago from Indonesia, where I've been studying volcanoes for two weeks,’” Klein told the students. “And I was hooked. After class, I walked up and said, ‘How do I go visit volcanoes?’ And he said, ‘Well, study geology.’”

As a reporter, Klein still gets to travel to interesting new locations and use the love for learning and natural curiosity that got her interested in geology in the first place. She said she loves geology because it provides a clear path forward for understanding the natural world around her.

“Your careers are infinite,” Klein told the students. “There are so many things that are out there, especially for your generation. There are so many directions that you can take in your careers; there’s no one clear path … But I will tell you that whatever it is that you want to do — if it’s becoming a geologist or not — geology is a really excellent jumping-off point.”

CSUB welcomes 150-plus high schoolers for Geology Day

Following Klein’s keynote address in the Student Union multipurpose room, students were split into groups to make the rounds between three other events: a career panel, a current student panel and hands-on activities like the augmented-reality sandbox.

During the career panel, students heard from Klein, Matthew Van Grinsven (CalGEM), Sade Haake (CalGEM) and Raj Dhillon (California Resources Corporation). Each took a few moments to explain their jobs and their journey with geology. All the panelists said a big draw of geology for them was a love for the outdoors.

“(Geology) requires being outdoors, not just sitting at a desk all day, and I just fell in love with it,” Dhillon said. “And the deeper I went, I realized it was not just about rocks. It’s a whole new world out there. You can work in subsurface, you can work with water, you can do consulting work, and you can teach.”

In another panel, current geology students took turns sharing about the research and internship experiences they have been able to pursue at CSUB. Maggie Izumi spoke about her internship at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Tyler Garza spoke about his internship at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Macross spoke about her research on critical minerals and Ryan Tengelsen, Garrett Cooper and Trace Hicks each spoke about their recent experiences on a Labrador Sea research cruise.

Izumi went into detail about her research on hydrogen storage, citing it as an example that the work CSUB geology students do is “solving real world problems right here in our own backyard.” Her involvement has taken her not just to the Bay Area for her research, but to conferences in Anaheim, Washington D.C., and soon New Orleans. Like her fellow presenters, Izumi emphasized that these trips were all paid for and her research work was compensated.

In his presentation, Tengelsen echoed Izumi’s point that even though they are students, the research they are doing is much more than simple lab exercises.

“If you love being very hands-on, if you love working outside, with geology, you get to go around to so many cool places and you get to do so many cool things,” he said. On the research cruise, “we’re not just sitting there and watching. We’re handling the equipment and helping the crew members.”

Geology faculty members regularly need student research assistants, and the students all encouraged the crowd of future students to make connections with them.

“Just talk to your professors,” Macross said. “They have so many funding opportunities. If you are going to college, no matter what your major is, just talk to your professors. Get friendly with them. They’re not scary. They’re excited for students to get involved.”

Back in the multipurpose room before breaking for lunch, students heard from Dr. Matthew Herman, associate professor of geology at CSUB. Dr. Herman spoke more about careers in geology, encouraging students to choose careers for which they have a passion.

Camille Valadez is a geology teacher at Ridgeview High School who is a CSUB geology alumna herself. She brought about 70 college-bound seniors to Geology Day. She hoped her students left the day with some insights into the opportunities they have in college.

“Whether they are getting a degree in geology or not, college isn’t just about going to school,” she said. “It’s about networking and experiences and all of the other cool things that they’ll learn and get to be a part of.”

Matthew Van Grinsven, Raj Dhillon, Sade Haake and Kerry Klein talk to visiting students about their experience working in geology careers.

CSUB Geology chair Dr. Anthony Rathburn moderates the career panel.

CSUB Geology student Maggie Izumi tells students about her involvement in research and internship opportunities at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory..

Tyler Garza tells students about his summer interning at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Visting students check out a collection of geologic samples.

Professor of Geology Dr. Chris Krugh meets with visiting students.

Students have some hands-on educational fun with the stream table.

Associate Professor of Geology Dr. Matthew Herman talks to students about why they should consider studying the geosciences.

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Footnotes

Story by Kelly Ardis, communications specialist, College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering (NSME); Kerry Klein photos by Abel Núñez-Guerrero, Outreach & Community College Coordinator for NSME; other photos by Kelly Ardis