Postdoctoral Research Associate Olivia Anderson first began her digging into Earth science as an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara. Originally from Goleta, California, she received her BS in Earth Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and MSc in Geology at Western Washington University, before going on to earn her PhD in Earth Science at UCSB. Now, Olivia is working with Assistant Professor James Dottin at the Sulfur Isotope Laboratory in the Brown Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, focusing her research on the Earth’s volcanic past, and more specifically, on oceanic hotspot volcanoes.
Olivia's fascination with the deep time of geology began early in her life. “Being able to study things that are millions to billions of years old and then being able to interpret something about Earth's or our Solar System's history was amazing for me,” she explained. Alongside an interest in volcanic systems, she also became more drawn to studying geological processes on a microscopic scale. “Taking something that is on the 100s of micrometers scale (average thickness of human hair) and then being able to say something about large scale processes is very exciting.”
At her current stage of research, Olivia expressed that the most memorable parts have been her opportunities to collaborate with others, whether that has been fieldwork in Mauna Loa, helping sort dredged rocks on a research cruise, or looking at samples in a microscope. When asked if there is a memory that stands out, she shared how the team once found a fossilized megalodon tooth in the dredged rocks on a research cruise. “It takes a lot of effort to dredge rocks,” she said about the experience, “and you never know what you are going to get.”
Reflecting on her scientific journey, she cites her father–a professor of Organic Chemistry at UC Santa Barbara–as a major source of inspiration for her research and teaching. “If I ever had a question that my dad did not know, he would consult his Encyclopaedia Britannica books,” she says, adding “that habit helped me with scientific literature.” She also describes being inspired by the scientists in Star Trek: Next Generation, and watching the characters solve problems and work towards a collective goal.
Going forwards, Olivia hopes to have her own laboratory and teach undergraduate students. Having been inspired by scientists in her own early days, she noted “I hope that my research inspires future students and that I can contribute something to the scientific community.”
