Lauren Birgenheier
University of Utah
Las Vegas, NV USA
"If you don’t take care of yourself and do the things that make you happy, you’re going to burn out."
Career Roadmap
Lauren's work combines: Science, Education, and Teaching / Mentoring
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Take a class, do well in it, and find a few mentors that you can carry with you as you progress through the field.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Geology/Earth Science, General
Colorado College
Doctorate
Geophysics and Seismology
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I grew up in Chicago but went to a summer camp in the West, where I got to hike and experience nature outside of a big city.
2.
When I went to college, I knew I wanted to go into science, but didn’t find my passion for geology until I took an intro to geology course and got to travel to national parks to explore the earth.
3.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in geology, I worked as a teaching assistant to figure out if I’d like to teach geology.
4.
I also spent a couple of years working in environmental consulting, which helped me decide to go back to school because it wasn’t enough of a technical challenge for me.
5.
While getting my Ph.D., I did field work in Australia to study the rocks and look for clues about what the ancient climate was like there.
6.
After graduate school, I moved to Utah and I did research exclusively for a few years before starting on a tenure track.
7.
During my tenure track, I had a baby, got divorced, and became a single mom—it was a critical time in my career and the added family stress made it much harder, but it also made me a stronger person.
8.
I now teach geology at the University of Utah and do research on sedimentary rocks to try and to figure out what the ancient environment was like when they were deposited millions of years ago!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
You won't be able to achieve your career goal as a single mom.
How I responded:
When I got divorced and became a single mom, my work suffered. I started thinking that I couldn't perform at the level my job needed as a single mom. Times can get hard but but it's possible to reach your goals as a single parent. When I take small steps toward a bigger goal, I acknowledge the win and tell myself, "I got this." For each small win, I imagine myself taking one step on a hiking trail that brings me closer to the top of the mountain. Slow and steady wins the race. Just keep walking.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I had a baby, got divorced and became a single mom during a critical time in my career, which led to anxiety and depression. I thought I could do it all. I learned to take care of myself first because I can only help others if I'm in a healthy place.