PODCAST EPISODE 3: From Books to Bedrock: Student life with Keira Hum

In this episode, we sit down with Keira Hum, a passionate Integrated Science student at McMaster University, to explore the ins and outs of student life in the world of Earth Sciences. Keira shares her journey from the classroom to the field, offering invaluable advice for balancing academics, personal growth, and career aspirations. Whether it’s navigating coursework, finding opportunities in the geoscience community, or preparing for a future in the field, Keira’s relatable stories and practical tips are sure to inspire students and geoscience enthusiasts alike. Tune in for a fun and insightful conversation packed with guidance for thriving in geoscience studies! 🌍🎙️

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Introduction

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Beneath Your Feet, a geoscience podcast. I’m Veronica Klassen, science communicator, geology enthusiast and your host. Here at the APGO Education Foundation, our mission is to spark curiosity and passion for the geology of Ontario. Whether you’re a geology nerd, science enthusiast, or nature lover, this podcast is for you. Join us as we geek out over fascinating geology, uncover the hidden stories
and secrets of our extraordinary planet and explore the captivating world beneath your feet.

Veronica Klassen

Thanks so much for joining me. Today I’m here with Keira Hum, a third year university student at McMaster. We’re going to be talking about some tips and ideas for being in school, studying geology,
all those sorts of things. And I think it’ll be a really good conversation. I’m really excited to talk with you.

Keira Hum

I’m really excited to talk to you, too, Veronica. I’m excited to kind of talk about my job and experience going through a geoscience program.

Veronica
Yeah, for sure. All right, so why don’t you just start by introducing yourself? Who are you? What do you do?

Keira
So, yeah, my name is Keria Hum. I go to McMaster, and I’m in the Integrated Science program. I’m going into my fourth year of study and I have a concentration in Earth and Environmental Science. So I do a lot of, like, scientific research and take a lot of environmental electives.

Veronica
Awesome. How does it feel being almost done?

Keira
Pretty good. I know I’m going to miss my friends a lot so that I’ll be going over my mind throughout the year and kind of thinking about master’s programs too, right now. So that’s been what I’ve been doing.

Veronica
Yeah. And how did you get where you are now? So how did you originally become interested in geoscience and what was that journey like for you?

Keira
So in my first year of undergrad in my Integrated Science program, we did have an introductory lecture and course in Earth and Environmental Science, and I really enjoyed that compared to like all the other courses that we had to take. And I just thought the Earth Science course was so much more fun and so much more interactive. And I also took an intro to Environment, Climate and Water, and I thought that was really interesting too. And I had a bunch of field events, which was really fun, and I thought, you know, can’t hurt to try going into that concentration. And I’m so glad that I did.

Veronica
Yeah, that’s awesome. And I think I remember you saying that you were not imagining that you would do Earth Science before university. You had a different track in mind. Is that the case?

Keira
Yeah. I was thinking I would go into biology. That’s kind of what I was interested in during high school. But getting introduced to the course at a university level and the concepts I thought was really interesting. I really like the idea of sitting in the classroom, learning about the concepts and then doing labs outside and in the field. That was really interesting to me and I learn so much better in those kind of environments. So it was kind of perfect for me. Yeah, and I just thought, it’s so applicable to so many different types of disciplines, like I could do biology and geoscience if I wanted, or earth and environmental science and biology. And I really liked how the discipline can, kind of, interact with so many other ones.

Veronica
Yeah, definitely. That’s one of the things that I also love about geology is just like how universal is and like it relates to so many different scientific and also nonscientific areas of study.

Keira
Yeah, for sure.

Veronica
And you also said that you decided to try to get your PGO certification. So could you tell us a bit about how that process has been for you?

Keira
Yeah. So I first got introduced to what PGO is and the importance of it in my first year of study. So I was kind of thinking about it and trying to plan my courses for the PGO and because I’m in ISci, it’s hard to manage my electives just because I have limited space every year. So I had to do a lot of planning field courses and extra courses during the summer and spring terms just so I can make up all the knowledge requirements to get the PGO certificate.

So it’s been a lot of planning and stress, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end. Yeah, I love the courses that I’m taking anyway that are required for the PGO knowledge requirements, so I find it, you know, not too difficult and pretty enjoyable because I’m getting more exposure to courses I might not have noticed or taken if it wasn’t for the PGO requirement list and seeing the course offerings on that document.

Veronica
Right? Yeah, it’s different things that necessarily you would always get to get to explore. So that’s cool. On that note, do you have any other piece of advice that you would give for younger students who are maybe considering PGO or geoscience in general? What would be your best piece of advice?

Keira
I think I’d say just to go out and get involved, you know, go to events and talk to your professors. It’s kind of cheesy to say and they always say that, but I feel that it’s true and it really helps. For example, in I think second year, I went to an engineering event that I thought was just kind of interesting. And they ended up having like a seismic earthquake team where they looked at how they can build different structures and how it responds to different earthquakes.

So it was really cool. And I found out they have a geotechnical team. So I joined that. I was so grateful that I went to the event in the first place, right, because engineering is not my faculty and I just felt that I wanted to go to these kind of events and it really helped and really paid off in the end.

I’d also say talking to professors, making those connections. You never know, you could end up like volunteering for them or working for them during the summer or the school year. And I think that’s really important just to get connected with the professors in your school and other students as well.

Veronica
Yeah, for sure. I think those both those things are super important to keep in mind, even if it’s sometimes can be, can be a bit scary, to put yourself out there and go to things, to talk to profs that can be a bit intimidating sometimes, but really, yeah, a lot of the professors are more than willing to help and interested in giving you advice and helping you out. So it’s always good.

Keira
For sure. And usually I find that at least the McMaster professors are super open about that and they love to help. They love to provide more resources or other profs to refer you to if they don’t quite know the answer or have the opportunity that you’re looking for. And I think that’s really great that professors are willing to do that and take that extra step of saying like, ‘Hey, someone else might be able to help you with, I’m sorry, I can’t, but someone else might be a better fit.’ That’s great to see, yeah.

Veronica
Yeah, for sure. That’s always so good. And I guess on that note, what have been some of the opportunities that you’ve been involved in in the past? Maybe things that you found through professors or or otherwise. And what has that been like for you?

Keira
So for the past three years, I’ve been working on GeoHikes, which are actually on the GeoscienceINFO website. I started on the project during my first year. I went up to one of my professors in class like, ‘Hey, do you have any work? I’m super interested in what you do and your research kind of aligns with what I’m thinking of doing for the future.’

And I love the professor, Dr. Carolyn Eyles. I always heard great reviews from her and my brothers both went in the same program and they loved her and wouldn’t stop talking about her. So I thought like I should just give it a chance. So talking with her, I became interested and included in the GeoHikes project. So I’ve been working on that for three years and I’ve learned so much honestly and met so many great people.

Since last year, we’ve been working on cores from Antarctica. So Dr. Carolyn Eyles had these cores that the lab extracted from Antarctica a few years ago. So I took on that project with one of my classmates, Julia, and we worked on this for the collaborative project for ISci, just looking at the chemical signatures within the cores and what that meant for the paleo climate in that region.

We presented our work at the ISci Synthesis Conference at the end of the year, and we also presented the work to researchers that came from Peru. And that was such a great experience. And so, yeah, I wasn’t initially interested in looking at glacial sedimentology, but this project really brought out that interest. So it was great to be included in that and I’m so glad that I was able to be on both of these projects.

Veronica
That’s super interesting. I’m curious did you have some conclusions or things that you learned from looking at the the glacial cores?

Keira
So we used an XRF scanner to look at the cores and we used R to code some of the graphs that we used. We did find that the input of sediment could have been from terrigenous outlets or fluvial, and we’re still kind of figuring that out. We’re going back and looking at our data again. So we still need to sort some things out, but hopefully we’ll be working on that more this coming year.

Veronica
Okay, cool. Do you want to just define those two terms for people who might not know?

Keira
So terrigenous would be from the land, like sediment coming in from the land that might be from wind, like picking up some sediment and bringing it over. And fluvial is more through the movement of water. So sediment coming in from maybe a lake or a stream and being deposited in that area.

Veronica
Okay, awesome. I want to say why does it matter? But that sounds kind of harsh, obviously, it matters and it’s important, but what would be the significance of having the different ways that the sediment formed?

Keira
Looking at which input is coming in to where the cores are situated into what the environment was like back then. So we don’t have a great idea right now. There hasn’t been a lot of research published on this specific area we’re looking at, so we’re kind of looking at, was it kind of an area where more fluvial input was coming and more streams, or there was no water and it was mostly just land. Right now the bay is obviously filled with water, but we don’t know if it was always that way.

Veronica
Yeah, that’s super cool. And one of the things that I love about geology is just how there’s so much that unexplored and unknown. Like when you’re doing geological research, there’s so many interesting questions and so much more that you can explore. Yeah, and I mean, maybe that’s the case in other fields as well, but I feel like geology there’s there’s so much that we still don’t know that it’s super exciting to do that sort of research.

Keira
Yeah, it has been really interesting. We’ve given our pitch about the project to a bunch of different groups and we always get different input and different ideas from so many different people. You know, some people might say like, ‘Hey, have you used drone images and maybe looked at remote sensing images from the 9000s? Is that available, can you use that?’ Or ‘Have you used this proxy to look at is there pyrite being deposited in that area?’ Like a lot of people have different knowledge sets. So it’s really great to hear different people’s input and their ideas coming from their different areas of research.

Veronica
Yeah, that’s awesome. That’s super interesting to get different feedback and different perspectives. So what have been some of the biggest breakthroughs or challenges in your education so far?

Keira
I think my biggest breakthrough was getting the GeoHikes job in my first year study. It really helped me develop my interest in earth and environmental science and seeing what it can be like when you apply that knowledge in the real world. In class you learn about so many different things and you kind of wonder where can this be applicable. Especially like living in Ontario, you know, we don’t see glaciers, we don’t have as many earthquakes and tornados and volcano eruptions. So it’s great to see with this GeoHikes work like, you know, that’s not all there is to earth and environmental science. It can be, yeah, looking at the Niagara Escarpment and how it erodes over time, how that affects most of Hamilton. So it was really cool going on the Niagara Escarpment and seeing how it affects our daily lives.

Yeah, and I think one of the biggest challenges of my education is thinking about the future. What do I really love to do and what can I see myself doing for the rest of my life and for my future? Yeah, it’s been pretty difficult thinking of something that’s reasonable in terms of my interest and the job outlook and prospects for that field and, kind of, will there be those kinds of jobs in 20, 30 years. So that’s been on my mind recently.

Veronica
Yeah, for sure. That’s such a huge question, I feel like especially at your time of school, like closer to the end where its like okay, what do I actually enjoy? And yeah, there’s so much pressure. But one of the things that I’ve realized, I guess post-university, is there’s so many ways that your career probably will change throughout, you know, the rest of your life. There’s so much time to figure that stuff out. You don’t have to like have, you know, everything figured out right when you graduate university. But you can study something and then you can change your mind and do something else.

And yeah, that’s also what I love about geology is there is lots of opportunities even within the field, that there’s so many different ways that you could go and you can do one thing and then try something else, if you decide that you’re more interested in that.

Keira
For sure, yeah. For this GeoHikes job position that I have, it’s very research and geoscience communication based and I love it and I’m very passionate about that. So I’m definitely thinking like that’s something I want to do in my future job as well. Like maybe I might do something more bio based or I geology based, but I love the communication part and being able to share knowledge and resources with other people in an accessible way.

And that’s what the GeoHikes do for people: giving more context for the trail you’re going on and educating people walking on these trails, on what the area looked like before and what you’re seeing now and how that might affect the future as well. So I think that’s really interesting and I hope that one day, yeah, I can have a job that incorporates science communication and integrated together with that.

Veronica
Yeah, for sure. That’s awesome. And, and I think you kind of briefly touched on it how you’ve been looking at the Niagara Escarpment and how we don’t really realize how much of an impact that has on our lives. Could you talk a little bit more about that, about what you’ve learned about the Niagara Escarpment?

Keira
For sure. So with the Niagara Escarpment, we’re learning so much more about how it erodes over time and how that affects the streets and the areas below. So one of the projects I was working on was working on looking at the erosion on a cliff face or the face of the Niagara Escarpment and kind of saw how some of the rocks falling from that outcrop was falling onto the road or very close to the road. And, you know, that’s really dangerous for cars.

There been more resources, I think, to look into that, more funding. And I think that’s really great for the city. Just keeping people safe, keeping people educated. So it’s been really cool to see like how the Niagara Escarpment effects how the urban society works.

With the GeoHikes work we also look at a bunch of waterfalls and trails in Hamilton. So it’s been really cool to see, you know, how this waterfall formed and how this affects the stream that you’re walking on and how it forms these beautiful trails in the middle of the city. Yeah, and it’s just a great way to help educate people on what the Niagara Escarpment is and why it’s so beautiful and why we have waterfalls in the middle of the city. Toronto doesn’t have that and other surrounding areas don’t have that. So it’s really great to see and help people learn about that.

Veronica
Yeah, for sure. And that’s one of the things I love about Hamilton is like how the nature just really is right there and you can just walk to a waterfall, which is always very fun.

So now you’re at this point, you’ve had all this experience and research on the GeoHikes and things like that. What are you considering potentially doing after your undergrad? Do you have some options available?

Keira
Yeah, I’m actually looking to do a masters, hopefully somewhere in Canada. But I’m very open to doing so many different kinds of work, like environmental assessment, hydrology, hydro geology. And yeah, I think I just need to do more research and talk to more of my professors and some of my supervisors just to get some of their advice and maybe what their experience has been like, especially if they’ve done a masters, because I think that’s really helpful and that’s what’s helped me through undergrad as well. Just talking to people, seeing how their experience was and how I can kind of adapt my career path to fit my interests.

Veronica
Yeah, yeah. Awesome. Best of luck with that.

To end, we’ll just talk about what is your favourite geologic feature or feature that you find most most interesting?

Keira
Mine personally would have to be the fossils in the rocks. In Hamilton and the Niagara region, you can find so many different kinds of fossils and I think that’s super cool. Every day now, like this summer in the field, I learn so much about the fossils that I’m seeing in the field. And my supervisor, Dan Dick, he is actually leading us and he’s so knowledgeable about all the fossils that we find. So it’s been really great having him on the team. He’s great about teaching us in a way that we’ll understand the concepts and what we’re looking at and kind of seeing how we can distinguish between different fossils, which is really cool.

And I actually found a crinoid with the calyx top, the top part of the crinoid. So I found that while we were on one of our hikes the other day and it was super exciting, we took a picture and then spread the word to Carolyn and Bill and he was super excited about that. I don’t think a lot of people have found the crinoid with the calyx in Hamilton or in this area. So definitely a great find. And I think the ROM will be looking at it, too, because they don’t have one of these kind of fossils in their exhibit.

Veronica
That’s so cool. Oh, my gosh. You could have a fossil in the ROM.

Keira
Yeah, hopefully. We found it at Wainfleet, which is closer to Niagara rather than Hamilton. But yeah, they haven’t found a complete crinoid fossil like that yet from the site. So that’s especially why its so interesting and exciting.

Veronica
Yeah, that’s so awesome. And I also did a podcast recording with Dan and talked about fossils and stuff and Wainfleet. So it’s, yeah, that’s super cool.

Keira
Yeah, he’s definitely, Dan is so great about all the fossil stuff and he tells us how fossils he’s seen in Germany and things he’s seen during his work in undergrad and during his Ph.D. So he definitely has so many great, amazing stories about these fossils and makes me so excited. Like, I want to go find these kinds of fossils, like I want to be the one in a million to find, you know, a great find or a new species. But yeah, he’s great at inspiring us with his stories and his knowledge about fossils.

Like he showed us some of his work as well to make animations for some of our GeoHikes and they’re so cool. One of the ones he showed was animated trilobite on a picture that we took and kind of having the trilobite like roll around and kind of move around. And it’s accurate to the way that a trilobite actually would have moved when it was alive. And especially in the region, it rolling into a ball and that was specific to the trilobite that they found. And I just thought that was so interesting that you can learn so much just from the fossil and to make such a great animation. It was so cool to see.

Veronica
That’s so awesome. Its so cool to visualize what those animal might’ve looked like however many millions of years ago that they lived.

Keira
Sure, yeah. It’s not something that I’d ever learn in a classroom. Like I never, I think, would be able to see that or learn so much about look at this fossil look at this kind of feature on it and this is this tells us how about how it would move during its time and it’s something different that a classroom wouldn’t be able to teach me. Or maybe in the future it’ll get into classrooms. I haven’t come across anything like that in my education so far.

Veronica
Yeah, for sure. It’s important to get outside, and see what you’re actually talking about.

All right, well, thanks so much for talking with me, Keira. It was so great to hear from you, to hear all about your experience at McMaster and in Geoscience and advice and things for students. So thanks so much for joining me.

Keira
Thank you so much for having me. I had so much fun and I love talking about my job and what my experience has been like in undergrad. I hope it’ll be able to reach students and kind of help others with their experience during undergrad.

Veronica
Yeah, for sure. Awesome. Thanks so much for joining me.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Beneath Your Feet, a geoscience podcast. I’m Veronica Klassen, science communicator and geology enthusiast. As a reminder, please note that the opinions and views expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the APGO Education Foundation. If you want to learn more, visit us at GeoscienceINFO.com, where you can find our GeoHikes, podcast transcripts, and additional resources. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok at GeoscienceINFO or on LinkedIn and Facebook at the APGO Education Foundation. Stay curious and keep exploring the incredible world Beneath Your Feet.

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