Coast to Coast with the Schuyler Sisters

By Chuck Bailey

Last Saturday began with a celebratory Homecoming reception in the Geology department and finished twelve hours later, and 2,400 miles to the northwest in Portland, Oregon at the Geological Society of America’s annual meeting. I went coast to coast with the Schuyler Sisters to attend a scientific meeting, in person, for the first time in nearly two years.

Geology’s Homecoming reception, a rainy morning forced us to move indoors from the normal venue in the Rock Garden.

Bel Liscomb (front) enjoys the flight while Terri Zach (back) peers out into the evening sky as we travel westward to Portland, Oregon.

The Geological Society required all attendees to be fully vaccinated and arrive with a negative COVID test. Indeed, there was some trepidation about boarding a plane and jetting across the country, but the Schuyler Sisters were keen to present their research to a professional audience.

Haley Meyrowitz and Bel Liscomb gave poster presentations while Terri Zach delivered a talk at a session focused on tectonic sutures in mountain belts. I played the role of proud advisor.

Haley (top) and Bel (bottom) spreading the good word at their research posters.

The Geology department’s alumni reception on the second night of the conference was well-attended and lively. It was also great to catch up with colleagues and former students. Many W&M Geology alums are making significant contributions across a broad swath of the geosciences. For me, the best part of the meeting was introducing my current research students to former members of the Structural Geology & Tectonics Research Group who are now graduate students and faculty at universities across the country, our research group is a strong community that extends well beyond campus.

We’re optimistic that this first, in-person, geological meeting was a big step forward on the road back to normalcy.