Karen Chin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karen Chin
Chin in 2008
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of California San Diego (BS) Montana State University (MS) University of California, Santa Barbara (PhD),
Known for	Coprolite Research
Scientific career
Fields	Paleontology
Institutions	University of Colorado, Boulder, University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
Thesis	The paleobiological implications of herbivorous dinosaur coprolites: Ichnologic, petrographic, and organic geochemical investigations (1996)
Doctoral advisor	Bruce H. Tiffney
Other academic advisors	Jack Horner (MS)

Dr. Karen Chin is an American paleontologist. She studies ancient life, especially how fossils form. Dr. Chin is known as one of the world's top experts on coprolites. These are fossilized animal droppings, or "poop."

Early Life and Education

Karen Chin loved learning about living things when she was a kid. She enjoyed exploring her garden and memorizing the names of different species. When she was in college at the University of California San Diego, she worked as a nature guide for the National Park Service.

Discovering Fossil Fever

Later, Dr. Chin went to graduate school at Montana State University. She was studying modern grasslands. During this time, she took a job at the Museum of the Rockies. There, she worked with a famous paleontologist named Jack Horner. She helped prepare fossils from the Two Medicine Formation for study.

Dr. Chin started by cutting thin slices of newly found maiasaura bones. This allowed Dr. Horner to look at them under a microscope. Among the fossils were dinosaur eggs, nests, and some strange "blobs." No one knew what these blobs were. Dr. Chin asked if she could study them. Her research proved that these blobs were actually coprolites, or fossilized dinosaur poop!

This experience was very exciting for Dr. Chin. She said it gave her "fossil fever." After that, she decided to focus her studies on fossils.

Breaking Barriers in Science

Dr. Chin has shared that she was different from many other students in paleontology. She was a woman, a person of color (Black and Chinese), and older than most graduate students. Even so, she had important mentors who believed in her. These mentors were three white men who gave her great advice. Their help allowed her to succeed in her studies. Dr. Chin is happy to show that paleontologists can come from all backgrounds.

After earning her Master's degree, Dr. Chin continued her education. She received her PhD in Geological Sciences in 1996. She earned this degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her advisor there was Bruce H. Tiffney.

Career and Research

Today, Dr. Karen Chin is a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is also the Curator of Paleontology at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. As a curator, she helps manage and care for the museum's fossil collections.

Her research explores how ancient ecosystems worked. She focuses on the Mesozoic era, which was the time of the dinosaurs. She compares these ancient environments to our modern world. Specifically, she studies how ancient animals might have interacted with each other. This helps her understand the climate conditions of the past.

Awards and Achievements

Dr. Chin has achieved many great things in her career.

• She has written two books for children. These books help young readers learn about her work. The first book, Dino Dung (Step into Reading), was published in 2005. Her second book, The Clues Are in the Poo: The Story of Dinosaur Scientist Karen Chin, came out in 2023.
• In 2023, Dr. Chin received the Bromery Award from the Geological Society of America. This award honors scientists who make important contributions to geology. It also recognizes those who help people from underrepresented groups join the geosciences. Dr. Chin earned this award for her extensive outreach work.
• Dr. Chin's work has been featured in famous publications like National Geographic and The Washington Post. She has also appeared on the NOVA television show. She spoke on the "Science Friday" radio show about "Why Dinosaurs Matter."

See also

In Spanish: Karen Chin para niños