Lisa White (geologist) facts for kids

Lisa D. White is an American geologist who studies rocks and Earth's history. She is the Director of Education and Outreach at the University of California Museum of Paleontology. This means she helps teach people about fossils and Earth science.

Before this, Dr. White was a professor at San Francisco State University. She also held a leadership role there. She has been recognized for her important work. In 2000, she joined the California Academy of Sciences. In 2009, she became a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. This shows she is a respected expert in her field. She earned her PhD in 1989 from the University of California, Santa Cruz. In 2022, she received the "Friend of Darwin" award for her work in science education.

Learning About Earth

Lisa D. White studied geology at San Francisco State University. Geology is the study of Earth, including its rocks and history. While in college, she worked as an intern at the United States Geological Survey. This is a government agency that studies Earth's natural resources and hazards.

In 1989, she earned her PhD in Earth Sciences. This advanced degree came from the University of California, Santa Cruz. For her PhD, Dr. White studied tiny fossilized sea creatures called diatoms. She looked at these fossils in rocks from a time called the Miocene epoch. These rocks are part of the Monterey Formation.

A Career in Science

Dr. White was a professor of geosciences at San Francisco State University. Geoscience is another name for Earth science. From 2008 to 2012, she also helped lead the College of Science and Engineering there.

In 2005, she was a visiting professor at the University of New Orleans. She helped guide students and encouraged more African Americans to study Earth sciences. Since 2012, she has been the Director for Education and Outreach at the University of California Berkeley's Museum of Paleontology. In this role, she helps share science with the public.

Dr. White has been recognized as a top expert in her field. She was elected as a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences in 2000. She also became a Fellow of the Geological Society of America in 2009. Being a Fellow means she is highly respected by other scientists.

Making Science Welcoming for Everyone

Throughout her career, Dr. White has worked hard to make Earth sciences more diverse. She wants people from all backgrounds to feel welcome in science.

From 1988 to 1995, she helped lead a program with the US Geological Survey. This program encouraged more minority students to study Earth sciences. She also led programs that took high school students on trips to study geology. These trips helped students learn about different rock formations and landscapes across the United States.

Since 2017, she has helped with a program called FIELD. This program aims to make fieldwork more accessible and welcoming for all students. Fieldwork is when scientists go outside to study nature.

Dr. White has also held important leadership roles in major science groups. In 2000, she became the Chair of a committee for the Geological Society of America. This committee focused on minorities and women in Earth sciences. In 2019, she became the Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee for the American Geophysical Union.

In 2008, she received the first Bromery Award from the Geological Society of America. This award honored her work in helping minority groups in the field of geology.

Sharing Science with Others

Dr. White has always been passionate about teaching science. In 1994, she helped with a NASA program at San Francisco State. She also led a program called SF-ROCKS. This program brought Earth science education to high school students and teachers in San Francisco. It was a partnership between universities, schools, and community groups.

Dr. White has even appeared on TV! She was on Bill Nye the Science Guy. She was also featured in the PBS documentary Making North America in 2015. She continues to share her love for science in her current role at the University of California Museum of Paleontology.

The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) gave Dr. White the 2022 "Friend of Darwin" award. The director, Ann Reid, said that Dr. White's work helps science teachers explain evolution well. She especially noted Dr. White's leadership on the "Understanding Evolution" website.

Important Writings

Dr. White has written many scientific papers. Here are a few examples:

• White, L. D., R.E. Garrison, and J.A. Barron. 1992. Miocene intensification of upwelling along the California margin as recorded in siliceous facies of the Monterey Formation and offshore DSDP sites. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 64.1: 429–442.
• White, L.D., and P.A. Holroyd. 2018. Transfer of the San Francisco State University collection to the University of California Museum of Paleontology. Journal of Paleontology 93(1): 196.
• White, L., and R. Bell. 2019. Why diversity matters to AGU, Eos 100,
• Ellwood, E.R., Sessa, J.A., Abraham, J.K., Budden, A.E., Douglas, N., Guralnick, R., Krimmel, E., Langen, T., Linton, D., Phillips, M., Soltis, P.S., Studer, M., White, L.D., Williams, J., Monfils, A.K., 2020. Biodiversity Science and the Twenty-First Century Workforce, BioScience, Vol. 70 No. 2.