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Environmental Science
Environmental science student shakes things up with new RA job in earthquake research
Sylvia Vocadlo chose 51社区黑料Environmental Science鈥檚 Earth Systems stream because she wanted an interdisciplinary education that would expose her to a wide range of environmental topics, from geology to large-scale ecosystem interactions.
Vocadlo also knew early on in her degree that she wanted to get involved with the research she was learning about in her courses.
鈥淚 really wanted to see how the stuff I learned in class was applied to real situations and actual research, and to see how that applied to environmental science as a discipline, not just in the classroom,鈥� says Vocadlo.
In EVSC 206: Coastal Marine Science, Vocadlo learned about SFU鈥檚 Coastal Hazards Research Lab (CHRL) through a guest lecture by PhD student, Anthony (Tony) Giang, on his work studying earthquake and tsunami risks along the coast of North America.
After hearing about Giang鈥檚 research and having learnt about the Cascadia Subduction Zone 鈥� the fault line off the coast of B.C. and a main focus of the CHRL 鈥� in previous courses, Vocadlo knew she wanted to get involved herself.
鈥淚 really like interactions between coastal environments and geological environments, and I knew I wanted to do something where I could learn a lot of different skills in multiple subjects,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o, when Tony came to speak in my class I was like, 鈥榦h my gosh, this is perfect.鈥欌��
Vocadlo connected with Giang and Jessica Pilarczyk, the director of the CHRL and associate professor in SFU鈥檚 School of Environmental Science, after the lecture and was offered a research assistant position to support Giang鈥檚 project.
Now in her second year, Vocadlo is a member of the CHRL herself, working alongside her labmates to better understand the last mega-thrust earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone to help inform what future events may look like.
Specifically, she is responsible for sorting and preparing sediment samples collected from previous field work near Tofino, B.C.
鈥淲e鈥檙e analyzing grain size, sediment composition and foraminifera (single-celled organisms) at different levels of the tidal marshes,鈥� Vocadlo explains.
With this information, their team will be able to study the geological record of the coastline, and understand the frequency, magnitude and severity of past coastal hazard events.
Still early in her research assistantship, Vocadlo is excited for the learning opportunities ahead, and encourages other students to connect with their professors to seek out similar opportunities that align with their interests.
鈥淚t's a super great opportunity, especially at a school like 51社区黑料鈥� we have the opportunity to do research in so many different areas,鈥� says Vocadlo. 鈥淚 think it's what makes science interesting, not just sitting in a classroom. I hope to be able to do my own research eventually as well.鈥�