KU doctoral student in geology earns 1 of 2 national scholarships for women

LAWRENCE -- A University of Kansas doctoral student recently received one of two national $1,500 scholarships from the Association for Women Geoscientists.

Linda Pickett Garinger, a doctoral student in geology from Lawrence, won a Chrysalis scholarship, given to "exemplary women graduate students in the geosciences who have experienced an interruption at some time in their formal education and are in the final stages of writing their theses," according to an AWG news release.

Garinger's dissertation work studies crustal evolution in magmatic environments and the role of magma buoyancy in determining styles of volcanism. Ross Black, her adviser and KU associate professor of geology, said the research has implications in the scientific community, because the study is testing an existing theory, and in public safety and geothermal energy resources.

Black said that because of variations in the density of the earth's crust, magma flows to different depths from the surface. If the magma doesn't reach the surface, it will melt existing rock and form more volatile magma capable of more explosive eruptions. This creates a public safety concern, he said, but also provides a greater opportunity to tap the area for geothermal energy.

This aspect of the research has garnered funding by the U.S. Navy's Geothermal Energy Program, which gets funds from the operation of a geothermal power plant near Coso, Calif.

Garinger earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1986 from Kansas State University, then a master's degree in atmospheric science from the University of Alabama-Huntsville in 1996.

Black said that Garinger's educational background gives her a great breadth of knowledge that benefits her as a geologist.

Outside of her research, Garinger has been active with the Osage chapter of the AWG, which includes members from Kansas and Kansas City, Mo. As a member, Garinger has helped Lawrence-area Girl Scouts earn merit badges at a workshop exploring geology.

The AWG is a professional organization whose goals are to encourage participation of women in the geosciences, to promote their professional advancement and to exchange professional and technical information. It consists of six chapters and nearly 1,000 members who work in a variety of earth science disciplines.

The Chrysalis scholarship provides degree-completion funding for female geoscience graduate students whose education has been interrupted for at least one year. The awards are intended to cover thesis or dissertation costs, such as typing or drafting expenses, child care or other expenses.