A Geology student at Solihull Sixth Form College took advantage of a summer residential programme being offered by the University of Plymouth, aimed at encouraging more girls into the field of Geoscience.
Meg Zagurskas, currently in her second year of A level study at the College, attended the Girls into Geoscience two-day event, which comprised of a field trip, talks and workshops. This included a trip to Bovisand Bay to study geological structures and processes, slope stabilization methods and the participating learners determined the composition of a rock outcrop.
The summer school saw Meg and the other participating students, who came from all over the country, staying in Halls of Residence, to get a real taste of university life. What followed was a programme of talks on the career prospects of Geoscience and its many applications, as well as workshops on deep sea geology and paleoclimates.
Meg explained her motivation for attending and what she got out of the event, saying:
“I heard about the event through my Year 12 Geology teacher. I feel like even though a lot of STEM subjects now have more women involved, Geology is one that still lacks diversity. A lot of people are unaware of it as a subject and so the number of women in Geology is pretty small. I think it’s good that this event is aimed towards girls, because it gets them interested in a science that is still pretty much dominated by men.
“What I like about Geology is that it’s needed for almost anything, including building new structures, sustainable waste disposal, ground remediation and sustainable energy, to name a few.”
As well as studying Geology, Meg is currently studying Biology and Chemistry at A level. She hopes to progress onto university at the end of this academic year and continue her Geology studies.
21 September 2023