Emily A. Hamecher
Ph.D. Candidate, Geology
California Institute of Technology
I am a sixth-year graduate student in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at Caltech.
My path to graduate school has been an untraditional one. After attending Grossmont College for one year after high school, I left in order to travel and gain some life experience. After nine years of life experience, in the form of traveling, working as a bookkeeper, and playing percussion in a rock band, I returned to Grossmont, where I attended classes at night while working my full-time job during the day. I moved to Humboldt County, California, and completed my lower division Geology degree requirements at College of the Redwoods before transferring to Humboldt State University. I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology with a minor in Applied Mathematics in 2007. I received my Master of Science degree in Geology from Caltech in 2009, and I will defend my Ph.D. thesis in January 2013.
Besides academics, I enjoy traveling and outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping, backpacking, and gardening. I also love live music and Burning Man.