Current Fellows
Bailey Fitzgerald
2024–2025 GSA Science Communication Fellow
Bailey Fitzgerald
Bailey Fitzgerald is a Ph.D. student at Ohio State University and a passionate science communicator. She researches marine geohazards through studying the engineering properties of ocean mud. Engineering properties she studies include mud strength, particle size, and how squishable the mud is. These properties help scientists to better understand the potential for underwater landslides and tsunamis, which are hazards that can affect offshore infrastructure and coastal populations. Outside of research, Bailey has led outdoor educational hikes engaging the queer community in Columbus with earth science, and she is currently volunteering for Girls* on Rock, an organization that empowers young women (transgender, cisgender, agender, Two Spirit, intersex, genderqueer, and nonbinary included) through outdoor STEAM education in the backcountry of Colorado. Bailey believes that initiatives like these are essential for making science more accessible for individuals with minoritized backgrounds.
Danielle Peltier
2024–2025 GSA Science Communication Fellow
Danielle Peltier
Danielle is an interdisciplinary researcher who explores the intersection between tectonic and biological processes, and currently focuses on understanding the impact of mid-continental rifting on ecosystems and its influence on vertebrate evolution. She earned a B.S. in geology with minors in chemistry and anthropology from New Mexico State University, where she conducted research on rift-system volcanology and paleoanthropology. Currently at Indiana University, Danielle is working toward a Ph.D. in geological sciences with a minor in ecology, evolution, and behavioral biology, which she will finish in Fall 2024. Her dissertation integrates stratigraphy, paleoecology, and modeling to investigate the relationship between the East African Rift System and human evolution. Field work is an integral (and personal favorite) aspect of Danielle’s research, and she has nine years of experience in field geology and both paleontological and archeological excavations in the U.S., Tanzania, and Kenya. Along with her research interests, Danielle is passionate about science education and public engagement, and her efforts have been recognized through teaching and service awards. She has experience teaching students from elementary to university level within classroom, field, and museum settings. Further, she has worked with museums on public outreach, social media presence, activity development, and exhibit design.
Rachel Phillips
2024–2025 GSA Science Communication Fellow
Rachel Phillips
Rachel Phillips is a National Science Foundation STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Instructor at the University of South Carolina. She received her Ph.D. in geological sciences from the University of Texas at El Paso, where she conducted lab-based research to improve reconstructions of Earth's ancient atmospheric and oceanic conditions by strengthening the reliability and precision of palaeoceanographic proxies. Her postdoctoral research aims to increase geoscience enrollment and engagement through identifying and transforming misperceptions of geoscience.
Alongside her research, Rachel works to promote global inclusivity and engagement in the field through her YouTube channel, GEO GIRL, on which she shares educational geoscience videos. Having posted nearly 300 videos with over 3.5 million views from around the globe, Rachel has made significant progress toward improving the accessibility and perceptions of geoscience. As a GSA Science Communication Fellow, she hopes to collaborate with other members of the geoscience community to promote the diversity of ongoing geoscience projects to her global audience with the goal of increasing public understanding of and engagement in the field.
About the Fellowship
The Science Communication Fellowship offered by the Geological Society of America provides a dynamic
eleven-month journey for science writers, journalists, or scientists passionate about sharing their knowledge.
Participants will immerse themselves in an enriching environment, working closely with GSA's marketing and
communications team and leading members to hone their skills and expand their professional networks. This
fellowship is an extraordinary chance to engage deeply with the scientific community and enhance one's
communicative impact to the non-scientific community.
With funding from the GSA Foundation's Bruce and Karen Clark fund, the goal of the
Fellowship is to help improve communication of geoscience knowledge between the members of GSA and the
non-scientific community.
Fellowship candidates should understand how to interview authors to capture the significance of their work for
non-scientific audiences and translate technical research papers into well-developed and compelling content
including press releases, blog articles, and podcasts.
The Fellow will assist in developing a content calendar that will feature various mediums and cadence of
content for the duration of the Fellowship term, which will be selected from the Society’s top-rated,
peer-reviewed geoscience journals and from abstracts submitted by scientists to the extensive technical program
for the GSA Annual Meeting.
The Fellow will also help staff the onsite Newsroom at the GSA Annual Meeting, assist members of the media
covering the meeting, pitch stories to local and national media outlets, interview innovative and newsworthy
science authors, and mentor student interns considering a career in science communication.