Student Experiences

Ben, a Pitzer College environmental science major, spent some time scrolling through the National Science Foundation website before narrowing in on Tracking Land Changes at River Ridge Ranch. Ben was excited by the proposition of field work, a new experience for him. He is no stranger to research, however. In 2022, Ben was part of a team studying paleoceanography, which used algae to date and analyze the geochemical states of the ocean at a given point in time. Ben’s interest in drones was first unlocked during his coursework at Pitzer. He described walking through the San Gabriel Mountains after the abnormal rainfall of 2022-2023, and he felt inspired to look at the effect of high-rainfall winters on the California fire season. In his future career, Ben hopes to play an active part in combating climate change, but he is continuing to ponder what form that could take.