MS. RYAN & HER CAREER

EnviroEducation.com: Tell us about your career. Where did it begin? How and why you became involved in the environmental sector? With USGS?

I began my career as a hydrologic technician working for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Denver, Colorado. I had just completed my undergraduate work in geology at the State University of New York at Cortland. I was torn between going right into graduate school, or working for a year or two beforehand. A friend and I ultimately decided to travel west and look for work there. I knew I wanted to work outdoors, so I applied for positions with the USGS, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management. It just so happened that the USGS was the first to offer me a position. I've worked for this agency since 1974.

Two USGS scientists collect water data.

Do you have a specialty within your field? If so, what is it and why did you choose it?

As my career progressed, I switched from being a hydrologic technician whose primary responsibilities were data collection and monitoring of ground and surface waters to becoming a hydrologist with increased responsibilities for data analysis and research. Within this field, I concentrated on ground-water hydrology and, more specifically, groundwater contamination. I chose this specialty because I was fascinated with how fluids move through porous media and, from a systems perspective, how ground water and surface water interact. I have spent the last 10 years of my career in science management and administration. Regardless of your specific duties, position or job title, however, the most important characteristic for a rewarding career is intellectual curiosity.

Do you have a personal environmental philosophy?

A few weeks ago, I heard a wonderful description of sustainability - "Living on the Earth as if we were staying longer than the weekend." I can think of no stronger environmental philosophy. As far as my personal actions are concerned, I'm an avid recycler - those closest to me would say "to a fault."

Who or what were your biggest inspirations?

One of my biggest inspirations was a trigonometry teacher I had in high school. She was the only African-American teacher in this rural western New York School. That fact, in and of itself, was inspirational, but her intense love of mathematics and the energy with which she taught were truly awe inspiring. One couldn't help but be infused with her excitement.

THE ACTUAL WORK

What is the mission of USGS? What kind of environmental work does the agency do?

The USGS is an earth and natural science agency that collects objective, unbiased information about the Earth's systems and those processes occurring in, on, and around the Earth. The mission of the USGS is: "The USGS serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to:

• describe and understand the Earth;
• minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters;
• manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and
• enhance and protect our quality of life."

Scientists retrieve an ice core from Upper Fremont Glacier, Wyoming.

Tell us about what you do. What is your position and what are the responsibilities? What's the difference between your position and a comparable position in the private sector?

My current position is Associate Director for Geography - one of four primary disciplines of the USGS. The other three disciplines are Biology, Geology, and Hydrology. Most people know the geography part of the USGS by the 55,000 topographic maps that cover the United States. We make them. My primary responsibility as Associate Director is to ensure the technical health of the geography and mapping disciplines. In that capacity, I have program and policy oversight responsibilities to make sure the integrity of the science is the best it can be. Aside from my salary and the fact that I must testify before Congress for our annual appropriations, I'm not so sure there are substantial differences between my position and a comparable one in the private sector.

Tell us about where you work. How many people work in your office? What do you like most and least about where you work?

The USGS has more than 10,000 scientists, technicians, and support staff located in nearly 400 offices nationwide. I work in Reston, Virginia, the National Headquarters and Eastern Regional Offices of the USGS. There are 2,000 people who work here in Reston. What I like most about working here is being in a position to see the tremendous breadth of science that is conducted within the USGS. In one way or another, our science touches almost every citizen every day. What I like least about where I work is the time lag between preparing your annual budget requests and receiving funds to conduct the work. It is an extremely long and involved process.

How much pressure is there in your position? Is there a sense of urgency in what you do to accomplish the environmental mission of USGS?

There's a fair amount of pressure in my position. I feel as if there are just too few hours in a day to get everything done. On a programmatic level, it's a constant challenge to balance available resources with both ongoing needs and future opportunities.

A volcanologist stands near a skylight and gathers scientific data.

What are some common myths about working for a government agency?

When speaking about the USGS, Jeff Cook, President of the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO), remarked that some people have jobs, some have careers and some have avocations-those who work for the USGS have avocations. So from my perspective, and presumably Jeff Cook's, the most common myth is that of the uninspired Federal worker. In my 26+ years with the Federal Government, I have had the good fortune of meeting and working with hundreds of very dedicated Federal employees both inside and outside the USGS.

EDUCATION INFORMATION & ADVICE

What is your degree in? Did your education prepare you for what you actually do now? If not, could you have done anything differently?

I have three degrees - a Bachelors Degree in Geology from the State University of New York at Cortland (previously referenced), a Master's degree in Geography from the University of Denver, and a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. Each of these degrees was exactly what I needed at the time, and in total they've helped me look at research questions in a much more integrated fashion or, in other words, from a systems perspective. In hindsight, the only thing that could have better prepared me for the executive positions I've held would have been an undergraduate degree in the liberal arts, and a graduate business degree.

What factors did you consider when choosing a program? Is there anything else that you wish you had considered?

About the only two factors I considered in selecting my undergraduate program was whether or not I was excited about the subject matter and the overall quality of the professors. I obtained each of the subsequent degrees while working for the USGS, so flexibility of the program was a key factor I considered.

USGS staff and customers at USGS map sales, Denver Colorado.

What advice can you give to prospective students thinking about an education and career in the environmental field?

From my perspective, there are few things in life as rewarding as doing something you enjoy doing. Whether it is an environmental career or something else, make sure you enjoy doing it. Life is too short to spend a significant part of every day doing something that doesn't suit you. I can remember my first position with the USGS and thinking how lucky I was to be paid for doing something I enjoyed. Twenty-six years and numerous positions later, I feel the same way.

Based on what you hear in the industry, what do you think are the most respected environmental programs? Does it make a difference to graduate from a prestigious school?

I'd have to honestly say that I'm too far removed to name the most respected environmental programs at this time, and one always has a bias for their alma maters. Graduating from a prestigious school may initially open a few more doors, but it is not necessarily an indicator of career success. The traits, skills, and characteristics that we discussed previously are much better long-term indicators of career success.

JOB INFORMATION & ADVICE

What are some of the skills that help all environmental professionals in your field succeed?

I've commented on one such skill already-that is of intellectual curiosity - a prerequisite for life-long learning. Two other skills are the ability to communicate both orally and in writing. Effectively communicating the results of our work to other scientists, our partners, customers and the lay public is extremely important in insuring that our science is credible, objective, unbiased and relevant to society's environmental issues.

What's the average pay scale for your position in the public sector? How does that compare to comparable positions in other sectors?

The average pay scale for my position in the public sector is about $125,000. I imagine that is higher than comparable positions in State government, about the same as academia, and considerably lower than the private sector.

A USGS scientist conducts a mapping workshop at a USGS open house, Aug 1999, Denver.

What are the best ways to find a job in the public sector? How about with USGS?

The best way to find a job in the public sector is to contact the state or federal Personnel Offices for a master list of vacancies. For the Federal Government, the Office of Personnel Management has offices in most major cities and they have an extensive website. The best way to find a job with the USGS is to log into our Online Automated Recruitment System (OARS). We have 240 locations nationwide and this web-enabled application process accesses vacancies throughout the country.

How is the job market right now with USGS? How do you think it will be in the next five years? 10 years?

With each of these successive time frames, I believe it will be increasingly more difficult to secure a position with the USGS. The political climate, regardless of party affiliation, generally calls for a smaller Federal Government, not a larger one. Now having said that, there will always be some hiring. We have several student hiring authorities-the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) and the Student Career Employment Program (SCEP). Both programs are described at www.usgs.gov/student. These programs provide good opportunities for both students and the USGS to assess each other's strengths and weaknesses pending a longer-term commitment.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

What are some trends that you see in the environmental field that might help prospective students?

Clearly, there is a trend to look at issues from a well-rounded, integrated perspective. This is not to say that discipline depth and specialized training and educational programs will become less important; they won't. It will be important, however, to bring more disciplines together to address issues from an entire system's perspective, rather than the traditional single-discipline approach we have traditionally used.

Have computers and the Internet changed how USGS operates? If so, then how?

Computers and the Internet have revolutionalized how the USGS operates. We now run models of natural systems and "what if" simulations in just seconds - whereas, it used to take hours and days. We have data sets that millions of people are seeing daily at http://www.terraserver.com, whereas beforehand only those professional using the data acquired it. We also have data that is delivered in near real time, at http://water.usgs.gov/dwc/, where previously it would have taken months to make the data available. It's absolutely phenomenal to observe the

A USGS scientist uses GPS (Global Positioning System) equipment to map a cliff edge for studies of coastal cliff erosion in San Mateo County, California.

public's interest in earth and natural science information. It appears to me to be an insatiable thirst for any information about the Earth's surface, and specifically where one lives on that surface.

CLOSING REMARKS

Is there anything else you can tell us about yourself, your career, or the profession that would be interesting or helpful to others aspiring to enter the field?

We've covered a lot of material, and I hope I've communicated the importance of finding something that both interests and energizes you. If it is an environmental education and an associated career, wonderful, and if it becomes your avocation, better yet!

NOTE: The US Geological Survey is a division of the US Department of the Interior.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information about the educational and career outlook for Geography majors, click here.