Paleontologist Jessica Martin moved to Montana for the fossils, serving as executive director of Paleo World Research Foundation, a non-profit in eastern Montana. She joined the university faculty in 2013, and teaches wildlife biology, including senior geographic information systems (GIS) and geobiology. (GIS is a mapping program used to quantify and express relationships in wildlife and habitat management.)
Her research interests include evolutionary relationships between species, and applications of the GIS system. She enjoys providing students with useful skills relevant to work they can do immediately in the field. She and her colleagues work together to support student research projects, including a recent water contaminant research project related to mining.
The trunk of her Volkswagen Beetle is full of rocks…of all shapes, sizes, and compositions. Montana is like heaven to this rock hound! She also loves to travel, hike, and fish. She has entered the lottery to fish the Smith River but has not yet won.
BS, Georgia Southern University
MS, San Diego State University
“If we knew what we were doing, we wouldn’t call it research.”
-Albert Einstein
