Interviewing Experts: Dr. Melinda Hutson
April 19, 2023— 8:00pm Eastern to 9:00pm Eastern
Mary Robinette hosts an interview with an expert in their field once a month for her $30 Patreon supporters. The topic rotates depending on the guest’s area of expertise. Mary Robinette will interview the guest as if she were preparing to write something featuring their job – which means interesting jargon, behind-the-scenes challenges, and unexpected joys! At the end of the session, you get to ask them questions, too. These sessions will be recorded for those who need to watch asynchronously, and you can submit questions ahead of time.
On April 19th at 8:00pm Eastern, Dr. Melinda Hutson is joining us.
From Melinda about herself:
When I was in high school in the 1970s in Savannah, Georgia, I was told by a guidance counselor that I was very bright and could easily become a secretary or librarian or a teacher (scientist didn’t seem to be an option for a girl). None of those seemed like something I wanted to do, so I got a job as a proofreader in a printing company, and started taking night classes at the University of Minnesota. I took some aptitude tests, and “scientist” came up as an something for which I had an aptitude. I took courses in chemistry, physics, and geology, and decided to major in geophysics. I particularly enjoyed both the seismology and planetary geology courses I took. I tried to combine both interests for a Master’s degree, but wound up dropping seismology and switching to Meteorites, which requires a lot of geochemistry. I loved it. I went on to get a Ph.D. in Planetary Science, with a minor in Geology at the University of Arizona. I graduated at a time when there were many qualified applicants for very few jobs in meteoritics. I wound up teaching geology and astronomy at Portland Community College in Oregon. A couple of years later I started teaching planetary geology classes at Portland State University and teamed up with two other meteorite specialists to create the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory, where I serve as the lab’s curator. I teach, mentor students, do research, and classify new meteorites. Learning about the rest of the solar system drives it home that Earth is unique and weirdly wonderful. It is my very favorite planet (Mars is my second favorite).
The first portion of this conversation will be publicly livestreamed on YouTube
Then, we will turn off the livestream and invite Patreon supporters to ask their own questions.
Become a backer on Patreon and join in the entire conversation!
