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Anthony Giang
Anthony Giang
EASC Undergraduate Student
Graduated 2021 - B.Sc.
Joint Major: Earth Sciences-Chemistry, Environmental Geoscience Stream, Co-op program
What got you interested in Earth Sciences?
A classmate who was enrolled in the Joint Earth Sciences and Chemistry program encouraged me to take EASC 101 as an elective to see whether Earth Sciences was for me. I took EASC 101 with Kevin Cameron and thoroughly enjoyed the class. I found myself extremely engaged and fascinated by the lecture and lab material. I had no idea about the importance of Earth Sciences in our everyday lives in terms of natural resources and environmental hazards. I’ve always loved science and being outdoors and Earth Sciences provides an ideal balance between research and adventure.
Why did you choose SFU EASC?
Earth Sciences is one of the smallest departments at SFU. There are many opportunities to get to know your classmates and professors. I feel a strong sense of community within this department.
Have you worked with faculty on their research?
I’ve been involved in Dr. Pilarczyk’s research group since my VPR award in the summer of 2019. Dr. Pilarczyk’s research focuses on studying coastal systems and hazards. I perform lab work which includes isolating foraminifera microfossils and digesting sediments for grainsize analysis. The samples I work are sampled from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. I am also pursuing an honours thesis which involves integrating the grainsize data with geochemical analysis with X-ray fluorescents.
I was also extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to do field work with Dr. Pilarczyk in Biera, Mozambique in the summer of 2019. In March of 2019, the largest recorded storm to hit the continent of Africa made landfall in Mozambique. We spent a week in the city of Biera doing field work in hopes of developing a modern analog of storms of this magnitude. The field work included identifying possible locations with well-preserved storm deposits. We also dug and sampled trenches to reveal and record sedimentary structures left behind from the storm. It was so valuable to be a part of a field team with research goals. I learned a lot about the process and obstacles of doing academic field work.
What has been your best learning experience?
The most memorable learning experience in Earth Sciences is definitely the three field schools (EASC 206, 306, and 308). Field school provides a unique learning experience compared to lectures and labs. Spending two weeks out in the field is also a great way to get to know your classmates and professors. There is tons of hiking and physical activity in field school (digging holes, breaking rocks, climbing steep cliffs) which is great. Understanding the regional geology of an area after spending 2 exhausting weeks at field school is extremely satisfying.