My name is Asani Deanna Brewton and I am a senior Geology major, with a minor in Environmental Science, at Elizabeth City State University, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. My educational goal is to earn a masters degree in Geology with a concentration in Petrology or Mineralogy. My professional goals are to teach Geology or Environmental Science at the high school or college level. I also hope to someday become involved in environmental reclamation either through a government agency such as the United States Forest Service or a private environmental firm.

In the summer of 2003 I worked with the United States Forest Service as an intern in Wise, Virginia where I gained experience using GPS and ArcMap to map out marketable deposits of sandstone that could be used as flagstone. In addition to this, we employed GPS and ArcMap to pinpoint abandoned coal mine sites from which we collected water samples when there was seepage to determine if the mines were contaminating the water supply. Thankfully, none of the mines we located were determined to be leaking anything hazardous. I am currently employed by my college institution as a student research assistant where I am working on the analysis and interpretation of raw debris flow data gathered from Mount Saint Helens in Washington.

I enjoy working with others. I have had good experiences both in leading team research projects and as a team member. Recently I have begun teaching a religious course one night a week where I am responsible for determining lesson plans and organizing interactive group demonstrations that are accessible to a diverse group of people. I am a member of Elizabeth City State University’s Geologic, Environmental, and Marine Science Club in which we participate in various geologic related field trips. I am also a member of the Office of Naval Research / Nurturing ECSU Research Talent at Elizabeth City State University, or ONR/NERT.

My research interests include: Mineralogy, specifically mineral identification in the field and laboratory; Vulcanology, especially subsurface modeling and predictive analysis; Cultural Geology, dealing with the historical and cultural uses of geological material. I am an avid reader and am proactive in my quest for higher education. I am extensively well traveled within the United States having explored all of the southern states as well as the eastern coast spanning from Florida to New York State during my free time in the summer months. The majority of my traveling time has been spent in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico whose caves and colorful rocky terrain I cannot resist. Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico, the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, and the Grand Canyon are among my most memorable trips. I will be making my first international trip this coming summer to Ireland and Greenland for geology field camp.