"Just as man's past is deeply embedded within primates, likewise birds are embedded in dinosaurs."--Jacques Gauthier, Hunting Dinosaurs.
The Beginning
My desire to become a paleontologist began when I was four years old. At that time, I taught myself how to read, and I fell in love with the images presented in this book:
I taught myself every dinosaur name I could, and I told everyone when asked that I wanted to be a paleontologist when I grew up. I went to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in the summertime, much to the chagrin of my father, and I could not get enough of the place altogether, especially when it came to the dinosaurs. I began to draw dinosaurs, write dinosaur stories and every Christmas and for most of my birthdays growing up I got at least one new dinosaur book to put on my shelf. One of my favorites to this day is written by Roy Chapman Andrews--it was my father's book, and he gave it to me when I was ten years old:
My obsession with dinosaurs continued through college, when it reached a turning point and I realized I couldn't stop writing and reading about dinosaurs to save my life.
My Undergraduate Years
My longing for vertebrate paleontology heightened over the course of my undergraduate degree in Biology from CSU Long Beach. As I got closer to my graduation date in December of 2007, every term paper I could put pen to paper to was about--you guessed it--dinosaurs. From the evolution of feathers and endothermy in maniraptoran dinosaurs, to the development of feathers in birds, to the study of the urgovel Archaeopteryx, I was a self proclaimed dinosaur nut. I still drew and wrote about dinosaurs in my spare time, but I began to read more scientific papers and less fiction, devoting more and more time to researching these long extinct organisms.
In 2007 I saved up enough money to go to the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) meeting in Austin, Texas and to become a student member of the organization. Once there, I was enamored with the place, and the people. I felt at home among so many esteemed paleontologists--I felt like such a fangirl amongst all the famous (and infamous) individuals who devoted their entire lives to a craft I was at the edges of understanding. I devoured the posters at the poster sessions, sat in a few technical meetings, and particularly was drawn to research done by Jingmai O'Connor on enantiornithine skulls, Stuart Sumida's work on pelycosaurs (we had met at CSU Long Beach briefly some time before the meeting, as he had a presentation on campus), and Jack Horner's work on dinosaur growth series. I was thrilled to meet my longtime heroes, and I knew right then and there that paleontology was it for me. Little did I know that my path had crossed with a paleontologist I would be working with a few years later, and that my path would inevitably return me to the museum I loved so much as a child.
In 2007 I saved up enough money to go to the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) meeting in Austin, Texas and to become a student member of the organization. Once there, I was enamored with the place, and the people. I felt at home among so many esteemed paleontologists--I felt like such a fangirl amongst all the famous (and infamous) individuals who devoted their entire lives to a craft I was at the edges of understanding. I devoured the posters at the poster sessions, sat in a few technical meetings, and particularly was drawn to research done by Jingmai O'Connor on enantiornithine skulls, Stuart Sumida's work on pelycosaurs (we had met at CSU Long Beach briefly some time before the meeting, as he had a presentation on campus), and Jack Horner's work on dinosaur growth series. I was thrilled to meet my longtime heroes, and I knew right then and there that paleontology was it for me. Little did I know that my path had crossed with a paleontologist I would be working with a few years later, and that my path would inevitably return me to the museum I loved so much as a child.
My Master's Degree
After a few years of working (and hating it), I decided to return to school. Initially I decided to become a science teacher, as many of my friends and fellow teachers encouraged me to do so. While in the science education program at CSU Long Beach in 2009, I took a geology course, and I fell in love with it. Realizing that geology is essential to paleontology, I reached a crossroads in my life. I asked for the advice of an archaeologist friend of mine--David Cheetham, who is now in his own series on the History Channel--and with his encouragement I decided to follow my childhood dreams and become a paleontologist.
The instructor of the geology course, Bruce Perry, and I spoke about Master's degree programs in Geology at CSU Long Beach, and I asked if he knew of anyone on campus that could aid me in becoming a paleontologist. Through Bruce I met CSULB's resident paleontologist, Dr. Stan Finney, whose specialization is conodonts and stratigraphy, not vertebrate paleontology. I asked Stan if he knew anyone who was a vertebrate paleontologist--perhaps there was a way I could join forces with Stan and his colleague to achieve my Master's. Lo and behold, there was. Dr. Luis Chiappe of the Dinosaur Institute at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Ironically I had read many papers by Luis prior to meeting him in person and enjoyed his work with Dr. Jingmai O'Connor on early birds at the SVP meeting some years before. I realized his love for birds and dinosaurs matched my own and I was thrilled to become a member of the Dinosaur Institute.
I am currently in the process of writing my thesis for my Master's of Science degree in Geology from CSU Long Beach and I hope to finish in 2012. I will not say *exactly* what I am studying but I will tell you it involves several families of early birds from the Cretaceous of Liaoning, China. And I will say that I am a very happy paleornithologist in training.
The instructor of the geology course, Bruce Perry, and I spoke about Master's degree programs in Geology at CSU Long Beach, and I asked if he knew of anyone on campus that could aid me in becoming a paleontologist. Through Bruce I met CSULB's resident paleontologist, Dr. Stan Finney, whose specialization is conodonts and stratigraphy, not vertebrate paleontology. I asked Stan if he knew anyone who was a vertebrate paleontologist--perhaps there was a way I could join forces with Stan and his colleague to achieve my Master's. Lo and behold, there was. Dr. Luis Chiappe of the Dinosaur Institute at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Ironically I had read many papers by Luis prior to meeting him in person and enjoyed his work with Dr. Jingmai O'Connor on early birds at the SVP meeting some years before. I realized his love for birds and dinosaurs matched my own and I was thrilled to become a member of the Dinosaur Institute.
I am currently in the process of writing my thesis for my Master's of Science degree in Geology from CSU Long Beach and I hope to finish in 2012. I will not say *exactly* what I am studying but I will tell you it involves several families of early birds from the Cretaceous of Liaoning, China. And I will say that I am a very happy paleornithologist in training.
Beyond the Master's Degree-Publications and PhD
In time, I will add to this portion of my path. As of right now, I have a publication in the works and I will eventually post it along with my CV here. I fully intend on achieving my PhD in Paleontology, Geobiology, or a similar field, and I know the road ahead will be full of challenges, but I know it will be worth it...after all, I am doing what I so stubbornly set out to do at four years of age.
Images and links provided on this website are (C) 2012 Diana L. Pomeroy. All rights reserved.
