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NOTE Anti-Racism Speeches

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As we reach you today - on Graduation day - 

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we want to add a critical message to the 
speeches that we recorded in early May. 

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Black Lives Matter. Period.

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The nationwide protests over the past few 
weeks, in response to continued police 
brutality,

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centering on the senseless murder of 
George Floyd and other Black Americans, 

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have brought to the forefront the 
pervasive and institutionalized racism in 
America. 

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It must now become our responsibility to 
educate ourselves and continually do 
anti racism work; 

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to grapple with uncomfortable truths and 
make direct changes in our immediate 
communities 

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to dismantle structural racism through 
removing long existing structures of power 
and privilege 

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because geosciences, like all sciences, 
are done by people and cannot be separated 
from these issues. 

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We regret that this was not on the 
forefront of our minds when preparing our 
original speeches, 

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and urge all of you, our fellow Earth and 
Space Scientists, 

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to join us in pushing for real change 
beyond today or next week, 

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and beyond empty platitudes or hollow 
promises of change; 

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to quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 
"Shallow understanding from people of 
goodwill 

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is more frustrating than complete 
misunderstanding from people of ill will."

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Geoscience has a poor track record for 
inclusion.

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Of the 6,387 Earth Science Bachelor 
degrees awarded in the US

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during the 10 years from 2005 to 2015

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only 146 were to Black scholars.

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Over the 30 years between 1977 and 2006 

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roughly 22,000 PhDs were awarded in 
geoscience. 

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Only 147 of those were awarded to Black 
people. 

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While Black people make up 12% of the US 
population, 

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only 1% of employed Earth scientists, 
geologists, and oceanographers are Black. 

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We must do much more to make geosciences 
welcoming 

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and to support anti-racism policies in our 
communities, institutions, and ourselves. 

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It is time for action.

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First, we must educate ourselves about the 
experiences of Black and other 
marginalized people of color. 

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We can start by learning about their 
experiences. While books may be sold out 
nationwide, 

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the University of Washington library's 
website provides free and open access to 
many, 

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with articles and podcasts also available 
online. 

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Moving beyond personal work, it is 
imperative to create long-term plans 

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to sustain these efforts and support 
constant progress. 

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As educators, students, and leaders, we 
must create more inclusive communities 

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and recognize the structural racism that 
we exist in everyday. 

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Examine how these systems have served us 
and work to dismantle them. 

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We must create instead a system of 
inclusion and equity. 

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As you graduate, let us pledge together 
that we will take up this daily work 

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and create a future that is more equitable 
and just than today.

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♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

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Welcome graduates, families, and friends.

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Graduation day is a very big day, not 
just for you, 

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but for your family and those close to you

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and all of the faculty and staff here in 
Earth and Space Sciences who have been 
part of your career.

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It's also usually a fun day

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It may be a bit less fun watching this 
video, than it would be to do this in 
person

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but I hope you will watch the whole thing,
and take the time to reflect, and feel 
proud of your accomplishments.

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Commencement is a mixture of celebrating 
what you have accomplished in the past and
 looking forward to planning the future.

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In this strange year – with the pandemic 
of coronavirus, and the older but 
continuing pandemic of conflict 

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that our country has not yet comes to 
terms with – that planning for the future 
may take on new meaning. 

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I have some thoughts to share with you 
about this.

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You are graduating from ESS with a set of 
tools that allow you to contribute to 
solving the challenges we face. 

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Your skills and knowledge are more 
relevant than ever.  

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Of course our society needs doctors, and 
activists, and health-care professionals

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and some of you will go on to do those 
things. Maybe you are already doing them.

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But we also need the earth scientists,

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who can guide us about where it is safe – 
or not – to build our homes, 

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our schools, our roads.

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We need earth scientists to take care of 
our rivers so that they flourish with salmon

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and we need them to identify and address 
issues such as the transport of toxins in 
our rivers

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the fate of fossil fuel carbon and climate
change among many other things.

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We also need our space scientists, 

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who launch the very same kinds of 
satellites that allow us to communicate 
across the world.

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And we need those who are simply doing

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their earth and space sciences research 
for its own sake, 

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expanding the scope of human knowledge.

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And we need those of you who will go on to
teach others about all of these things.

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In his book, The Demon-Haunted World, 
published more than 20 years ago, 

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the astronomer and planetary scientist 
Carl Sagan wrote the following words, 

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"I have a foreboding on an America when 
the United States is a service and 
information economy, 

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when nearly all the key manufacturing 
industries have slipped away,

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when awesome technological powers are in
the hands of a very few, 

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and no one representing the public 
interest can even grasp the issues, 

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and where the people have lost the ability
to knowledgeably question those in power, 

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and they are unable to distinguish what is 
true from what is not."

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These are dark words, and they feel all 
too prescient today.

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But Sagan has more to say.

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He also says that scientists play a 
critical role in keeping our democracy 
healthy.

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"Science" he says "is far from a perfect 
instrument of knowledge," 

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"It's just the best one we have."

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"In this respect, it's like democracy. The
values of science and the values of 
democracy are concordant.

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Science thrives in the free exchange of 
ideas.  The same is true of democracy."

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"Finding the occasional straw of truth
awash in a great ocean of confusion 

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requires vigilance, dedication, courage, 
and skill.   

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But if we practice those tough habits of 
thought

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 – which you have all been doing for the 
 last few years

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as members of this community – we can 
solve the serious problems that we face."

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The challenges you face in the future are 
not really so different than the ones you
have already faced, and overcome.  

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As you have progressed through your studies
in earth and space sciences, the problems
you have tackled have become more complex. 

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Some of the scientific problems you have
learned about haven't been answered yet.  

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But you have the skills, training, and
experience, to tackle them.

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And we Earth and Space Scientists – 
that's all of us, all of you – 

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are actually more experienced with these
difficult problems than many others are.  

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Nature -- the way our earth works – and 
society – how we live -- are complex. 

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The stakes are high, but the complexity 
of these problems is something that earth
scientists are familiar with.

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It's what we do every day.

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A few years ago, Bruce Nelson, our Chair 
at the time, gave our graduating seniors a
homework assignment.

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Save our planet, he said.

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Well, I'm afraid I have two homework 
assignments for you. 

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Save the planet, and create a better 
society for all.

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I'm joking, but I'm serious. 

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In your classes and your projects you have
learned to work in teams.

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You have learned how to be analytical and 
critical in your thinking.

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You have learned how to deal with problems
that don't have an obvious solution.

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Most importantly at this time in our 
history, 

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you have learned how to communicate and 
converse about complex ideas and concepts.

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Those skills that will help you to heal 
our planet, our environment, 

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our institutions, and our communities.

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And these are also exactly the kinds of 
skills that employers are looking for

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in the next person they hire.

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Most employers are looking for evidence of 
teamwork

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of analytical thinking, of communication 
skills

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of empathy, understanding, and humility.

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And they are looking for flexibility in 
the face of uncertainty.

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Those are critical job skills. They are
critical life skills.

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You have them.

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As you go out into the world, get a good 
job.  Enjoy it.  Flourish.

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But also, use your status and experience 
as a scientist to help others.

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Whether you go on to be a working 
scientist, a teacher, a lawyer, an 
engineer,

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use your scientific insights. Be an agent 
of rational thought and discussion.

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Now, seriousness aside, let's remember 
this is a celebration.

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We are here to celebrate you and your 
accomplishments.

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We are here to celebrate your family and 
friends and teachers 

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who have supported your education and 
growth as a scientist. 

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To those of you who are the ones providing
that support, thank you.  

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You have supported individuals who enrich 
all of our lives.

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Congratulations, and thank you, to all or
our graduates in the Class of 2020.

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And congratulations to all of their 
supporters, 

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Parents, Family and Friends for seeing 
them through

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to this remarkable milestone in their 
lives.  Thank you.

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♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

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It is my distinct honor to be one of the 
first to congratulate you

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on your graduation from the University of 
Washington

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This is indeed an accomplishment for which
you should all be proud.

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And I'm sorry we couldn't be together for 
this special occasion.

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It's hard not to be able to celebrate in
person.

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And I know that the path that brought you 
to today's graduation

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has been far from direct.  The lessons 
that test us the most as students

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are often not taught in the classrooms or
the lab,

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they're not assessed in exams.  Any 
typical year of learning is peppered with 
obstacles

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but in the final stages of this year you 
have come up against unprecedented 
complications.

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The academic journey is not just about 
grades

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it's about learning how to juggle, to 
prioritize, to sacrifice and persevere.

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To be here today you have proven that you 
have those skills

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and that adaptability will serve you well.

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You take with you not just a degree

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but a deep wellspring of life experience
to draw upon as you move on in your life

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Here, at the University of Washington, you
learned to question and think more 
critically.

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You learned the essential value of 
teamwork

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and how to build something together with 
your classmates.

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You immersed yourself in your chosen 
discipline 

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and at the end of the day you became a 
leader.

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I can tell you that as Dean it has been 
inspiring to watch you grow

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Thank you for giving me a front row seat.

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As our next leaders you will make this 
world a more livable, sustainable place

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for all of us.  And I couldn't be more 
hopeful about the future knowing that 

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you will be the people leading the charge.

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So what does come next?

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For some of you it may be an internship or
your first job.

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For others the academic journey continues 
with grad school or professional training.

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And for some of you the job hunt is on and
it can be scary out there, particularly 
now.

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But one thing I know for sure is that our

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students are the most employable in the 
country.

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You are now equipped with the knowledge, 
skills, and outlook that employers all of 
the world need right now.

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Our graduates have persevered through 
terrible hard times before

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and no doubt they will do so again.

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But that now, more than ever, our world 
needs smart, kind graduates.

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We need you to be voices for equity, 

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balance, and crucially, our planet.

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So students, in appreciation of all your 
efforts and talents this year

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the College of the Environment is 
partnering with the Campus Sustainability 
Fund

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to help fund the Precious Plastics 
Project

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to help UW Recycling meet its goal of 70%
waste diversion by 2020.

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The funding will help make a small, DIY
plastics recycling workshop 

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in the Maple Hall Maker's Space.

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Four machines will be installed to shred, 
melt, compress, and mold used plastic 

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transforming it into new usable products 
such as 3D printing filaments. 

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This project was chosen based on a 
recommendation from our Student Advisory
Council

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and then voted on by you, our graduating
class.

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We believe that making this investment on
your behalf serves as a fitting tribute 

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to your role as the next generation of 
leaders in environmental science and 
decision making.

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It demonstrates our shared commitment to 
doing as much as we can 

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to extend our understanding of this 
planet

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and to manage its resources for all of us

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and future generations.

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Wherever you go next I want you to take 
confidence 

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and comfort in the knowledge the world 
needs you.

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That your smarts are precious and 
valuable.

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Stay curious.

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Be adventuresome.

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Stretch your limits and be kind to 
yourself.  You have what it takes.

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And know that I will still be in the front
row cheering you on. Always.

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Congratulations.

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♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

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Thank you so much for inviting me to talk 
with all of you at this momentous time

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 – your graduation! 

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This is a time for congratulations and 
celebration, 

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for reminiscing and reflecting on the many
years you've had at the University of 
Washington

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and in Earth and Space Sciences, 

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and a time to look forward to your own 
personal next frontier. 

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But of course I'm also talking to you in a
time that looks anything but normal. 

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I'll divulge a secret - 

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I've once or twice daydreamed about 
sharing advice in a graduation speech – 

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an opportunity to reflect myself and 
attempt a bit of sharing. 

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I certainly didn't expect that I would get
the pleasure and the honor

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of stepping onto a graduation stage with 
myself – 

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and perhaps dozens of you – in slippers 
and my invisible regalia. 

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And I suspect that this is also not the 
graduation celebration 

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that any of you had imagined. 

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But this bump is not a reason to slow our 
celebration. Instead, let's take this bump 

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with a bit of extra speed and commitment 
and catch some air time today –

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your graduation day - 

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to dance, click your heels, and pat 
yourself on the back 

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for making it through late night sessions 
to cram for an exam, 

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for finding the joy in examining lumps of 
rock 

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on a sometimes dusty or sometimes soaking 
field trip, 

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and for staying curious about how the 
Earth and the Universe work. 

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While you're catching this extra air time
today, also hug the people you are sharing
this with in person,

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and virtually high five the others who 
have helped to get you here – 

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your friends, families, colleagues, the 
faculty and staff in ESS, 

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and the helping hands all across the 
University of Washington. 

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Your own hard work and your community have
helped you to gain the privilege

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of a couple of very special letters – a 
BS, an MS, a PhD.

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But as the old saying goes, with privilege
comes responsibility. 

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I want to talk today about a few of those 
important areas of responsibility. 

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First - your responsibility to represent 
the knowledge and ideas of Earth and Space 
science. 

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Second - your responsibility to yourself 
to create your own path.

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And finally – your responsibility to 
remain curious.

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If you aren't already calling yourself an 
Earth and Space Scientist, 

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today is most certainly the day that you 
should begin to do that. 

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But what does that mean? How does it make 
you different? 

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Well, it turns out – and, yes, this is 
backed up by published scientific research

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 – that as an Earth scientist you do look 
 at the world through a different lens.

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And not just of the hands lens variety.

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As an Earth scientist, you differ from the
average Joe or Jane. 

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You have an ability to use the tools of 
spatial thinking

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and to investigate a landscape in the 
field. 

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You also have a deep understanding of 
time. 

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Not just the tick tock of the wall clock 
but the accumulation of thousands 

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and millions and billions of years. An 
understanding of geologic time, 

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of the constant and unending evolution of 
our Earth and our universe. 

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And you also have what I consider one of 
the most valuable tools of an ESS graduate

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– an understanding of the Earth as a 
complex and connected system. 

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You have learned about how unnoticed 
connections 

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can create surprising amplifying or 
dampening cycles. 

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That sometimes a small change or action 
now can reverberate through the system,

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22:08.500 --> 22:13.500
creating vast changes that expand across 
space and time. 

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As a person who is passionate and involved 
in science communication, especially about
climate change, 

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I used to think that it went without 
saying… 

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that if I was talking to a journalist 
about ice loss, 

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22:26.000 --> 22:31.500
they would feel connected to it because 
it's a part of the connected planet 

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22:31.500 --> 22:35.000
that we are also a part of. But that's not
true. 

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22:35.000 --> 22:37.500
I regularly receive questions wondering – 

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22:37.500 --> 22:41.500
how can this change all the way over 
in Greenland 

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22:41.500 --> 22:45.500
be affecting me here in Georgia or Montana
or Washington? 

252
22:45.500 --> 22:49.500
Isn't climate change mostly an 
environmental issue? 

253
22:49.500 --> 22:55.500
How does it connect to my interests in 
health or economics or architecture or 
agriculture? 

254
22:55.500 --> 23:03.000
Many smart, capable people who are making 
important business, policy, and community 
decisions 

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23:03.000 --> 23:06.500
have not been trained to understand the 
intricate connections 

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23:06.500 --> 23:11.500
that bind all of Earth's landscapes, 
plants, animals, and people. 

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23:11.500 --> 23:16.500
It is your responsibility to bring your 
knowledge of these scientific connections 

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to the work, people, and communities that 
you are and will be a part of. 

259
23:22.000 --> 23:25.500
Your knowledge is needed.

260
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As you move forward you also have a 
responsibility to create your own path. 

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And to believe in your ability to do that. 

262
23:35.000 --> 23:42.000
When I finished my PhD at UW, I knew 
that I wanted a job as a university 
professor. 

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Aside from a few wandering years along the
way, that was the job I had wanted 

264
23:46.500 --> 23:51.000
since I was 12. I was hard working, 
determined, and persistent, and I

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23:51.000 --> 23:55.000
did snag a faculty job at the University 
of Bristol in England, 

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23:55.000 --> 23:58.500
a place with a long history of excellence 
in glaciology. 

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23:58.500 --> 24:02.000
Arriving at Bristol, I loved my job. 

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I taught first-year undergrads about the 
mysteries of Earth's ice sheets,

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24:06.000 --> 24:10.000
mentored seniors in completing their final
dissertations, 

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had Thursday tea and biscuits with 
colleagues, 

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and dreamt about landing a big European 
Union research grant. 

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24:17.500 --> 24:22.500
I was proud. I perceived that my mentors 
and supporters were proud. 

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But in my dream, becoming a professor was 
a big golden egg, 

274
24:28.000 --> 24:32.500
a huge sphere that took up the full screen 
and reflected its bright light 

275
24:32.500 --> 24:35.500
onto anything else I might have going on.

276
24:35.500 --> 24:39.500
But that dream was not the reality. 

277
24:39.500 --> 24:43.500
It turns out that life is composed of many 
spheres – 

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24:43.500 --> 24:49.000
friends, hobbies, spouse, sense of place, 
culture, family, food – 

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24:49.000 --> 24:53.000
and as you move ahead those spheres often 
accumulate. 

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24:53.000 --> 24:58.500
In England, while my job sphere expanded 
into the work I had dreamt of, 

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24:58.500 --> 25:01.500
many other spheres in my life shrunk or 
withered. 

282
25:01.500 --> 25:06.500
My husband's medical license was stuck in 
bureaucracy and instead of saving lives 

283
25:06.500 --> 25:08.500
he was selling running shoes. 

284
25:08.500 --> 25:14.500
My connections with friends and family 
were carefully timed to span a 7 hour time 
difference. 

285
25:14.500 --> 25:19.500
And my love of the wilderness had to be 
satiated with muddy runs 

286
25:19.500 --> 25:23.500
through bucolic pastoral scenes. Brexit 
loomed.

287
25:23.500 --> 25:29.500
The path I had dreamt of since childhood 
did not in fact lead me to a golden egg. 

288
25:29.500 --> 25:33.000
I was devastated at this discovery. 

289
25:33.000 --> 25:37.500
And I was even more conflicted when I 
considered my options. 

290
25:37.500 --> 25:41.000
For 10 years before moving to England, 

291
25:41.000 --> 25:43.500
my husband and I had lived in Big Sky, 
Montana, 

292
25:43.500 --> 25:48.500
a town of a few thousand people an hour 
away from the nearest university. 

293
25:48.500 --> 25:55.000
We dearly missed it, but moving back would 
mean giving up my tenure track dream 

294
25:55.000 --> 26:00.500
and it felt to me like making that 
decision would be a guillotine stop to my 
path forward.

295
26:00.500 --> 26:04.500
The story I had for myself about my path

296
26:04.500 --> 26:07.500
so clearly brought me to a professor job. 

297
26:07.500 --> 26:12.500
I felt like my story, my identity would 
crumble in taking this leap. 

298
26:12.500 --> 26:16.500
Leaving the tenure track pursuit felt 
radical to me 

299
26:16.500 --> 26:22.500
and I felt unmoored by the idea of cuttin
off the path I was on and starting anew. 

300
26:23.500 --> 26:27.500
But somewhere within those months of 
anxious reconsideration, 

301
26:27.500 --> 26:29.500
I had a glimpse of hope. 

302
26:29.500 --> 26:34.500
I literally wrote down all of the things I 
had most dreamed of in that faculty job –

303
26:34.500 --> 26:39.500
intellectual community, opportunities to 
create new programs and collaborations,

304
26:39.500 --> 26:43.500
time to mentor, 
acknowledgement as an expert. 

305
26:43.500 --> 26:47.500
And then I pulled out my colored markers, 

306
26:47.500 --> 26:54.500
put on my most creative attitude, and 
explored how I might find those same things 

307
26:54.500 --> 27:00.500
but in a different position. And it turns 
out that I was able to see it. 

308
27:00.500 --> 27:05.500
I was reminded that I was able to use my 
own hands to craft my future. 

309
27:05.500 --> 27:11.500
I was not going to be leaving a dream 
only to be floating in space, unanchored.

310
27:11.500 --> 27:13.000
Just the opposite – 

311
27:13.000 --> 27:17.500
I was going to take all of the experience, 
and knowledge, and skills 

312
27:17.500 --> 27:20.500
I had built along this path with me – 

313
27:20.500 --> 27:24.500
and curve my own path into the future.

314
27:24.500 --> 27:27.500
A direction that wasn't pre-determined by 
my 12 year old dreams, 

315
27:27.500 --> 27:34.500
but that responded to the complex 
realities of a life composed of many 
spheres. 

316
27:34.500 --> 27:39.500
With the uncertainty surrounding us today 
I imagine that some of you might feel 

317
27:39.500 --> 27:43.500
that your planned path has come to a 
crashing halt, 

318
27:43.500 --> 27:47.500
the narrative of your story blown to bits.

319
27:47.500 --> 27:52.000
I hope that instead of repeating my 
experience of anxiety and dread, 

320
27:52.000 --> 27:53.500
you skip that part. 

321
27:53.500 --> 27:56.500
Instead - take a deep breathe, 

322
27:56.500 --> 28:00.500
remind yourself of your skill, creativity,
resilience, 

323
28:00.500 --> 28:03.500
and forge a new path ahead.

324
28:03.500 --> 28:08.500
As you do this, one of the skills that
surely helped you to arrive here 

325
28:08.500 --> 28:13.000
today at graduation will also help 
you to find a rewarding 

326
28:13.000 --> 28:17.000
and impactful path into the future. 
Curiosity. 

327
28:17.000 --> 28:21.500
And this is your final responsibility – to
remain curious. 

328
28:21.500 --> 28:25.500
The work of science is to ask questions,

329
28:25.500 --> 28:30.000
to explore the things we know but are not 
quite sure about, 

330
28:30.000 --> 28:36.500
to wonder 'what if' and then to poke that 
question and consider new angles. 

331
28:36.500 --> 28:43.000
Ian Joughin, my beloved PhD advisor, liked 
to tease me about my ability to ask 
questions – 

332
28:43.000 --> 28:47.000
someone could read my own research back to
me and I'd find a laundry list 

333
28:47.000 --> 28:51.500
of new questions about how, why, where, 
when. 

334
28:51.500 --> 28:56.000
But I can tell you firsthand that asking 
questions – being curious - 

335
28:56.000 --> 28:59.500
has been key for finding successes. 

336
28:59.500 --> 29:03.500
Take your responsibility to be curious 
seriously. 

337
29:03.500 --> 29:09.500
Asking questions of people you admire can 
help you to learn about jobs you never 
knew existed. 

338
29:09.500 --> 29:14.500
If you're continuing in science, being 
curious will help you to sniff out 
discoveries 

339
29:14.500 --> 29:16.500
not yet made. 

340
29:16.500 --> 29:19.500
And if you seek to share your knowledge 
with others, 

341
29:19.500 --> 29:25.500
asking questions of them first will ensure 
that you are connecting your message 

342
29:25.500 --> 29:27.500
with their interests and values. 

343
29:27.500 --> 29:31.500
And curiously exploring your own 
boundaries 

344
29:31.500 --> 29:34.500
can help you to forge a new path, 

345
29:34.500 --> 29:40.500
one that can be more rewarding and 
adventurous than the path you set for 
yourself before.

346
29:40.500 --> 29:47.500
You are graduating today into a world we 
did not imagine a few short months ago.

347
29:47.500 --> 29:50.500
And as much as we might wish it otherwise,

348
29:50.500 --> 29:55.500
the hard reality is that the future is 
always cloaked in uncertainty. 

349
29:55.500 --> 29:58.500
But if you keep your curiosity perked, 

350
29:58.500 --> 30:05.000
focus on bringing your unique Earth and 
Space Science perspective to your endeavors,

351
30:05.000 --> 30:11.500
and understand that you have the power to 
forge a path as straight or curvy as 
needed, 

352
30:11.500 --> 30:15.500
even an uncertain future can be a 
fulfilling one.

353
30:15.500 --> 30:24.500
Congratulations on your graduation, and 
enjoy creating your path forward.

354
30:27.500 --> 31:12.500
♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

355
31:14.000 --> 31:18.000
Good morning everyone and thank you for 
being here today.

356
31:18.000 --> 31:21.000
While we can't be together in person

357
31:21.000 --> 31:24.000
I'm glad that technology enables us to 
connect remotely

358
31:24.000 --> 31:26.000
and celebrate this important moment.

359
31:26.000 --> 31:30.000
To start off, thank you to all the family
and friends who are here today.

360
31:30.000 --> 31:33.000
Completing a degree is no simple task

361
31:33.000 --> 31:38.000
and your support through the years has been 
crucial in helping us reach this milestone.

362
31:38.000 --> 31:41.000
Thank you as well to the entire ESS 
department,

363
31:41.000 --> 31:45.000
the faculty, the staff, postdocs, and our 
fellow students.

364
31:45.000 --> 31:50.000
You make this department what it is and 
have positively shaped our experiences

365
31:50.000 --> 31:51.500
and everything we have learned.

366
31:51.500 --> 31:56.000
Finally, congratulations to all of today's
graduates.

367
31:56.000 --> 32:01.500
I've been asked by the department to share
a graduate student perspective on ESS.

368
32:01.500 --> 32:05.000
While reflecting on my personal experience

369
32:05.000 --> 32:09.000
I find my self caught between considering
two opposite directions.

370
32:09.000 --> 32:12.000
Thinking back to what I've learned in this
department 

371
32:12.000 --> 32:15.000
and thinking forward to what comes next.

372
32:15.000 --> 32:20.000
While some of my fellow graduates may have
their next career steps carefully planned
out

373
32:20.000 --> 32:23.000
I've struggled quite a bit to decide 

374
32:23.000 --> 32:26.500
how I want to put my degree to use in the
world.

375
32:26.500 --> 32:32.000
Do I pursue a postdoc in academia and 
follow my passion for research?

376
32:32.000 --> 32:35.000
Do I seek out positions in science 
outreach

377
32:35.000 --> 32:38.000
bringing my excitement for science 
directly to the public?

378
32:38.000 --> 32:43.000
The career possibilities are 
simultaneously seemingly endless

379
32:43.000 --> 32:47.000
and also worryingly nonexistent in the 
current moment.

380
32:47.000 --> 32:52.000
But in considering together my experience
here in ESS

381
32:52.000 --> 32:55.500
alongside the challenge to choose a future
career path

382
32:55.500 --> 33:01.000
I've realized that these opposite 
directions are actually intimately 
connected.

383
33:01.000 --> 33:04.000
Specifically, during my time in this 
department 

384
33:04.000 --> 33:09.000
I have not only learned but I have learned
how to learn.

385
33:09.000 --> 33:14.000
And this skill is directly applicable to
confidently sorting out my next steps,

386
33:14.000 --> 33:19.000
even in this moment, when society as a 
whole couldn't seem anymore uncertain.

387
33:19.000 --> 33:24.000
A core aspect of learning within the grad 
student experience

388
33:24.000 --> 33:27.000
comes from the process of completing a
thesis.

389
33:27.000 --> 33:32.000
The research in this department literally
spans the entire planet and outer space.

390
33:32.000 --> 33:36.000
But everyone's thesis boils down to asking

391
33:36.000 --> 33:39.000
and answering questions about how the 
world works.

392
33:39.000 --> 33:43.000
The process of formulating these questions
and developing these answers

393
33:43.000 --> 33:45.000
can take quite a bit of time.

394
33:45.000 --> 33:50.000
I recently saw a depiction of how your 
perception of knowledge

395
33:50.000 --> 33:54.000
on a topic changes as your expertise 
increases.

396
33:54.000 --> 33:58.000
I think it summarizes the process of 
completing a thesis quite well.

397
33:58.000 --> 34:01.000
As you begin to build expertise in an area

398
34:01.000 --> 34:05.000
you quickly increase the amount you think
you know.

399
34:05.000 --> 34:11.000
This continues until you have learned 
enough to realize just how much there 
really is to know.

400
34:11.000 --> 34:16.000
and then the amount you think you know 
falls back to nearly zero.

401
34:16.000 --> 34:19.000
This can be a somewhat discouraging 
realization 

402
34:19.000 --> 34:23.000
but meanwhile as your expertise has 
progressed

403
34:23.000 --> 34:28.000
a third measure, the amount you actually
know, has steadily expanded.

404
34:28.000 --> 34:33.000
The process of developing my thesis 
certainly resembled this sort of 

405
34:33.000 --> 34:35.500
up and down journey in the pursuit of 
knowledge

406
34:35.500 --> 34:41.000
and my experience in the ESS department 
has taught me three important lessons

407
34:41.000 --> 34:44.000
that have helped me navigate that 
nonlinear path.

408
34:44.000 --> 34:49.000
The first lesson is to challenge yourself 
to ask questions.

409
34:49.000 --> 34:52.000
The fastest way to learn new things is to 
get curious

410
34:52.000 --> 34:57.000
and the ability to pose meaningful 
questions is a key skill in developing 
your thesis.

411
34:57.000 --> 35:02.000
In fact, our first milestone exam in the 
research program

412
35:02.000 --> 35:05.000
is about crafting valuable scientific 
questions.

413
35:05.000 --> 35:11.000
Learning to ask questions increased my
perception of how much I thought I knew.

414
35:11.000 --> 35:17.000
Though as I asked more questions I 
understood how much more there is to know

415
35:17.000 --> 35:20.000
and I quickly realized I still had a long
way to go.

416
35:20.000 --> 35:23.000
The second lesson I've learned from ESS

417
35:23.000 --> 35:27.000
is to seek out help and advice from others

418
35:27.000 --> 35:32.000
rather than become overwhelmed when 
realizing how much more there is to know.

419
35:32.000 --> 35:36.000
I learned the importance of proactively 
asking others for help.

420
35:36.000 --> 35:40.000
Whether brainstorming a research idea with
a faculty member.

421
35:40.000 --> 35:45.000
receiving feedback on a talk at the grad
student brownbag seminar,

422
35:45.000 --> 35:50.000
or enlisting help from an officemate in 
debugging a piece of code,

423
35:50.000 --> 35:55.000
someone in ESS has always been at the 
ready to lend a hand whenever I have asked.

424
35:55.000 --> 35:59.000
This help enabled me to confidently pursue

425
35:59.000 --> 36:02.000
the depth of knowledge I realized was out
there.

426
36:02.000 --> 36:07.000
Finally, the third lesson, is to engage 
with the community.

427
36:07.000 --> 36:11.000
When I showed up for the first day of 
orientation six years ago

428
36:11.000 --> 36:15.000
I knew no one and felt slightly out of 
place.

429
36:15.000 --> 36:19.000
It wasn't until I signed up for 
departmental events 

430
36:19.000 --> 36:23.000
and took on positions of leadership that I 
developed a sense of belonging.

431
36:23.000 --> 36:28.000
Even through activities that weren't 
directly related to my research

432
36:28.000 --> 36:32.000
like coordinating science outreach and 
organizing conferences

433
36:32.000 --> 36:36.000
the community connections I forged helped
me further my thesis.

434
36:36.000 --> 36:39.000
By getting involved in the community 

435
36:39.000 --> 36:43.000
I steadily increased the amount I actually
knew about my research.

436
36:43.000 --> 36:47.000
And of course, the last two months have 
highlighted 

437
36:47.000 --> 36:50.000
the importance of being involved in a 
community 

438
36:50.000 --> 36:53.000
even when those connections are virtual.

439
36:53.000 --> 36:55.000
So now that I've completed my thesis 

440
36:55.000 --> 36:57.500
what am I taking away?

441
36:57.500 --> 37:03.000
Beyond the specific questions and answers
that comprise the content of my thesis 

442
37:03.000 --> 37:08.000
the most valuable part of my education 
here has been learning how to navigate

443
37:08.000 --> 37:11.000
the ups and downs of learning itself.

444
37:11.000 --> 37:14.000
Now as I consider my future direction 

445
37:14.000 --> 37:18.500
these three lessons I have learned in 
developing my PhD thesis

446
37:18.500 --> 37:24.000
are exactly the tools I need to help me
develop my next thesis, 

447
37:24.000 --> 37:26.000
my life thesis.

448
37:26.000 --> 37:30.000
First, challenge myself to ask questions.

449
37:30.000 --> 37:34.000
Explore new ways to relate my skills and 
interest to the world.

450
37:34.000 --> 37:37.000
Second, seek help and advice.

451
37:37.000 --> 37:42.000
Talk to others, get inspired by directions
peers have taken,

452
37:42.000 --> 37:45.000
and create connections that might open new
doors.

453
37:45.000 --> 37:48.000
And third, engage with the community.

454
37:48.000 --> 37:52.000
At the end of the day I need to get out 
there and do.

455
37:52.000 --> 37:56.000
By becoming involved and building off the 
work of those that have come before me

456
37:56.000 --> 38:01.000
I'll be making progress even if I don't
know now exactly where I'm headed.

457
38:01.000 --> 38:05.000
I want to stress this last lesson of 
engagement

458
38:05.000 --> 38:09.000
because I think we and the world have the 
most to gain from it.

459
38:09.000 --> 38:13.000
As graduates of ESS we are all scientists

460
38:13.000 --> 38:18.000
in a time when science is being 
politicized and undervalued 

461
38:18.000 --> 38:21.000
how can we best engage with the community?

462
38:21.000 --> 38:26.000
We all have different skills, interests,
and areas of expertise

463
38:26.000 --> 38:30.000
so that engagement will look different for
each of us.

464
38:30.000 --> 38:32.000
But regardless of how it looks, 

465
38:32.000 --> 38:36.000
we have the potential to make an impact in 
the community and the world. 

466
38:36.000 --> 38:41.000
To my fellow graduates, I challenge you to 
think about how you will engage 

467
38:41.000 --> 38:44.500
and represent what it means to be a 
scientist.

468
38:44.500 --> 38:47.000
And, in addition to engagement, 

469
38:47.000 --> 38:52.000
as we leave behind the structure of being 
a student in this department 

470
38:52.000 --> 38:56.000
how will you incorporate the other two 
lessons on learning 

471
38:56.000 --> 38:58.000
as we launch into an uncertain world.

472
39:00.000 --> 39:05.000
Congratulations to my fellow graduates for 
completing your science thesis

473
39:05.000 --> 39:09.000
and I wish you the best of luck as you 
continue to develop your life thesis.

474
39:11.500 --> 39:22.500
♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

475
39:22.500 --> 40:56.500
♪ 'POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE' BY EDWARD ELGAR ♪

476
40:56.500 --> 41:17.500
♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

477
41:19.500 --> 43:21.500
♪ 'ROGUE WAVES' BY MIGUEL ♪

478
43:21.500 --> 44:07.500
♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

479
44:08.000 --> 44:09.500
Thank you Professor Steig. 

480
44:09.500 --> 44:16.000
I am honored today to be the undergraduate
speaker for the 2020 Earth and Space 
Sciences graduation. 

481
44:16.000 --> 44:19.500
These are of course not the ideal 
circumstances for this event,

482
44:19.500 --> 44:23.000
but nevertheless, here we are today to 
celebrate the new journeys 

483
44:23.000 --> 44:25.000
that the class of 2020 are setting off on. 

484
44:25.000 --> 44:29.000
We are moving on to jobs, graduate school, 
and the rest of the terrifying 

485
44:29.000 --> 44:31.000
yet exciting world after college. 

486
44:31.000 --> 44:34.000
I don’t need to tell you all how 
unprecedented this virtual graduation 

487
44:34.000 --> 44:39.000
or the surrounding circumstances are. Like 
many of you, over the past few months, 

488
44:39.000 --> 44:43.500
I have taken up baking bread, doing 
puzzles, and have repeatedly contemplated 
cutting my own hair

489
44:43.500 --> 44:47.000
in between zoom class, zoom meetings, zoom 
social hours… 

490
44:47.000 --> 44:50.000
zoom you-name-it and I can’t believe I’m 
saying this, 

491
44:50.000 --> 44:55.000
but Mike Brown was certainly ahead of the 
curve when he recorded all the 212 lectures

492
44:55.000 --> 45:00.000
years ago. And little did I know that 
being glued to my computer while I binge 

493
45:00.000 --> 45:03.000
re-watched of all 30 hours of the lectures 
during dead week 

494
45:03.000 --> 45:06.000
a couple years ago was just a taste of 
what was to come. 

495
45:06.000 --> 45:11.000
Today, I find some small sense of comfort 
in this sense of togetherness, 

496
45:11.000 --> 45:16.000
in knowing that my fellow graduates, our 
friends and family have come together for 
us. 

497
45:16.000 --> 45:20.000
I personally would like to thank my loved 
ones for supporting me throughout this 
journey 

498
45:20.000 --> 45:25.000
and I know I can only express a fraction 
of the gratitude of this graduating class. 

499
45:25.000 --> 45:30.000
To our friends, family, partners, and 
supporters: Thank you a million times over,

500
45:30.000 --> 45:34.000
and on behalf of my fellow graduates, 
allow me to offer you an apology 

501
45:34.000 --> 45:37.000
for all the geology puns I’m sure you’ve 
put up with over the years. 

502
45:37.000 --> 45:41.000
Now more than ever we must rely on these 
bonds to one another. 

503
45:41.000 --> 45:46.000
And for many of us, these are friendships 
forged in Montana’s sweltering heat, 

504
45:46.000 --> 45:51.000
in cramped field trip vans, or around the 
black lab tables that hold so many memories. 

505
45:51.000 --> 45:54.000
For many of us, the path ahead is 
uncertain, 

506
45:54.000 --> 45:57.000
but I know that the resilience that saw 
many of us through not 1, 

507
45:57.000 --> 46:02.000
but 2 geobiology exams will continue to be 
our guiding light. 

508
46:02.000 --> 46:05.000
This was not anyone’s plan for the end of 
our time together. 

509
46:05.000 --> 46:09.000
Many of us have come to UW, and ESS, with 
less traditional backgrounds 

510
46:09.000 --> 46:13.000
that have made the happy blend in this 
graduating class. 

511
46:13.000 --> 46:16.000
As a cohort, we have worked incredibly 
hard to be here today, 

512
46:16.000 --> 46:20.000
and I don’t just mean how hard it’s been 
to get up for zoom university. 

513
46:20.000 --> 46:23.000
I know many of you, and I know how much 
you have pushed yourselves to balance 
school, 

514
46:23.000 --> 46:27.000
work, research, family, and whatever else 
might be in your life. 

515
46:27.000 --> 46:30.000
It is certainly difficult to see all those 
things changing, 

516
46:30.000 --> 46:35.000
but I have faith in the strength and 
resilience of this group to continue to 
persevere. 

517
46:35.000 --> 46:39.000
I have incredible admiration for our 
graduating class and the strength I have 
seen, 

518
46:39.000 --> 46:42.000
which I know to be but a tiny slice of our 
depth. 

519
46:42.000 --> 46:45.000
I know that this journey has not been 
easy for many of us, 

520
46:45.000 --> 46:49.000
especially over these past few months and 
I hope that we all recognize the strength 

521
46:49.000 --> 46:51.000
that it takes to just keep going. 

522
46:51.000 --> 46:54.000
I personally have struggled with anxiety 
and depression 

523
46:54.000 --> 46:58.000
for the duration of my college career, not 
to mention throughout this pandemic,

524
46:58.000 --> 47:02.000
and I know that many of you have faced the 
same, other, and worse struggles. 

525
47:02.000 --> 47:06.000
Whatever challenges college may have held 
for you, you have overcome them, 

526
47:06.000 --> 47:09.000
surpassed them, and outrun them and I hope 
everyone here today 

527
47:09.000 --> 47:12.000
is deeply proud of themselves and all they 
have accomplished. 

528
47:12.000 --> 47:18.000
Many of my fondest memories with my fellow 
ESSers come from the hallways of Johnson.

529
47:18.000 --> 47:22.000
Officially or unofficially, it seemed that 
we were always gathered there, 

530
47:22.000 --> 47:26.000
whether for snacks before colloquium, a 
GeoClub fundraiser, or the painful groans 

531
47:26.000 --> 47:30.000
and emphatic hand motions that always came 
with any post exam discussion. 

532
47:30.000 --> 47:33.000
It is strange to not have said goodbye in 
a fitting way 

533
47:33.000 --> 47:38.000
or to have more of that strangely 
delicious water from the ground floor 
water fountain. 

534
47:38.000 --> 47:43.000
I would give almost anything to be 
panickedly staring at a ‘choose all 
correct answers’ 

535
47:43.000 --> 47:46.000
exam, just a measly three feet away from 
another student. 

536
47:46.000 --> 47:49.000
Beyond these memories and experiences at UW

537
47:49.000 --> 47:53.000
and in a time where so many things seem 
uncertain, and the value of truth wavers, 

538
47:53.000 --> 47:58.000
we can all take comfort in the simple fact 
that rocks will be there for us. 

539
47:58.000 --> 48:01.000
The solid nature of the physical world 
brings comfort 

540
48:01.000 --> 48:03.000
and reminds all of us of things beyond 
ourselves. 

541
48:03.000 --> 48:07.000
Many of the objects that we study – rocks, 
minerals, faults, formations, 

542
48:07.000 --> 48:10.000
and even planets, have stood the ultimate 
test of time, 

543
48:10.000 --> 48:13.000
and perhaps are the greatest reminder of 
resilience among us. 

544
48:13.000 --> 48:18.000
I am continually awe stuck by the strength 
of this world to have sustained so much 
turmoil, 

545
48:18.000 --> 48:21.000
and yet to have produced so much beauty 
and life. 

546
48:21.000 --> 48:24.000
I am reminded of my classmates in the 
fortitude and grace 

547
48:24.000 --> 48:27.000
I see in the world around me. 

548
48:27.000 --> 48:32.000
And unlike these earth system objects, we, 
as humans, students, and about to be 
graduates, 

549
48:32.000 --> 48:36.000
have the ability to grow, change and adapt 
quickly. 

550
48:36.000 --> 48:40.000
This has been an important part of our 
journey especially over these past few 
months. 

551
48:40.000 --> 48:43.000
As the world has turned a bit sideways, 

552
48:43.000 --> 48:47.000
I have admired the patience and 
determination I have seen from my peers 

553
48:47.000 --> 48:52.000
and the department in continuing to 
provide access to education, support, and 
community. 

554
48:52.000 --> 48:57.000
I eagerly anticipate how this unusual year 
will lead to changes in the university; 

555
48:57.000 --> 49:00.000
in the accessibility of field work and 
classes 

556
49:00.000 --> 49:03.000
and in our understanding of work and power 
in the times to come. 

557
49:03.000 --> 49:07.000
And I know that as ever, we will face 
these challenges with plastic deformation: 

558
49:07.000 --> 49:11.000
moving, shaping and becoming without 
breaking. 

559
49:11.000 --> 49:15.000
Congratulations class of 2020. 

560
49:15.500 --> 49:26.000
♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

561
49:26.000 --> 58:53.000
♪ 'POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE' BY EDWARD ELGAR ♪

562
58:53.000 --> 01:02:12.500
♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

563
01:02:12.500 --> 01:02:16.500
Congratulations ESS Class of 2020. You 
have done it.

564
01:02:16.500 --> 01:02:19.000
Throw your hat. Take a bow. 

565
01:02:19.000 --> 01:02:23.500
Make sure you take it all in and reflect 
on your amazing achievements.  Cheers!

566
01:02:25.500 --> 01:02:29.000
Coming to you live from the Hill backyard

567
01:02:29.000 --> 01:02:32.000
This is graduation 2020

568
01:02:32.000 --> 01:02:39.000
[cheers and laughing]

569
01:02:39.000 --> 01:02:42.000
Alright, happy graduation from the puppies.

570
01:02:42.000 --> 01:02:45.000
[laughing]

571
01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:47.000
That has nothing to do with happy 
graduation.

572
01:02:47.000 --> 01:02:48.000
C'mon Charlie.  C'mon buddy.

573
01:02:48.000 --> 01:02:53.000
C'mon, c'mon.

574
01:02:53.000 --> 01:02:54.000
Good job Mia.

575
01:02:54.000 --> 01:02:58.000
Congratulations! Congratulations!

576
01:02:58.000 --> 01:03:02.000
Avocado says congratulations mom! I love 
you.

577
01:03:02.000 --> 01:03:05.000
[purring]

578
01:03:07.000 --> 01:03:11.000
Rainbow says congratulations!

579
01:03:11.000 --> 01:03:15.000
Rainbow says congratulations!
[purring]

01:03:15.000 --> 01:03:19.000
[purring]

580
01:03:19.000 --> 01:03:22.000
Jax says congratulations Hill!

581
01:03:22.000 --> 01:03:24.000
Jasper do you say congratulations?

582
01:03:24.000 --> 01:03:27.000
Congratulations! Congratulations!

583
01:03:27.000 --> 01:03:31.000
Chargo says congratulations Hill!

584
01:03:31.000 --> 01:03:35.000
Congratulations! Congratulations!

585
01:03:35.500 --> 01:03:38.500
Congratulations Class of 2020. 

586
01:03:38.500 --> 01:03:42.500
Today is all about celebrating our 
graduates.

587
01:03:42.500 --> 01:03:44.500
We are here ...

588
01:03:44.500 --> 01:03:45.500
... "as family", ...

589
01:03:45.500 --> 01:03:49.500
friends, and faculty to celebrate your 
amazing accomplishments. 

590
01:03:49.500 --> 01:03:52.500
It has been inspiring getting to know 

591
01:03:52.500 --> 01:03:54.500
both the graduate and undergraduate 
students in ESS, 

592
01:03:54.500 --> 01:04:01.500
and to see your progress, and growth, 
through both normal and not-so-normal 
times.  

593
01:04:01.500 --> 01:04:05.000
After all your hard work to get to where 
you are, 

594
01:04:05.000 --> 01:04:07.500
you deserve an in-person send-off.  

595
01:04:07.500 --> 01:04:11.500
I always look forward to the in-person ESS 
Graduation Ceremony, 

596
01:04:11.500 --> 01:04:14.500
and I am sorry that this year it's not 
possible.  

597
01:04:14.500 --> 01:04:19.500
The skills that you take with you as you 
leave the University are unusual.  

598
01:04:19.500 --> 01:04:23.000
As you have come to understand, our planet 
is incredibly complex, 

599
01:04:23.000 --> 01:04:26.000
with connections between the atmosphere 
and rivers, 

600
01:04:26.000 --> 01:04:30.500
between oceans and continents that are all 
connected 

601
01:04:30.500 --> 01:04:35.500
to the deep interior through volcanoes, 
earthquakes, and plate tectonics including 
subduction.  

602
01:04:35.500 --> 01:04:39.500
We have just begun to fathom the intricacy 
of these interconnections.

603
01:04:39.500 --> 01:04:42.000
You have learned to work with time scales 

604
01:04:41.500 --> 01:04:45.500
that range from milliseconds to billions 
of years.  

605
01:04:45.500 --> 01:04:47.500
Because of Earth's complexity, 

606
01:04:47.500 --> 01:04:52.500
the environmental problems our society 
faces are not easily answered.  

607
01:04:52.500 --> 01:04:54.500
We don't have all the data we need, 

608
01:04:54.500 --> 01:04:58.500
and we don't have all the understanding 
and we never will. 

609
01:04:58.500 --> 01:04:59.500
But as ESS students, 

610
01:04:59.500 --> 01:05:03.500
you have learned how to deal with unknowns 
and uncertainties. 

611
01:05:03.500 --> 01:05:06.500
Please help us save our planet! 

612
01:05:06.500 --> 01:05:08.500
You have the tools to do this.  

613
01:05:08.500 --> 01:05:10.500
Use your curiosity to guide you, 

614
01:05:10.500 --> 01:05:12.500
ask important questions, 

615
01:05:12.500 --> 01:05:14.500
then gather useful information, 

616
01:05:14.500 --> 01:05:16.500
and analyze them carefully. 

617
01:05:16.500 --> 01:05:20.500
The people of the world need you now more 
than ever 

618
01:05:20.500 --> 01:05:22.500
to advance the science 

619
01:05:22.500 --> 01:05:25.500
and promote scientifically sound decision 
making.

620
01:05:25.500 --> 01:05:27.500
Please go into the world 

621
01:05:27.500 --> 01:05:31.500
and make a positive difference 
and feel good about it. 

622
01:05:31.500 --> 01:05:32.500
During this special year, 

623
01:05:32.500 --> 01:05:34.500
I wish that my 20/20 vision

624
01:05:34.500 --> 01:05:37.500
would allow me to see past the end of my 
nose, 

625
01:05:37.500 --> 01:05:41.500
but I have no idea what the future has in 
store for us. 

626
01:05:41.500 --> 01:05:45.500
I would like to think that through all the 
hard work of the past several years, 

627
01:05:45.500 --> 01:05:48.500
you have learned both the basic Earth 
Science 

628
01:05:48.500 --> 01:05:50.500
and how to be responsible citizens, 

629
01:05:50.500 --> 01:05:53.500
and this will serve you well down the road. 

630
01:05:53.500 --> 01:05:56.500
The world needs you and you need the world. 

631
01:05:56.500 --> 01:05:59.500
I wish you the best in your future 
endeavors, 

632
01:05:59.500 --> 01:06:00.500
be safe, 

633
01:06:00.500 --> 01:06:05.500
and congratulations!

634
01:06:06.500 --> 01:07:29.500
♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪

635
01:07:29.500 --> 01:07:33.500
Congratulations ESS Graduates 2020 !

636
01:07:33.500 --> 01:07:40.000
Rockstar and myself are here to extend our 
sincerest congratulations to you.

637
01:07:40.000 --> 01:07:41.500
Job well done.

638
01:07:41.500 --> 01:07:44.500
I thought since I could not spend 
graduation 

639
01:07:44.500 --> 01:07:47.000
with you at the University of Washington 
this year, 

640
01:07:47.000 --> 01:07:50.500
that I would bring you out to me favorite 
spot on Whidbey Island. 

641
01:07:50.500 --> 01:07:53.000
This is the Saratoga Erratic.  

642
01:07:53.000 --> 01:07:56.500
It is one of the largest Glacial Erratics 
on Whidbey Island,

643
01:07:56.500 --> 01:07:58.500
and its not even the Puget Lowland. 

644
01:07:58.500 --> 01:08:01.500
I think there might be one bigger one over 
near Lake Stevens. 

645
01:08:01.500 --> 01:08:06.500
But in any event, this erratic has a lot of 
significance to me and my Geologic career, 

646
01:08:06.500 --> 01:08:10.500
and I wanted to share this ... with my 
last moment with you. 

647
01:08:10.500 --> 01:08:18.500
Its special, just as you are special to us, 
the faculty in this Department.

648
01:08:18.500 --> 01:08:23.500
We are going to miss you, and we know you 
are going to be successful 

649
01:08:23.500 --> 01:08:25.500
in whatever career endeavor that you 
choose. 

650
01:08:25.500 --> 01:08:28.500
Again, just a heartfelt congratulations to 
you.  

651
01:08:28.500 --> 01:08:34.500
Please remember ... say Hello to us ... 
email out to us ... come by and see us, 

652
01:08:34.500 --> 01:08:40.500
and know that you always hold a special 
place in our hearts.  

653
01:08:40.500 --> 01:08:44.500
I wish you all the success.  Graduates 
2020.  

654
01:08:44.500 --> 01:08:46.000
God bless you all. 

655
01:08:46.000 --> 01:08:47.500
Be Safe. 

656
01:08:47.500 --> 01:08:52.000
Be well in life.

657
01:08:53.500 --> 01:08:57.500
Congratulations to all the students 
graduating today.

658
01:08:57.500 --> 01:09:01.500
I wish I could be there in person but we 
know that we have to do it virtually due

659
01:09:01.500 --> 01:09:03.500
to restrictions from COVID-19.

660
01:09:03.500 --> 01:09:07.000
I especially want to call out Paige 
Northway

661
01:09:07.000 --> 01:09:11.000
who is graduating today with a Doctor of
Philosophy in Earth and Space Sciences

662
01:09:11.000 --> 01:09:16.000
for her innovations for plasma thrusters
on cubesats.

664
01:09:16.000 --> 01:09:22.000
Her problem was especially difficult 
because she had to fit all of her 
equipment

665
01:09:22.000 --> 01:09:25.500
into the size of a loaf of bread

666
01:09:25.500 --> 01:09:32.000
and more than that she had to share it 
with other efforts.

667
01:09:32.000 --> 01:09:36.500
so she only had actually 1/3rd of the loaf 
of bread to put all of her equipment in.

668
01:09:36.500 --> 01:09:40.000
But she got there, lots of trials and 
tribulations,

669
01:09:40.000 --> 01:09:44.000
lots of failed experiments, but she 
actually managed to get it

670
01:09:44.000 --> 01:09:48.000
launched, just last year, placed on the 
space station

671
01:09:48.000 --> 01:09:50.500
and it has orbited earth.

672
01:09:50.500 --> 01:09:54.500
So congratulations to Paige, and as she 
did her work

673
01:09:54.500 --> 01:09:57.500
she actually mentored a whole lot of 
undergraduates

674
01:09:57.500 --> 01:09:59.500
through a whole lot of different efforts

675
01:09:59.500 --> 01:10:04.500
including helping some of my other 
students working in the plasma lab

676
01:10:04.500 --> 01:10:08.500
and in our NASA funded penetrator work for
sample return.

677
01:10:08.500 --> 01:10:15.500
And speaking of our undergraduates I'd 
like to also thank and congratulate who 
worked

678
01:10:15.500 --> 01:10:20.500
in my classes learning about rockets and 
instrumentation.

679
01:10:20.500 --> 01:10:24.500
I'm sorry that we couldn't get our last 
launch in, our last big launch,

680
01:10:24.500 --> 01:10:29.500
but you all guys got to dream big, you got
to launch at least some of the smaller 
rockets

681
01:10:29.500 --> 01:10:34.500
later on in the year, and I hope you will
take that same kind of 

682
01:10:34.500 --> 01:10:37.500
can do spirit to continue and be 
successful

683
01:10:37.500 --> 01:10:42.500
in this continuing era of COVID-19.

684
01:10:42.500 --> 01:10:45.500
Congratulations and good luck.

685
01:10:47.500 --> 01:11:31.999
♪ 'VICTORY CELEBRATION' BY JOHN WILLIAMS ♪