by Anaïs Férot
Mar 18, 2026
Connecting Early Career Researchers in Subduction Zone Science
The SZ4Grads Executive Committee has been busy organizing activities to support early-career scientists across the SZ4D network. At the AGU Fall Meeting in December, the annual SZ4Grads Early Career Networking Lunch brought together more than 40 early-career scientists to connect with peers and mentors from across the subduction zone community. The event was hosted by SZ4Grads Executive Committee alumni Jade Bowers (Exxon Mobil) and Behnaz Hosseini (Montana State University), and we are grateful to the mentors who generously shared their time and insights: Helen Janiszewski (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa), Diana Roman (Carnegie Institution), Emily Brodsky (UC Santa Cruz), Jeff Freymueller (Michigan State University), and Emily Estes (National Science Foundation).
SZ4Grads at the 2026 SZ4D Science Community Meeting
The SZ4Grads Executive Committee is also actively designing the Early Career Symposium that will precede the SZ4D Science Community Meeting in April 2026, with the goal of creating a program that reflects the needs and interests of early-career participants. A report should be distributed in our next e-newsletter. Stay tuned!
Career Webinar Series
Looking ahead, SZ4Grads is launching a new webinar series exploring career pathways for subduction scientists. The first webinar will focus on careers outside academia, with panelists working in consulting, mining, scientific instrumentation, and climate technology. A second panel discussing careers within academia and the public sector is planned for May.
See details below and register to join the conversation.
Meet the SZ4Grads Team
 | Emma Burkett University of New Hampshire |
 | Hannah Shabtian Brown University |
 | Kate Scholz LDEO |
 | Xiaochuan Tian UC Davis |
 | Maisy Waech Brown University |
SZ4Grads Career Webinar Series – Careers Beyond Academia
March 23, 1:00-2:30PM PT
Are you on the job market - or starting to think about what comes next? Curious about career paths beyond academia?
SZ4Grads is launching a new webinar series exploring career pathways for subduction scientists. Our first webinar will focus on careers outside academia, with panelists working in areas such as consulting, mining, scientific instrumentation, and more.
Join us on March 23, 1:00-2:30PM PT / 4:00–5:30 PM ET to hear about their career journeys, what their day-to-day work looks like, and their advice for early-career scientists.
Register to receive your Zoom link
During registration, you’ll also have the opportunity to submit questions for the panelists in advance.
Stay tuned for the next webinar in the series, which will focus on careers within academia and the public sector.
We hope to see you there!
Yours subductingly,
SZ4Grads Executive Committee
Emma Burkett
Kate Scholz
Hannah Shabtian
Xiaochuan Tian
Maisy Waech
JADE BOWERS | Geoscientist, ExxonMobil
Dr. Jade Bowers is a Geoscientist on the Guyana Whiptail Development Team at ExxonMobil. She earned her Ph.D. studying how magmas are generated, stored, and evolve over time using macro‑ and microscopic geochemical techniques. In her current work, she thrives at the intersection of science, teamwork, and applied problem-solving. Jade is an SZ4Grads Alum and we’re excited to host her!
MICHAEL DELUCA | CHA Consulting, Inc.
Profile coming soon
KAYLEIGH HARVEY | EPMA Product Manager and SEM Applications Specialist, JEOL USA
Dr. Kayleigh Harvey is an EPMA Product Manager and FE-SEM Applications Specialist with JEOL USA. She earned her PhD at the University of Maryland, where she studied subduction zone dynamics through the lens of the exhumed metamorphic rock record. Kayleigh then completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Boston College, where she used isotope geochemistry to understand ultrahigh pressure metamorphic processes. During her Postdoc, Kayleigh also served on the SZ4D Exhumed Analogs Advisory Committee. She joined JEOL USA in 2022, leveraging her analytical background to help researchers and engineers across the Americas evaluate and best-utilize electron microscopes. She currently specializes in ultrahigh resolution imaging and quantitative microanalysis by WDS, EDS and EBSD.
BETHANY LADD | co-founder and Head of Operations, Arca Climate Technologies
Bethany Ladd is a researcher, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Arca Climate Technologies. Arca is a leading carbon dioxide removal company that develops innovative technology to turn CO2 into rock at scale. As Head of Operations at Arca, Bethany draws upon her scientific background and expertise in applied research management to lead company, deployment, and lab operations. Prior to her current role, Bethany served as a Research Scientist at the University of British Columbia, where she focused on interdisciplinary research projects related to energy, groundwater quality, and climate change. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Brown University and a Master of Science from the University of Calgary. Her passion for making a difference in the world led her to co-found Arca, a University of British Columbia spinout that has garnered international recognition, including an XPRIZE milestone award for carbon dioxide removal.
SAM SCHER | Director and Principal Geochemist, LKI Consulting Inc.
Sam Scher is an applied geochemist and Director and Principal Geochemist at LKI Consulting Inc. She specializes in integrating geochemical and mineralogical datasets to support mineral exploration, geometallurgy, and environmental studies. Sam has worked on projects in more than 30 countries across the Americas, Australia, and Africa, contributing to exploration and geometallurgy programs for porphyry, epithermal, volcanogenic massive sulfide, nickel sulfide, and greenstone gold systems. She has also contributed to the development and application of emerging mining technologies, helping integrate hyperspectral, geochemical, and data-driven tools into exploration and mining workflows. Sam founded and hosts the GeOCHemISTea podcast, which highlights technical insights, careers, and challenges facing geochemists.