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Fieldtrips & Projects

During the summer of 2023, GO FoRWARD is offering students all expenses paid fun geoscience fieldtrips.
  • locations are chosen to showcase the breadth of fun geosciences experiences in our area
  • led by PhD students in the Department of Geosciences who are passionate about science and sharing geosciences with everyone
  • all expenses paid including transportation to/from UWM, admission fees, and lunches.
Fieldtrips! (choose one, two, three, or all four!)
  1. Saturday June 3: Chicago Field Museum Evolving Planet exhibit with Jake Potter
  2. Friday June 9: Devil’s Lake State Park with Darian Dixon
  3. Friday June 16: Chicago Museum of Science and Industry Henry Crown Space Center with Darian Dixon
  4. Saturday June 17: Cave of the Mounds with Jake Potter

Wednesday June 28: Everyone who participates in GO FoRWARD fieldtrips this year will be invited to an evening picnic with all GO FoRWARD program alumni.

Previous years:

During the 2018-2022 GO FoRWARD summer sessions, students participated in research projects focused on one area of geosciences, either Fossils, Rocks, or Water. Although we aren’t offering research experiences in 2023, if you are interested in these types of projects, please contact us at goforward@uwm.edu.

 

Fossils Project

The bedrock underneath Milwaukee tells a 400 million year old story! In this project, students went outside to explore the fossils found in the local carbonate bedrock and unravel the fascinating tale of the creatures that inhabited the warm inland seaway preserved in the rocks. Then we brought all the data back to the computer lab to learn data entry and some statistical tests.

 

Rocks Project

Ever hear the phrase ‘strong as a rock’? If rocks are so strong, why are they full of cracks? Students who worked on this project visited local quarries and bedrock sites to learn how to measure fractures with geologic compasses. We interpreted how the fractures may have been related to ancient plate collisions that pushed on the rocks.

 

Water Project

In some years, the water project focused on stream gauging in Waukesha.  In other years, students studied groundwater right below campus!  We learned how streams respond to floor events and how hydrogeologists test groundwater quantity and quality.

Careers

A key feature of GO FoRWARD is introducing students to professionals working in the geosciences field.  We will tour local employers of geoscientists (including UWM Geosciences alumni) and visit others virtually. If safety protocols allow, we have tours planned for an environmental consulting firm and a government agency, and interviews scheduled with a petroleum extraction geologist, a mining geologist, and a planetary geologist at a commercial business that designs, builds, and operates space camera systems for the Mars Rover program.

During previous years of GO FoRWARD, we toured GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and we had video chat interviews with UWM Geosciences alumni and other geoscientists at Malin Space Science Systems , Chevron, Groundwater Sciences, Barr Engineering, US Bureau of Reclamation.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is geosciences? Geosciences is the branch of science that  includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. Geoscientists work in climate science, environmental consulting, mining, oceanography, petroleum, earthquakes, volcanoes, and planetary studies.

Am I eligible? See eligibility requirements. If you are not sure, feel free to ask or just apply anyway and explain your situation! We want to encourage as many students from diverse backgrounds to apply as possible!

Do I need to be a Geosciences major or a STEM major? No- if you are within your first two years of college, students with any major or no major at all may apply to the program. Very few people start college with the intention of being a Geosciences major (hardly anyone knows it is an option!). We want to reach people who find the geosciences fields interesting and are willing to spend time to learn more about them regardless of major.

I thought GO FoRWARD was a month long program? In previous years (2018-2022), GO FoRWARD was a month long program, but it is different in 2023.  This year, we have several fun fieldtrips planned.

Are there jobs in Geosciences? YES! One of the important aspects of GO FoRWARD is to introduce you to real life geoscientists who can talk to you about career paths. More geosciences jobs than geoscientists exist. The UWM Geosciences Department even has a special program called LET’S GEO to link their students to career information and mentoring.

Is there a cost to participate in GO FoRWARD? No! Participants will be have all their expenses paid for participation in the summer fieldtrips.   This will include transportation from UWM to the fieldtrip sites, admission fees, and lunches. Students will need to provide their own: 1) housing in Milwaukee, 2) transportation to/from the UWM campus, 3) payment for parking on campus (if required). All other costs are covered or provided.

What do I do if I need housing during GO FoRWARD? Unfortunately, since this year’s program is only on selected dates, we do not have UWM summer housing available for GO FoRWARD students.

Who do I talk to if I have questions? Please reach out to our email (goforward@uwm.edu) or the program director (dyanna@uwm.edu).

What is GO FoRWARD?

GO FoRWARD is a program offered through UWM’s Department of Geosciences. Through funding by the National Science Foundation, GO FoRWARD provides undergraduate students from groups underrepresented in geosciences a paid opportunity during the summer to learn about the geosciences discipline and its career opportunities. There are experiences throughout the academic year to maintain the GO FoRWARD community.

Students in GO FoRWARD will get to:

  • Learn about the geosciences in a fun atmosphere.
  • Learn about some interesting geologic sites in our area.
  • Meet a great group of current geoscience students.
  • Create friendships.
During the summer of 2023, GO FoRWARD is offering students all expenses paid fun geoscience fieldtrips.
  • locations are chosen to showcase the breadth of fun geosciences experiences in our area
  • led by PhD students in the Department of Geosciences who are passionate about science and sharing geosciences with everyone
  • all expenses paid including transportation to/from UWM, admission fees, and lunches.
Fieldtrips! (choose one, two, three, or all four!)
  1. Saturday June 3: Chicago Field Museum Evolving Planet exhibit with Jake Potter
  2. Friday June 9: Devil’s Lake State Park with Darian Dixon
  3. Friday June 16: Chicago Museum of Science and Industry Henry Crown Space Center with Darian Dixon
  4. Saturday June 17: Cave of the Mounds with Jake Potter

Wednesday June 28: Everyone who participates in GO FoRWARD fieldtrips this year will be invited to an evening picnic with all GO FoRWARD program alumni.

Application information here. 

We are reviewing applications now, but there is still time to apply!  Applications are being considered until spaces are full.  Apply today!

If you are interested in getting involved with Geosciences research or career programs, please email Dyanna Czeck (dyanna@uwm.edu), and she will help you find opportunities.

 

 

Apply to GO FoRWARD fieldtrips 2023

Eligibility

  1. Students must be undergraduates at UWM or MATC . UW-Waukesha and UW-Washington County students also qualify.  Students starting college in the Fall are welcome to apply for the preceding summer.
  2. Students of any major must be in their first two years of school (or equivalent credits) OR intended/declared undergraduate majors in Geosciences or a related discipline in any year of their degree program.
  3. The goal of the GO FoRWARD program as sponsored by the National Science Foundation is to increase the number of students in geosciences from groups that are underrepresented in the geosciences relative to their proportions in the general population. We encourage applications from undergraduate students who identify as members of groups that have been historically underrepresented in geosciences, including: Black, African American, Native American, American Indian, Native Pacific Islanders, Native Alaskan, Hispanic, Latino/Latina/Latinx, and others. Not sure if you qualify? Please ask or just apply and explain your situation. We want to open this experience to as many student as possible.

Students can opt to join one, several, or all fieldtrips (select which ones you will attend in your application).

 

  1. Saturday June 3: Chicago Field Museum Evolving Planet exhibit with Jake Potter
  2. Friday June 9: Devil’s Lake State Park with Darian Dixon
  3. Friday June 16: Chicago Museum of Science and Industry Henry Crown Space Center with Darian Dixon
  4. Saturday June 17: Cave of the Mounds with Jake Potter

Wednesday June 28: Everyone who participates in GO FoRWARD fieldtrips this year will be invited to an evening picnic with all GO FoRWARD program alumni.

Application Process

To apply online, please follow this link and read the information prior to filling out the online form. You will not be able to save your application prior to submission, so make sure you have time to complete the application when you start it.

For the online form, you will need to provide basic contact information about yourself, information on how many college credits you have completed so far, a statement about why you are interested in the program, and short descriptions of your experiences related to geosciences (it is OK if you don’t have any experience yet!).

Be sure to check out the eligibility criteria before you apply.

In addition to the online form, you will need to submit a transcript (unofficial is fine) to demonstrate you are a current student at MATC or UWM (incoming  Fall 2023 students also welcome- you may submit a copy of your acceptance letter in lieu of transcript if you prefer) to GO FoRWARD via email (gofoward@uwm.edu). 

Apply now- application window for all remaining trips closes on Friday June 9 at 4:00 PM!  Once you apply, you will be notified of your acceptance via email.