Science, Y'all!

The Science, Y'all! Podcast | Jackson School of Geosciences
  • 5.0 (3)
  • EARTH SCIENCES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Science, Y’all! podcast is the official podcast of the Jackson School of Geosciences that highlights cutting-edge earth and planetary science and the researchers making it all possible. Join host August Aalto as he interviews the Jackson School’s renowned geoscientists to delve into their exciting research and uncover personal narratives that shape the world of discovery. Podcast episodes represent the views of the host and their guests, not The University of Texas at Austin or the Jackson School of Geosciences.

  1. Casey Vigilia & Medha Prakash | S3E2 | Science, Y'all!

    12/05/2025

    Casey Vigilia & Medha Prakash | S3E2 | Science, Y'all!

    Third-year PhD candidates Casey Vigilia and Medha Prakash research glaciology and planetary geology, respectively. Casey is advised by Dr. Benjamin Keisling, and Medha is advised by Drs. Sean Gulick and Cyril Grima. Hear why they chose to pursue their PhDs at the JSG, what field adventures took them to France, the Bahamas, and Greenland, and how they’ve built community through exercise, trivia nights, and a fiber arts club. Casey and Medha also reflect on their PhD qualifying exams and alternative careers—including photojournalism and running a bakery.

    56 min
  2. Professor Dan Breecker | S3E1 | Science, Y'all!

    09/18/2025

    Professor Dan Breecker | S3E1 | Science, Y'all!

    Professor Dan Breecker is an isotope geochemist who researches carbon cycling processes in soils and carbonate bedrock. Hear how a whitewater rafting trip guide sparked Dan’s interest in academia, what fieldwork mishaps (including a pack rat and a chewed-up tape measure) shaped his PhD experience in New Mexico, and why he’s excited about carbon sequestration. Dan also talks best practices for balancing teaching, research, and family—like playing pickup soccer to keep up with his kids.

    19 min
  3. Jake Gearon | S2E5 | Science, Y'all!

    10/03/2024

    Jake Gearon | S2E5 | Science, Y'all!

    This special episode was recorded in Medellín, Colombia, during an NSF-funded international field course. JSG graduate and current Indiana University Bloomington PhD candidate Jake Gearon is a sedimentologist and geoinformaticist who is advised by Dr. Douglas Edmonds. Jake received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geological sciences from the JSG, along with a creative writing certificate from the College of Liberal Arts. Hear how History Channel documentaries on paleontology and volcanology sparked Jake’s interest in earth sciences as a kid, how his current research uses remote sensing to answer classical questions in sedimentology, and his perspective on the creative opportunities and psychological challenges of the PhD degree.

    48 min
  4. Tony Edgington | S2E4 | Science, Y'all!

    09/26/2024

    Tony Edgington | S2E4 | Science, Y'all!

    This special episode was recorded at Universidad EAFIT in Medellín, Colombia, during an NSF-funded international field course. JSG graduate and current Boston College PhD student Tony Edgington is a geomorphologist who is advised by Drs. Noah Snyder and Kat Wilson—another JSG alum. Tony received two bachelor’s degrees from JSG, one in geological sciences and another in geosystems engineering and hydrogeology, before going on to earn a master’s degree from University of Connecticut. Hear how Tony’s interest in environmental science started with a kid’s microscope, how his research has taken him all over South America and now back to the South, and what he misses most about Austin, TX—breakfast tacos.

    38 min
  5. Grace Guryan | S2E3 | Science, Y'all!

    09/19/2024

    Grace Guryan | S2E3 | Science, Y'all!

    Fifth-year PhD candidate Grace Guryan is a fluvial geomorphologist and landscape evolution modeler who is advised by Dr. Joel Johnson. Grace's research at the JSG focuses on quantifying how lithology impacts river systems and modeling how those effects influence river responses to tectonic and climate changes over geologic timescales. Hear how Grace’s interest in river science was inspired by whitewater rafting in Idaho as a kid, how environmental consulting work in Colorado refined her sense of identity and purpose, and her perspective on work-life balance and staying grounded during her PhD.

    50 min
  6. Dr. Emily Bamber | S2E2 | Science, Y'all!

    09/12/2024

    Dr. Emily Bamber | S2E2 | Science, Y'all!

    Recent JSG PhD graduate Dr. Emily Bamber is a planetary geomorphologist who was advised by Dr. Tim Goudge. Hear how Emily's upbringing in the Welsh countryside made her passionate about the natural world, how following her research interests led her across the Atlantic to the NASA Johnson Space Center and UT Austin, and how in another life she would run a cute bakery with free folk music sessions. Emily is now a research fellow at University of Cambridge's Trinity College, where she studies the joint geologic histories of meteorite impact craters and rivers.

    35 min
  7. Dr. Ethan Conrad | S2E1 | Science, Y'all!

    09/05/2024

    Dr. Ethan Conrad | S2E1 | Science, Y'all!

    Recent JSG PhD graduate Dr. Ethan Conrad is a structural geologist and tectonic geomorphologist, who was advised by Drs. Claudio Faccenna, Danny Stockli, and Thorsten Becker. Hear how Ethan's interest in science was sparked by The Spiderwick Chronicles, how his research has taken him to Italy and the Dominican Republic, and how playing music, disc golf, and slacklining with friends shaped his PhD experience. Ethan is now a postdoctoral researcher at University College London (UCL), where he studies how the topography of Antarctica has changed beneath the ice over millions of years.

    55 min
  8. Professor Rich Ketcham | S1E6 | Science, Y'all!

    05/03/2023

    Professor Rich Ketcham | S1E6 | Science, Y'all!

    Nick and Noah catch-up with Professor Rich Ketcham to learn about his ongoing research in the first public computed-tomography (CT) lab in the United States. We hope you'll enjoy the last episode of this season as we try to bank-in with Rich.

    28 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Science, Y’all! podcast is the official podcast of the Jackson School of Geosciences that highlights cutting-edge earth and planetary science and the researchers making it all possible. Join host August Aalto as he interviews the Jackson School’s renowned geoscientists to delve into their exciting research and uncover personal narratives that shape the world of discovery. Podcast episodes represent the views of the host and their guests, not The University of Texas at Austin or the Jackson School of Geosciences.

Information

  • Creator
    The Science, Y'all! Podcast | Jackson School of Geosciences
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Science, Y'all! Podcast | Jackson School of Geosciences
  • Show Website
    Science, Y'all!