In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, AAPG and MicroSeismic are showcasing interviews from successful women leaders in geoscience.

Sharon Lyon is a former geologist and retired geology professor. She worked at USGS before spending six years working with Armaco in its New Orleans office. Lyon then spent two years in the environmental business before becoming a physical sciences educator at Howard Community College, where she taught for 30 years. She is now a novelist and editor of AAPG's weekly newsletter combining geology and leisure, GeoLifestyle. 

Lyon received her undergraduate degree in geology from the College of William and Mary and her master’s in science from in geology from the University of North Carolina. Here is what she had to say about her time working in geoscience.

Describe the journey that led you to become a geoscientist.

“I grew up near Washington, D.C., and when I was in first grade, a paleontologist from the Smithsonian came to our class. He brought a dinosaur bone with him. After that, I became fascinated with fossils. My family would rent a cabin on the Potomac River every summer, and I collected fossil shark teeth. We also did a lot of camping, and I would search for fossils wherever we went.  I became involved in the science club in high school, majored in geology in college, and did my master's research in micropaleontology.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

“I’ve worked for the government, in the oil business, and for an environmental company, but I always wanted to teach. My years as a community college professor were the most rewarding. Every class was different because every combination of students was different. When you pass along your love for geology and students share in that excitement, that’s the ultimate reward.”

What has you most excited about working in the field of geoscience right now?

“I’m technically retired, but do geologists ever retire? Geology is everywhere, right under our feet. Since 2019, I’ve written two fictional bestsellers featuring a female paleontologist protagonist, the Fossil Woman series. My third book will be coming out this summer. I’ve also taken on the AAPG GeoLifestyle newsletter, which has been so rewarding. The research I’m doing for my book and the newsletter have kept me learning about new things. And isn’t that what we all want —a lifetime of learning?”

What advice would you give to a young girl aspiring to become a geoscientist?

“Follow your passion wherever it leads you. Ignore any naysayers. Reach out to female mentors and find your tribe. They are out there.”