Although it wasn’t required for his degree, Matt Hensley decided to get involved in undergraduate research for a number of reasons. “I just didn’t want to take a typical route like doing a summer internship. I thought doing my own research would be a pretty unique experience and I would learn just as much,” Matt said. “Besides, A&M is one of the most prestigious research universities in the nation and Geosciences brings in the most research dollars at A&M, so it’s kind of silly not to take advantage of that while I’m here.”

Matt’s first foray into the world of academic research was working on a project for his advisor Debbie Thomas, an assistant professor in Oceanography. “I took OCNG 251 as a freshman and really liked it, and then I took Debbie’s geologic oceanography class and decided to minor in oceanography. She recruited me to work on her carboniferous project, and from that experience I decided I might as well do a project of my own.”

Working through the Office of Undergraduate Research, Matt submitted a proposal to study silicate weathering across the Mississippian/Pennsylvanian time boundary using strontium (Sr) and neodymium (Nd). He was trying to determine weathering patterns that occurred in Arrow Canyon, Nevada, 300 million years ago. He started the project last fall and finished in May.

“This was such an eye-opening experience for me,” Matt said. “Coming from Kerrville, Texas, you don’t get much opportunity to work with things like a mass spectrometer. I’m the kind of person who just enjoys learning about different things, and this has been something completely different from anything I’ve ever done before.”

Matt decided in high school that he liked learning about Earth sciences and environmental issues. He knew he wanted to follow his older sister, Lauren, to Texas A&M, so he applied to the Environmental Geosciences Program and didn’t look back. “Environmental Geosciences just covers so many bases,” he said.

While his research and undergraduate thesis are completed, Matt still has work to do. To earn research hours a student must also make a poster presentation at a formal conference. Matt will get his chance to shine at the Geological Society of America’s annual conference this October in Portland, Oregon.

Matt hopes to eventually work for the EPA, but he has also talked to the Coast Guard about opportunities after graduation and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of graduate school at some point.

“Whatever I do, this experience has really helped me,” he said. “I want to eventually work in environmental protection. Having a deeper understanding of oceanographic processes or weathering should help me get my foot in the door.”