Suzanne Pilaar Birch, a faculty member with a dual appointment in the geology department, is the subject of an in-depth feature in the Spring issue of the University of Georgia Research Magazine. A focus is TrowelBlazers, “a celebration of women archaeologists, palaeontologists and geologists who have been doing awesome work for far longer, and in far greater numbers, than most people realise.” She and three other scientists chafed at the overwhelmingly male narrative and built this rich trove of unrecognized female attainment through history, current discussion and information, and mutual support. Visit their groundbreaking (yes...) site once and you'll be back again and again. Read the piece to learn about how the hashtags #pregnantinthefield and #InMyShoes affirm spaces for women, including fascinated eight-year-olds. TrowelBlazers has sparked heavy international social media participation, traditional media coverage, and original work for lay audiences — including documentaries and a book deal — by its co-founders. It networks women who bring up conversations necessary for women to experience full equality in their fields. The story also discusses her impressive research, with more to come. It expands upon a feature in the prestigious journal Nature covering Pilaar Birch’s decision to experience fieldwork while pregnant. In both, she recounts just some of many, many accounts tweeted by women who posted their research exploits in pregnancy, trowels in hand. In the local media scene, she is the Red and Black's current Scientist of the Week.
