Quinn Worthington
MSC GRADUATE, EARTH SCIENCES
Bringing aha moments from the lab to the world
SCIENCE
Quinn Worthington
MSC GRADUATE, EARTH SCIENCES
Bringing aha moments from the lab to the world
If your pockets were always full of cool rocks as a kid, or you spent Saturday mornings watching dinosaur documentaries instead of cartoons, then you and Quinn Worthington have something in common.
The Earth and Environmental Sciences graduate remembers coming home from family trips with “every pocket in the car door full of rocks and jars of rocks everywhere.” Growing up hiking, camping, swimming and going to the beach kindled a fascination with how nature works.
In graduate studies, Quinn's jars of rocks were from much further afield — the other side of the world — and her enthusiasm for science has never been stronger.
Finding a niche at Waterloo
The University’s renowned co-op program was what first drew Quinn to Waterloo for her undergraduate degree. As for her choice of the Earth and Environmental Sciences department, that’s something she “happened upon by chance” while exploring the Faculty of Science online.
A mix between biology and earth science, the Environmental Science – Geoscience program was the perfect fit for Quinn’s interest in the world’s natural wonders.
After developing a close bond with fellow students and professors over five years of undergraduate studies, the decision to stick around for her master’s was a no-brainer.
“It’s really community-oriented and everyone’s super tight-knit. People just genuinely enjoy hanging out with each other.”
Whether through weekly Geo Cafés at the Grad House or virtual check-ins during the pandemic, building relationships and sharing ideas with classmates and professors in her department has been a major highlight of the grad student experience for Quinn.
Research that rocks
“I really wanted to pursue grad studies because it gave me the opportunity to do a whole project from start to finish,” Quinn says. “Do the background research, pick my field site, collect my own samples, process my own data, interpret it, put it all together, make a nice model and really understand the whole picture.”
For her research project, Quinn worked with Waterloo structural geologist Professor Shoufa Lin. Her study analyzed a suite of rocks from a site in northwest China to figure out when, how and in what kind of tectonic environment they formed.
“There used to be an ocean in the middle of China called the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The age of the rocks studied in my project is near the end of that ocean closure. I used my samples to look back into geologic time to figure out when the ocean closure actually occurred and the big continental landmass that is China started to form.”
Using rock samples, Quinn completed most of her research while in Waterloo. She got to travel to her study site in China in 2019 but had to cut the trip short for reasons beyond her control. After the pandemic hit, she wasn’t able to go back. But she appreciates having the opportunity to travel for her research.
“That’s part of why I chose geology — because you get to travel to cool places, see cool things and meet new people.”
Finding a niche at Waterloo
The University’s renowned co-op program was what first drew Quinn to Waterloo for her undergraduate degree. As for her choice of the Earth and Environmental Sciences department, that’s something she “happened upon by chance” while exploring the Faculty of Science online.
A mix between biology and earth science, the Environmental Science – Geoscience program was the perfect fit for Quinn’s interest in the world’s natural wonders.
After developing a close bond with fellow students and professors over five years of undergraduate studies, the decision to stick around for her master’s was a no-brainer.
“It’s really community-oriented and everyone’s super tight-knit. People just genuinely enjoy hanging out with each other.”
Whether through weekly Geo Cafés at the Grad House or virtual check-ins during the pandemic, building relationships and sharing ideas with classmates and professors in her department has been a major highlight of the grad student experience for Quinn.
Research that rocks
“I really wanted to pursue grad studies because it gave me the opportunity to do a whole project from start to finish,” Quinn says. “Do the background research, pick my field site, collect my own samples, process my own data, interpret it, put it all together, make a nice model and really understand the whole picture.”
For her research project, Quinn worked with Waterloo structural geologist Professor Shoufa Lin. Her study analyzed a suite of rocks from a site in northwest China to figure out when, how and in what kind of tectonic environment they formed.
“There used to be an ocean in the middle of China called the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The age of the rocks studied in my project is near the end of that ocean closure. I used my samples to look back into geologic time to figure out when the ocean closure actually occurred and the big continental landmass that is China started to form.”
Using rock samples, Quinn completed most of her research while in Waterloo. She got to travel to her study site in China in 2019 but had to cut the trip short for reasons beyond her control. After the pandemic hit, she wasn’t able to go back. But she appreciates having the opportunity to travel for her research.
“That’s part of why I chose geology — because you get to travel to cool places, see cool things and meet new people.”
Creating a little spark of “whoa”
In 2021, Quinn was awarded the Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student. Nominated by her colleagues, who highlighted her “exceptional teaching, approachable personality and passion for student success,” she was one of three Waterloo students, and the only master’s student, selected for the award.
She honed her teaching skills over several years, first through co-op jobs during her undergrad and then as a teaching assistant during her master’s. Part of what earned her the award was her role in running lab sections during the pandemic when public health restrictions limited how many students could gather.
“It was just a really crazy time, but we worked really hard to get it done,” Quinn says. “And we’re so thankful that we could be in person, so the students could actually see the samples and get hands-on experience.”
Channeling her passion for teaching, Quinn also volunteered her time at the Earth Sciences Museum on campus, including its Gem and Mineral Show and public open houses, as well as at the Waterloo Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival.
Whether she was working with university students who “had the competency to speak earth sciences” or grade four students who “were full of wonder and already obsessed with rocks,” she loved helping nurture a passion for science.
“I like the aha moment when somebody finally gets something or has that moment of clarity. I like helping people find that little spark of ‘oh, whoa!’”
Creating a little spark of “whoa”
In 2021, Quinn was awarded the Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student. Nominated by her colleagues, who highlighted her “exceptional teaching, approachable personality and passion for student success,” she was one of three Waterloo students, and the only master’s student, selected for the award.
She honed her teaching skills over several years, first through co-op jobs during her undergrad and then as a teaching assistant during her master’s. Part of what earned her the award was her role in running lab sections during the pandemic when public health restrictions limited how many students could gather.
“It was just a really crazy time, but we worked really hard to get it done,” Quinn says. “And we’re so thankful that we could be in person, so the students could actually see the samples and get hands-on experience.”
Channeling her passion for teaching, Quinn also volunteered her time at the Earth Sciences Museum on campus, including its Gem and Mineral Show and public open houses, as well as at the Waterloo Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival.
Whether she was working with university students who “had the competency to speak earth sciences” or grade four students who “were full of wonder and already obsessed with rocks,” she loved helping nurture a passion for science.
“I like the aha moment when somebody finally gets something or has that moment of clarity. I like helping people find that little spark of ‘oh, whoa!’”