Samuel Madison Tyler Thompson

About Me

I am a graduate of the University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC), and I'm currently pursuing an MSc in Earth System Science at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. My primary research interests include sedimentology & stratigraphy, geochemistry, paleoclimatology with respect to major events in Earth History. (Learn more about my research here)

In my free time I enjoy reading and writing science fiction, collecting and cataloguing minerals from around the world, and spending time with cat, Bob.

During my time at UTC, I majored in Environmental Geology and minored in Environmental Science, actively participating in the UTC Geology Club. In the summer of 2022, I began my first research project under the mentorship of Dr. Ashley Manning-Berg, focusing on the reinterpretation of stromatolite-like carbonate structures within the Bangor Limestone on Raccoon Mountain, near Chattanooga. I then presented my preliminary findings at the Geological Society of America's national conference in Denver, Colorado 2022.

Currently, I am completing my Master’s degree at George Mason University, conducting research with Dr. Geoff Gilleaudeau and teaching as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. My master's thesis project aims to use uranium isotopes in carbonate rocks from north Greenland as a proxy for global ocean oxygenation during the Late Ediacaran period. 

I hope to start my PhD in Fall 2025, I am excited to continue my journey in the geosciences and further expand my knowledge through research and education.