Lisa White
Lisa White
Lisa White
Micropaleontologist & Science Communicator
Lisa White is a micropaleontologist. She studies diatoms, algae with glass-like walls. Her current work focuses on science communication and outreach.
Lisa White attended college at San Francisco State University in California. She became interested in micropaleontology during an internship at the USGS where she identified and counted microfossils in deep ocean rocks. Lisa went on to earn her Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Cruz.
Lisa worked at San Francisco State University for 22 years and held a variety of positions, including Professor, Department Chair, and Associate Dean. During those years, she launched and managed programs to increase the representation of people of color in the geosciences.
Lisa is currently the Director of Education and Outreach at the University of California Museum of Paleontology in Berkeley, California. The main focus of her work is communicating science research and scientific concepts to educators, students, and the public. She is inspired by contemporary women in paleontology and enthusiastically shares the careers of these women with broader audiences.
What are some of your biggest achievements and/or challenges so far in your career?
“As an African American woman geoscientist and paleontologist, I have faced a range of challenges with being ‘the only one’ or one of very few women or people of color in the field. Others have questioned my abilities and training, and I was often made to feel excluded. I overcame these challenges by keeping focused on all the things I enjoy about paleontology (teaching, research, and science communication)... My ability to leverage my leadership positions in the face of challenges in order to reach new audiences and make our discipline more inclusive is a testament to the importance of persistence and resilience in one’s career.”
Selected works by Lisa White
Baronsky, A.D., T. Matlock, J. Christensen, H. Han, J. Miles, R.E. Rice, L. Westerling, and L. White. 2016. Establishing common ground: Finding better ways to communicate about climate disruption. Collabra: Psychology 2: 23. Link
Beane, R.J., E.M.D. Baer, R. Lockwood, R.H. Macdonald, J.R. McDaris, V.R. Morris, I.J. Villalobos, and L.D. White. 2021. Uneven increases in racial diversity of US geoscience undergraduates. Communications Earth & Environment 2: 126. Link
Bell, R.E., and L. White. 2020. The geosciences community needs to be more diverse and inclusive. Scientific American, 8 May 2020. Link
Ellwood, E.R., J.A. Sessa, J.K. Abraham, A.E. Budden, N. Douglas, R. Guralnick, E. Krimmel, T. Langen, D. Linton, M. Phillips, P.S. Soltis, M. Studer, L.D. White, J. Williams, and A.K. Monfils. 2020. Biodiversity science and the twenty-first century workforce. BioScience 70: 119–121. Link
White, L., and R. Bell. 2019. Why diversity matters to AGU. Eos, 1 December 2019. Link
White, L. 2020. From microfossils to museums: Reflections on my journey as an Earth scientist. Pp. 55–58 in L.J. Marsh and E. Currano, eds. The bearded lady project. Challenging the face of science. Columbia University Press, New York.
Further reading
Boodhoo, T. 2017. Down to Earth with: Paleontologist Lisa D. White. Earth: The science behind the headlines, 1 September 2017. Link
Lynn, S. 2016. Meet Dr. Lisa White: Paleontologist. Black Enterprise, 10 April 2016. Link
Mintz, J. no date. Lisa White: Earth scientist to the core. Trowelblazers. Link
Online Education (no date): Lisa White, PhD - Assistant Director for Education and Public Programs, University of California Museum of Paleontology. Interview. Link
Sharlach, M. 2014. Bones to pick: UC Berkeley paleontologist entices diverse students to dig her field. California Magazine, 25 July 2014. Link
Townsend, P. 2018. Lisa White: Fueled by fossils. UC Santa Cruz Magazine, March 2018. Link
Wikipedia: Lisa White (geologist). Link
Video & audio content
Alf Museum of Paleontology: “Is that fossil read?” Fossil Friday chat featuring Dr. Lisa White. Video, 9 September 2020, via YouTube: Link
CSU Chico, Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences. GEOS Seminar Series: Dr. Lisa White. Video, 2 May 2018, via YouTube. Link
Science in the Virtual Pub: Women in Paleontology Discussion Panel. Panel for Daring to Dig exhibit held 25 March 2021. Video, 2021, via YouTube. Link
University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences: “Paleontology meets social justice: Who says we can’t make progress?” DeFord Lecture, presentation by Lisa White. Video, 2 September 2020, via YouTube. Link