Longform C.V.

Education__________________________________________________________________________________                     

PhD in Geoscience – University of Wisconsin at Madison Department of Geoscience 

Expected summer 2025

Pre-Last Glacial Maximum climate as recorded in midcontinent and coastal speleothems

Advisor: Dr. Andrea Dutton and Dr. Shaun Marcott GPA: 4.0

Using high-resolution oxygen isotope measurements and precise U/Th chronologies from speleothems in Wisconsin, USA and Quintana Roo, Mexico


M.S. in Geoscience – University of Wisconsin at Madison Department of Geoscience May 2017

Thesis: 10Be surface exposure ages on the Pleistocene history of Petermann glacier, Washingtonland, Greenland

Advisor: Dr. Shaun Marcott GPA: 4.0

Used 10Be surface exposure dating techniques to investigate the sensitivity of the northwestern ice margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet to climatic variations throughout the Holocene. 


B.A. in Geoscience, B.A. in English – University of Wisconsin at Madison, May 2013

Undergraduate Honors Thesis: 10Be surface exposure ages on the late-Pleistocene and Holocene history of Linnébreen on Svalbard

Advisor: Dr. Anders Carlson GPA: 3.75

I used 10Be surface exposure ages and glacial stratigraphy to look at ocean, atmosphere, and ice interaction in southern Svalbard. 


Relevant Work Experience____________________________________________________________________

Lecturer, Fall 2021

-Geo140: Geohazards


Pandemic parent of 3, Spring 2020 to present

-Flexibility, logistics, creativity, empathy, communication, patience, and first aid

-Toddler and twins


Foundation Geologist, August 2017-August 2020

Hess Corporation

-Petroleum geology (exploration and production)

-Projects have included interpretation of well log, core, and seismic data

-Attended several short courses including: Petrel, Esri, Subsurface Mapping, introduction to Geophysics, core description, petrophysics

-Field courses: Guadalupe Mountains, Southern Utah, La Jolla California (all sed/strat focused)


Research Assistant, August 2016-May 2017

University of Wisconsin-Madison

-Arctic fieldwork sampling glacial erratics for exposure dating

-Processed samples for Be isolation, regularly handled dangerous chemicals safely

-Co-managed lab: procedure development, completed inventories, cleaning, and stocking, scheduled sample processing 

-Mentored and trained undergraduate students working for the lab

-Developed outreach for Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and UW-Madison Geology Museum 


Teaching Assistant, August 2015-May 2016, May 2021-present

University of Wisconsin-Madison

-Geo110: Evolution and Extinction, an introductory geology and evolutionary biology course

-Geo105: Introduction to Oceanography

-Geo420: Glacial geology


Field worker and co-leader, August 2013 and 2014

-Assisted in paleontological fieldwork in the Triassic and Jurassic rocks of Wyoming

-Assisted in the planning, execution, and safety as co-lead in 2014


Samples Coordinator, August 2013 - May 2015

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey

-Managed the accession and examination of subsurface samples/well logs, acted as a data resource for industries and researchers.

-Assisted in the management of Mt. Horeb Core Repository

-Supervised 2 undergraduate student workers

-Prepared outreach collections and sample sets, represented WGNHS at several outreach events

-Assisted in drilling various cores on a wireline coring drill rig for the USGS-funded “STATEMAP” project, including the completion of the initial core descriptions.

-Catalogued 


Geochemical labwork, June 2012-May 2013

University of Wisconsin-Madison

-Prepared samples for cosmogenic radionuclide exposure dating


Student Worker, 2009 - 2013, and Research Assistant Summer 2021 and 2022 (collaborations and work ongoing)

University of Wisconsin Geology Museum

-Gave tours (to over 7,000 people), coordinated the tour program, designed/executed on and off-campus outreach events

-Identified specimens for museum patrons, aided in curation of collection materials

-Contributed to and presented GeoCheer presentations remotely to assisted living facilities

- Wrote blog posts for the tour guide blog

- Wrote "Have You Met?" articles for the museum newsletter

- Regularly communication with the public representing the museum through email

- Plan, write, and post museum social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) in line with the discussed goals of museum leadership

- Created Canvaa graphics and updated social media branding to align with social media goals


First Author Publications___________________________________________________________________________


Reusche, Melissa M. “Past Ice, Future Ice.” The Science Breaker, 23 Jan. 2019, https://doi.org/10.25250/thescbr.brk177 

Reusche, Melissa M., et al. "Early to Late Holocene Surface Exposure Ages From Two Marine‐Terminating Outlet Glaciers in Northwest Greenland." Geophysical Research Letters 45.14 (2018): 7028-7039. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078266 

Reusche, Melissa M., et al. "10Be surface exposure ages on the late-Pleistocene and Holocene history of Linnébreen on Svalbard." Quaternary Science Reviews 89 (2014): 5-12.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.01.017

Select Awards and Honors___________________________________________________________________________


Geological Society of America Graduate Student Research Award (Outstanding Mention), 2023

  George J. Verville Award in Geology and Geophysics, 2023

Wisconsin Idea Collaboration Grant, 2022

Weeks Research Assistantship, 2020

Marvel Ings Award for Excellence in Geoscience Education, 2013

Mack C. Lake Outstanding Senior Scholarship, 2011, 2012, 2013

Lowell R. Laudon Outstanding Junior Scholarship, 2010


Service__________________________________________________________________________________________________


Outreach: see Outreach page for a list of selected past work

Graduate student ombud: included conducting the 2nd Graduate Student Climate Survey in the UW-Madison Geoscience Dept.

D&I Committee: secured funding for department Field Gear Library, currently serving on the D&I steering committee

Panelist: being a woman in science, after a screening of Picture a Scientist  presented as part of a large collaboration at UW-Madison

Active core member of the WI Student Parent Organization

Active core member of the Association of Women Geoscientists UW-Madison Chapter


Skills and Competencies______________________________________________________________________


Familiar software: Microsoft suite, Adobe suite, Petrel, Spotfire, QGIS, Paradigm,  Canvaa, Meta, WordPress

Languages: Minor spanish

Other: forklift operation/pallet jack usage, pallet shipping preparation, core description and sampling methods, rock saw operation, core drilling procedures, curation techniques, remote and polar fieldwork.