Student Profiles

Melissa Hicks

Life of a graduate student
In 1999, I started my masters degree program at UNLV, and by 2006 I had traveled from Oregon to China and France, defended both my masters and Ph.D. dissertations, learned a new language, and survived the Graduate College formatting — twice. I taught four different classes, performed CPR on a Chinese woman, learned chemostratigraphy, became a beer goddess, ran a marathon, learned western U.S. geology, and had my appendix removed. I stood on modern dolomite forming on supratidal flats, snorkeled off of Belize and Hawaii, stressed myself out completely, met some of my greatest friends, learned more about archaeocyaths than should be allowed by law. I skied despite of living in a desert area, experienced an earthquake, and tasted green chilies for the first time. I survived my comprehensive exams (tectonics, igneous petrology,geomorphology, and paleontology), and visited Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Zion, Great Basin, Chaco Canyon, White Sands, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad, Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree, Canyonlands, Arches, and Sequoia National Parks.

And more?
I helped hire seven new faculty members at UNLV, made more than 500 thin sections, interpreted seemly irrelevant data, created more questions than answers, and found my niche. I found the love of my life and met the greatest mentors and professors of my life. I slept under the stars, have seen rattlesnakes, tarantulas, and scorpions in their natural habitats, but never seen a desert tortoise in its natural habitat. I kayaked, survived 125° heat, saw snow in the valley — twice, moved four times, saw a 500 pound Elvis impersonator (very good), expanded my horizons, and spent approximately 1,248 hours at Moose?s Beach House (a popular local establishment). I hiked, camped, backpacked, danced, sung, listened, learned, and lived (on the pathetic stipend), cried, rejoiced, and laughed a lot.

Life-changing Moments
I have experienced a great variety while at UNLV — both wonderful and heart wrenching — and I take away with me memories and experiences that shaped my life and will be with me forever.