About Sandra

I am a geologist. I love rocks, and I always have.

I did not set out to become an organic petrologist. I stumbled into coal almost by accident and discovered that it was far more fascinating than I had expected. It was not simply a black rock or a fuel. Under the microscope, it contained structures, fragments, histories and transformations waiting to be understood.

That curiosity stayed with me.

Although I often describe myself as an organic petrologist, I still think of myself first as a geologist with a strong desire to keep learning about geology. Organic petrology became my area of expertise, but it never replaced the wider curiosity that brought me to science in the first place.

Learning has always been one of the strongest forces in my life. I enjoy looking closely, asking questions and trying to understand how materials became what they are. Sometimes the answer comes from a microscope. Sometimes it comes from combining petrography with other analytical techniques. Sometimes it comes from noticing that the evidence does not quite fit the explanation we started with.

My work has taken me through coal, dispersed organic matter, thermally altered materials, natural graphite and other carbon materials. Much of it has centred on interpreting petrographic and microstructural evidence and understanding what that evidence can tell us about origin, transformation and geological history.

CarbonMat grew from the same curiosity. It gives me a place to share what I have learned, explore ideas, make complex subjects more approachable and occasionally allow the science to have a sense of humour. It is also a place where my scientific experience can be applied through specialist analysis, interpretation, review and training.

I do not have all the answers. Science would be rather dull if I did. What continues to drive me is the possibility that there is always something else to notice, question or understand.

That is why I am still learning.