Patricia Fryer

Tell us about your work/ research. What kinds of things do you do?

I am an Emerita Professor of Geology and Geophysics in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. I have always had a research position at UHM, but I love teaching and have taught many classes at both undergraduate and graduate levels. I retired in 2020 because of Covid-19, but I am still working on research and with colleagues and students. Most of my recent work is studying the geology, petrology, and tectonics of the Mariana region.
 

What sparked your initial interest in your career?

Rocks! Mine was a US Navy family and Dad drove us across country going from a US Navy Base in one part of the country to the next one. I was 4 when we went to Albuquerque, and on weekends we hiked in the Sandia mountains, where I stuffed my pockets with green pebbles I thought were turquoise, then stuffed Momʻs. But all the while, Mom was wondering how the shells we were seeing everywhere got to the top of the mountains. Hmmm? When Dad had sea duty and we were living by the coast, I loved going to the Navy base and seeing the ships. Kids were allowed to tour the ships on Dependentʻs Days and my first "cruise" was out of San Francisco on the aircraft carrier USS "Handcock." I discovered that other kids were getting seasick, so just one other girl and I had fun riding a couch sliding from one side of a room to the other when the sea got rough.
 

Who influenced you or encouraged you the most?

Mom mostly, and Dad when he was back on shore, supported my curiosity about nature and learning new things. When we moved to Hawaii I was entering fifth grade, and there was a trip to Hawai`i Island to visit the Kilauea volcano - where I fell in love with Madame Pele. In seventh grade my biology teacher had a huge, high-power binocular microscope and she told me I could stay after school, if my parents permitted, and look at things like drops of pond water with tiny animals in it. I stayed after school a lot.The clincher were the fabulous professors at the College of William and Mary in Virginia who: let me peruse Geologic Journals in the basement; introduced me to the petrographic microscope (the perfect combination of rocks and microscopy); and who also made field work so much fun (Chrispy Creams, bore holes, and Kitty Hawk field trips). In grad school my studies with professors of volcanology/petrology, and of geophysics (and working at sea), were the best mentors anyone could have had. But the greatest encouragement I have had has been from my husband, who is a geophysicist and earthquake/tsunami expert. I could not have had the career Iʻve so enjoyed without his love and support.
 

What element of your work/ study do you think is the most fascinating?

Without a doubt exploring the seafloor is the most fascinating. That is because every time you do it, you learn something new. Whether you dive in a submersible, like the Woods Hole Institutionʻs Alvin or the Jamstecʻs Shinkai6500, or watch the screens and sonar returns from any ROV, as it roams over never-before witnessed seafloor, you and your pilots and co-workers recognize an intense sense of wonder. Those experiences drive you to want to share the appreciation you feel for the special nature of our planet. Sharing things Iʻve learned is one of the aspects I love about teaching what itʻs like in "Inner Space."
 

How did you get involved with Ocean Exploration Trust? How did you become part of the expedition team?

Lucky for me, I had previously sailed as a Geology Lead-Scientist on the ORE NOAA Research Vessel, Okeanos Explorer on its Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas, Expedition, 16-05, Leg 3 in 2016. So, I did know a bit about how the Ocean Exploration Trust operates the Nautilus-Live program. A colleague told me about this expedition and recommended me to the OET Chief Scientist in charge of this cruise. I was honor to be invited.
 

What other jobs led you to your current career?

My first job was as an undergrad lab assistant at The College of William and Mary, making sand-grain smear slides and analyzing them for heavy minerals. This was in aid of determining the distribution of placer deposits down-stream in rivers. One of my W&M professors suggested I do an undergrad thesis using an electron microscope at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. When I went to graduate school at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa, my Masterʻs Thesis adviser gave me a job as a TA (teaching assistant) teaching introductory geology laboratory. Later I worked as an RA (research assistant) analyzing seismic refraction data. For the first 10 years after getting my PhD degree and promotion to Assistant Professor, I was on what is called a "soft money" position at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. This meant my salary came exclusively from extramural grants, mainly the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. The marine geological and geophysical cruises I went on, during my early years on a variety of research ships, taught me much about work and life at sea. The ships went mostly to wonderful western Pacific localities, and along with making scientific discoveries, I enjoyed learning about new cultures and making friends.
 

What are your degrees and certifications?

I have a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the College of William in Mary in Virginia and a Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geology and Geophysics both from the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa.
 

What are your hobbies?

Actually, I consider my career the best possible hobby. However, I also love to spend lots of time with our two Siberian Huskies. This requires much exercise! I like to monitor the volcanism on whatever volcano is acting up, especially Kilauea volcano on Hawai`i Island and Icelandʻs Reykjanes peninsula these days. My family lived in Oklahoma for three years, so I tend to watch real-time coverage on youtube of severe weather events in Tornado Alley. I sew, yes clothes, but also costumes - the more outrageous the better. I once made a life-size Jabba-the-Hutt for my husband and our friend to wear to a costume contest at "Zoo Night" in Honolulu. We won first prize, free tickets to the circus that was in town.
 

What advice would you give someone who wants to have a career like yours?

I think most people are born scientists. You hear little kids asking "why?" all the time. If curiosity is encouraged and if the kids have a good imagination these characteristics will be drivers all their lives. If you love doing or learning something, and are in a position to pursue it as a career goal, find the teachers who encourage you. Take as many science courses as offered in your High School. Apply for internships or volunteer opportunities in the profession that interests you. Some internships are available for high-school students. For marine science undergraduate and graduate students there are many opportunities.