Guest Speaker: Dr. Nels Iverson

Dr. Nels Iverson is a research scientist at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, where he manages the electron microprobe lab. Nels was born and raised in the wheat fields of Eastern Washington and has roots in the Skagit Valley. Nels left the PNW to pursue a career in volcanology. Finding this passion for volcanoes in college at the University of Hawai'i at  Hilo. He then moved on to New Mexico to study volcanoes in Antarctica. Received both his Master's and Ph.D. in Geochemistry from New Mexico Tech, working on Mt. Erebus volcano and characterizing the volcanic ash record of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core. His research uses volcanic ash preserved in ice cores, marine cores, and terrestrial records as time markers to tie these different regions together. Nels just returned from two and a half months of research in Antarctica trying to understand past ice sheet elevation changes at Mt. Waesche. While not in the Antarctic wilderness, he enjoys hiking, camping, rafting, and hunting with his wife, Zoë, and their dog, Winston.

For dinner we will enjoy an authentic Swedish meatball dinner by Manic Meatballs! Dinner will be served buffet style, meaning you get to enjoy however much your belly can hold. Included in the buffet will be an array of meatballs, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad, shells & cheese, green beans, coleslaw and dessert. We will have a small amount of vegan meatballs + rice available for those with dietary restrictions.