By Caren Shin, 2023 Science Communication Intern 

Brittney Stoneburg is a vertebrate paleontologist and museum professional. She specializes in mammals from the Miocene (23 to 5 million years ago) and Pleistocene periods (2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago). She is the collections and communications manager at the Western Science Center in Southern California, where she helps care for their fossil collection and participates in scientific outreach. 

Brittney has always been interested in natural history and the sciences. She majored in English as an undergraduate. Her interest in paleontology was sparked by a visit to La Brea Tar Pits Museum in Los Angeles, California, which features an active fossil lab showcasing volunteers and scientists preparing fossils from the tar pits. When she saw the lab, she thought, “I want to do that.” She later found a similar opportunity as a volunteer at the Western Science Center. 

Brittney with equid dental fossil. Photo by Brittney Stoneburg.

While working at the center, Brittney earned a master’s degree from California State University, Fullerton. She has published academic articles and a children’s book based on her paleontological research on miniature horses in Southern California. She says, “Studying English gave me training in writing, and the humanities background has expanded my perspective.” Brittney is also a founding member of the nonprofit science communication initiative Cosplay for Science, which aims to make science accessible by relating it to pop culture and cosplay. In 2022, Brittney (along with collaborator Gabriel-Philip Santos) was recognized for exceptional outreach efforts with the Pojeta Award from the Paleontological Society.

What advice would you give to a girl or young person who wants to be a paleontologist?

Don’t be afraid to persevere through hardship. Don’t sacrifice your wellbeing for a career—cultivate other interests and the other parts of your life as well.

Selected works/further reading

“Inside The Petri Dish” podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/where-do-we-store-this-mammoth/id1317403844?i=1000590667166 
Fossil Friday Chats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfDRUHS1YHI

Brittney in the lab at Western Science Center. Photo by Brittney Stoneburg.

Acknowledgements

The GSA Science Communication Internship was a program offered at GSA Connects in Pittsburgh, Penn., designed for student attendees interested in science communication as a possible alternative career path.  Interns were paired with GSA’s Science Communication Fellow in order to gain experience in making science clear and exciting, under the tutelage of a professional writer.  Students were assigned to conduct interviews with presenters at the meeting and to compile summaries capturing the significance of the presenters’ work for a non-technical audience.  Media assignments and mentoring were useful learning experiences and exposure opportunities for students seeking to expand their knowledge into geoscientific reporting.