David McNamara
He/Him
I’m gay and I’m a structural geologist and mineralogist. //
I’m a university academic fascinated by faults, fractures, minerals, and their physics. I seek to understand processes that help or hinder the movement of fluids through the rocks of the Earth’s crust. I study this because the ability of rock to transport and contain fluid is how important resources for humanity (groundwater, petroleum, geothermal waters, mineral/metal deposits) are created. It also effects earthquakes, making it an important field of study to manage our resilience to natural hazards. I believe it is important to be visible as a member of the LGBT+ community within the STEM community. If being an out, proud, gay geologist offers an example for someone to point to and say “I’m like him, so I can do that job too,” that’s a win in my books. Diversity, in all forms, is vital for how we do science. Approach a problem with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences and you get novel, exciting, and unexpected discoveries. I’m very happy to contribute to this project!