96: Developing a successful career in geophysics today with Anna Shaughnessy

SEG President-Elect Anna Shaughnessy joins the podcast to highlight her 2020 Honorary Lecturer tour, "Developing a successful career in geophysics today." In this timely discussion, Anna shares her insights on navigating your career in a transitional industry, how to stay relevant no matter your discipline, actions to take to set up for a successful career, and offers the key to choosing your career field. It doesn't matter if you are a student, early career, or experiencing a career transition, Anna's valuable perspective will offer support and guidance for your professional path. Visit https://seg.org/podcast for the complete show notes and the link to Anna's upcoming lecture tour. BIOGRAPHY Anna Shaughnessy received her undergraduate from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and her MSc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her industry career started as a geophysical interpreter and quickly moved to management of technical teams within the energy industry. She has held leadership roles in exploration and advanced technology at Mobil, Saudi Aramco, Texaco, and Kerr-McGee. After 30 years in the energy industry, she transitioned to the academic sector. In 2011, she became the executive director of MIT’s Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL). She retired from ERL in 2018 and is currently a consultant. Shaughnessy and her husband, Dan, are both geophysicists and have lived and worked in the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Scandinavia. They successfully managed six relocations with employment opportunities for both in each new location. Currently, Shaughnessy is the vice-chair of the SEG Foundation Board (SEGF). The SEGF supports many of the SEG student programs and actively raises funds for existing and future programs. She also has served on many SEG teams including as secretary/treasurer for the Executive committee and on the Women’s Network Committee. In 2019, Shaughnessy acted as interim executive director for SEG for three months while SEG was searching for a new leader. Mentoring young scientists have been a life-long passion for Shaughnessy. She thrives on sharing her enthusiasm for science and technology and guiding others in directions that suit their particular talents and interests. Her wide work experience has offered her a great appreciation of geophysics’ role during the past 40 years. Her unique background and experience provide her with unusual insights into the role of applied geophysics in industry, academia, and society today and in years to come. CREDITS Original music by Zach Bridges. This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Andrew Geary. Thank you to the SEG podcast team: Ted Bakamjian, Jennifer Crockett, Ally McGinnis, and Mick Swiney.