Andrew MacDonald

Andrew traces his interest in geology and love of nature to summers spent in New England, where he hiked in the White Mountains and kayaked in lakes carved by glaciers thousands of years ago. He studied geology and biology at St Lawrence University, located close to New York’s Adirondack Mountains and near some of the planet’s oldest rocks. After spending a year in the Philippines with his French half-brother, an anthropologist, Andrew headed to the University of Western Ontario in Canada to pursue his doctorate in geology. “I finished my degree with a much deeper understanding of just how remarkable the planet is and just how much our future is tied to an understanding of global processes like plate tectonics and climate change,” he says. As a staff scientist for the Ocean Drilling Program, Andrew sailed across the Indian Ocean on the MV JOIDES Resolution as part of an international science expedition to study the climate and tectonic history of this ancient ocean basin. He has taught geology at Johns Hopkins University and George Mason University, and lectured at the Smithsonian Institution.

Despite his love for the sea and travel, Andrew believes in the phrase ‘think globally, act locally.” He has been an elected member of the Alexandria City Council, written a local column about environmental issues, and run a local art gallery showcasing nature photography.

Andrew has spent many seasons visiting natural jewels like Antarctica, Greenland, and Southeast Alaska to share his passion for what geology has to tell us about ourselves. He hopes that knowing more about how the earth works will inspire others to help preserve these places too.