Spring/Summer 2024
Maziet Cheseby, chief curator, OSU Marine & Geology Repository
Tell us a little about your job as chief curator in OSU’s Marine & Geology Repository — what does a chief curator do?
I oversee the day-to-day operation and activities of the facility, working with visitors and users of the MGR to answer questions and provide information regarding our policies, services, fees, the proper archiving of samples and any requests for information. I maintain instrumentation and instruct visitors and users regarding our equipment. I review and approve sample requests and facilitate sampling parties and other uses of the facility. Along with the other curators, I maintain database records. And I am the primary liaison between the OSU-MGR and MARSSAM (the OSU Marine Rock and Sediment Sampling Group).
When did you know that you wanted to be a scientist? Did you have experiences as a child that led you in the direction of science, or specifically toward Earth science?
I actually came about my career in a fairly unique way, I think. I grew up about 45 minutes from New York City. My mother is French and grew up in Paris. My father grew up in the Caucasus Mountains on a large horse ranch. My mother shared her love of art and culture with us, while my father shared his love of nature and the outdoors. When I first started my undergraduate degree I wanted to be an art museum curator, but after taking some required science classes I decided I was much more interested in Earth science. I got my first science job at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory as a lab assistant to a research scientist who was also the director of the Lamont-Doherty Core Repository. My supervisor’s wife happened to be the curator of the repository. When I found out one could have career curating geological samples I immediately thought to myself “THAT is what I want to do!”
What’s the most exciting project you have worked on?
I planned and implemented the move of the entire Antarctic core collection from Florida State University to Oregon State University in 2018. It was an extremely challenging and rewarding project, from being a part of planning and designing the new repository to calculating how many pallets, wax boxes and two-by-fours were needed to ship the 11.5 miles of sediment cores we were inheriting. The several years of planning the physical move culminated in five weeks and 13 53-foot refrigerated trucks being packed and shipped backed to OSU. After the last semi truck was packed I gathered the student workers we had hired from FSU to thank them for all their hard work over those five weeks. I started crying as I told them the story of how I first thought it would be impossible for us to accomplish such a task, but we were able to because of their help. In my mind it was a historic undertaking.
What is your favorite core or rock sample at MGR?
Oh gosh, I have so many. I am a total sediment core geek but I guess it would have to be a core that was collected in 1967 offshore of Tillamook that contains ice-rafted debris. It is amazing to think that these rocks were entrained in icebergs that broke off ice sheets in the north and were carried south, via ocean currents, depositing all these smooth, rounded pebbles onto the ocean floor. It is also a small diameter core so from a coring perspective it is amazing that these pebbles fit just perfectly into this small diameter pipe without breaking it.
When you are not slinging mud at MGR, what do you do for fun?
I love camping and hiking with our three dogs. I live at the coast so I spend a lot of time on the beach. I also enjoy snowboarding and taking fitness classes.
What advice would you give your former self entering the field?
If you find that something is frustrating and you are not excelling at it as you would like or think you should be, just keep doing it. Don’t give up, especially if it is something you ultimately enjoy.
