11/02/2026
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and this year's theme is 'From Vision to Impact: Redefining STEM by Closing the Gender Gap.'
At GSWA, that impact isn’t abstract. It looks like people. It looks like everyday actions. It looks like Riley Rohrer, Senior Geoscientist and manager of the Industry Ready Graduate Program.
“It can be a bit awkward sometimes being the only female in the room ... and still wanting your voice to be heard,” she says.
For Riley, confidence didn’t happen overnight. It grew through connection.
"I’ve had some really great female role models within my specialty so far, who I’ve been lucky to work with here at GSWA like Fawna Korhonen... I’ve gained a lot of confidence just working here."
Now, through her work with our graduates, Riley focuses on something simple but powerful: belonging.
“I try to make others comfortable,” she says, “and have those open, awkward conversations.”
That might mean practical advice about remote fieldwork. Or just being a visible example for women and girls studying geoscience.
Women like Riley see the future of geoscience expanding beyond stereotypes: "we just need creative minds."
Her message is simple: you don’t have to change who you are to belong in geoscience.
Passion. Curiosity. Confidence. Community. That’s what impact looks like.
This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate Riley, and the many women turning vision into action across geoscience every day.