Dr. Kathryn Maneiro
Assistant Professor of Geology
Words: Cassidy Keenan ’21
Photos: Tony Hughes
Dr. Kathryn Maneiro
Assistant Professor of Geology
Dr. Kathryn Maneiro, Assistant Professor of Geology, leaned over like she had a secret. “On my desk right now is potentially the oldest garnet in the world,” she said.
She took it out of its package, turning it gently to point out the reddish marks in the stone. She said garnets can grow in layers, like trees, that can be dated individually. There was joy in her face as she explained the methods she uses in her research, and that she hopes to conclusively determine the garnet’s age soon.
Maneiro is a geochronologist with a host of stellar research accomplishments. One of her research areas focuses on a metamorphic garnet that grows in layers over time in some of the earth’s oldest rocks. She uses tools like a modified dental drill, strong acids, and a mass spectrometer, which requires an enormous amount of patience. With this method, she is discovering new information about early tectonic plates and other fundamental scientific questions. She also used it to date the second-oldest known garnet in the world.
When asked what she loves most about geology, Maneiro took a moment to consider. “I think my answer has changed,” she said. She painted a picture of herself entering college and intending to teach high school biology. Instead, she found herself falling in love with geology.
She completed college with an unplanned double major and went on to obtain her Ph.D. in the field. When she was younger, the field trips were the best part of geology—the travel, diversity of nature, and beauty of rock formations that reflected God’s divinity. Now, she says her greatest joy is watching students discover it for themselves, helping them as they challenge the assumptions they’ve made about the intersection of religion and science. “I love my research,” she said. “But I love teaching more.”
Maneiro’s layers run deep, like the garnets she studies. Among her multifaceted identity markers, she is an avid traveler with her husband, a survivor of an extremely rare form of leukemia, and passionate about sustainability (which includes serving as theme coordinator for Wheaton’s Aequitas Fellows Program in Sustainability). But one thing remains constant: Through all her experiences, she has built a life of learning about what she loves.
To learn more about geology at Wheaton, visit wheaton.edu/geology.
