Mark Irby-Gill

Trust your gut and don’t take everything at face value—stay curious, ask questions, form your own opinions and don’t be afraid of change. Real change doesn’t come one dramatic shift; it comes from small, intentional actions—something I hope to pass on to my son and future generations, so they grow up not just seeing the planet as something to use, but as something to care for and protect, because it’s the only one we all share.

Mark started his career at Red Rocks Community College and excelled on his geomorphology project for the Research Experiences for Community College Students (RECCS) program at CU. We were thrilled when he chose to complete his undergraduate career at CU in the Geological Sciences Department. His outstanding academic accomplishments earned him the inaugural Peter Molnar Fellowship award. He participated in multiple internships during his college career, doing everything from geochemical water monitoring in the U.S. Southeast to analyzing how the hardness of river rocks affects the way rivers erode their banks here in the U.S. Southwest. He also was an invaluable participant in an undergraduate research seminar. Mark is a proactive and optimistic person; his mindset has allowed him to see setbacks as opportunities that he seizes and makes the most of. His approach will take him far to life and he has great wisdom to share with his colleagues.