Well traveled-scientist, Dr. Beeler, settles in Rapid City
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Story by Siandhara Bonnet I Photos by Grace Pritchett
Mines where he runs various instruments, cott Beeler never saw himself moving including mass spectrometers, for those on to South Dakota, let alone living in the campus. state. He said the school has great After he finished his PhD and was instrumentation, but his favorite thing about offered a job at South Dakota Mines where his his job is learning about other topics, like girlfriend was set to work, though, his plans metallurgy. were set. Beeler said he sort of fell “I ended up liking it a into geology. lot,” Beeler said. “All the “When I started out going outdoor things out here "I like St. Louis a lot, to college, I wanted to be a are big. … After living in but it’s not the most lawyer, I guess,” he said. St. Louis, which I like St. exciting outdoors-wise, it Louis a lot, but it’s not the Growing up, his dad took most exciting outdoorshim and his brother out made me sort of realize wise, it made me sort of hiking and fishing. Beeler I wanted to get back said he took an intro class realize I wanted to get back somewhere you can drive somewhere you can drive to geology once he got to 10 minutes and be on an college and enjoyed it. 10 minutes and be on “The job is basically going amazing hike.” an amazing hike." Beeler is a research around and looking at cool stuff outside and learning scientist with a focus in - Scott Beeler analytical chemistry at how the world works,” he Research Scientist, South Dakota Mines
8 ELEVATE • MAY 2021
