User:ValeriaEs1/Vicki Cowart/Bibliography

= Vicki Cowart = Vicki Cowart is an American Geophysicist who entered the industry after graduating in 1977. She worked as a state geologist for many years before becoming the CEO of the Rocky Mountains Planned Parenthood in 2003. Since 2012, she has been active on twitter advocating for accessible healthcare for women. Cowart has also been able to win awards for her work in geoscience and be a founder of the Association for Women Geoscientists. Overall, she has made notable contributions to the world of geoscience, women's activism, and Planned Parenthood.

Education and Career in Geology
Vicki Cowart got her degree, Bachelor of Science in Physics, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts (1971–1975). Right after receiving her bachelor's, Cowart went on to study at the Colorado School of Mines. Here, she got her Master's of Science for Geophysics.

After her master's degree, Cowart occupied her time in the field of geoscience for the next sixteen years. During this time, Cowart worked with corporations such as Mobil, ARCO, and Schlumberger. By 1993, she managed to become State Geologist and Director of Colorado of the Colorado Geological Survey (CGS). It was here that Cowart re-built the company's reputation. Vincent Matthews, a former employee under Cowart, advocates this saying, "She [Cowart] developed a strategic plan, developed increased and new funding sources, and built a supportive constituency of staff members, citizens, and elected officials. She worked tirelessly to educate policymakers and citizens about the importance of geosciences and the natural resources industries to the people of Colorado."

Cowarts contributions in the geoscience world have given her positions like President/Treasurer/Honorary Member of Association of America State Geologists (AASG) and appointed as Colorado Governor for Colorado School of Mines. She also took the initiative to found the Association for Women Geoscientists in the heavily men-run field.

In 2010, Cowart had received the American Geological Institute Medal in hounor of Ian Campbell award for her tenure in the industry of Geoscience. Although she left her undertakings of geoscience in 2003, by not working at CGS, she continues being an active figure by pursuing Planned Parenthood.

Advocacy for Women
Along with her career in geoscience, Vicki Cowart also has an extensive career in politics and feminism. She was the CEO of the non-profit organization Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM) and worked with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). Since 2003 she has worked with the PPRM to support low-income patients and provide high-quality sex education and contraceptives. Cowart is also the Co-Chair of the PPFA Ballot Initiatives Council. This council provides funding and expertise that try to halt ballot initiatives, which aim to take away the reproductive rights of women. Cowart's role as a Co-Chair has helped to dismantle three anti-abortion Personhood Ballot initiatives. Cowart remains a large contributor in the Planned Parenthood community and a feminist leader.

Scientific Findings
In 1978, Cowart published a dissertation on Clinker magnetism. In this dissertation, Cowart used the Mössbauer spectroscopy technique to study the rocks in the clinker zone. Mössbauer spectroscopy is a useful technique as it allows for the study of the properties of the rock. The Mössbauer spectroscopy uses 57Fe isotope for its measurements. The clinker zone was in Lake de Smet, Wyoming and 33 rock samples were tested. Cowarts results found that magnetic material such as hematite and magnetite contained around 75% of the iron found in the rocks. In November of 1993, Cowart published a paper on new technology applications for underground gas storage. This study was used to understand the applications used in the oil and gas field. This paper studied the benefits of doing horizontal drilling and transporting the products to underground gas storage. Also, this paper dives into the expansion of these underground gas storages to urban and suburban areas. An example of what the paper was looking into is Maximum Reservoir Drawdown. What this technology does is determine the maximum flow that can be taken from a well. With this technology, there would be no need for water coning when extracting natural gas.