Reno Reporter

A University of Nevada, Reno graduate student is reflecting on how her educational goals led her to join the university’s Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering.

Lauren Sankovitch, a freelance editor with 15 years of experience including six years with Marvel where she worked on “The Avengers” and “Thor,” said she is ecstatic to pursue a childhood passion, according to a Dec. 5 university news release.

"Growing up on NASA, engineering camps and fascinated with my dad's metallurgical engineering work, I had big dreams of ‘doing science’ in school,” said Sankovitch in the release. “However, I was unprepared for the reality of entering college for the first time with what I now know was undiagnosed ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). I crashed hard in my intro-level science and math courses and, with little support from my instructors in enormous survey classes, I concluded that I just wasn’t smart enough for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and majored in anthropology and theater."

Sankovitch’s most recent editorial work is centered on topics of social justice from underrepresented demographics like lesbians within the comic book sector. She also edited former Congressman and civil rights leader, John Lewis' graphic novel “Run: Book One,” which won numerous awards, the release stated.

She hopes to join her passion for science and comic books to delve into science fiction.

"While I had found part of my calling with the storytelling inherent in my publishing work, the once-frustrated scientist in me wanted another chance,” Sankovitch said. “So, I went back to school for my geology degree, gained research experience and received my post-bac in geology in June 2021. After wrapping up a yearlong National Association of Geoscience Teachers internship with the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) in Denver, Colorado, I joined the newest class of geology graduate students at the University of Nevada, Reno this past August."