About Us
Learn more about us and our motivation to create GeoCoaching
Our Story
Geoscience academic departments and their leaders face increasing pressure to support student and postdoctoral career readiness amid today’s evolving workforce. Despite this pressure, many gaps still exist in how individual students and researchers access career support whether through participation in professional society programs and conferences, campus career services, or short or long-term mentoring relationships. Nuanced geoscience specific non-academic career advice is not available to most students on their campuses. Additionally, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines career readiness as the foundation for a successful career trajectory, or simply as, “the new career currency” (NACE, 2026).
To close these gaps and give access to all individuals, GeoCoaching was launched with the intention of supporting geoscience academic departments by creating value for their undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and leaders. Our goal is to empower and support the career advancement for individuals by delivering actionable career advice and guidance that aligns with geoscience industry needs and an individual’s career goals to improve readiness, retention, and success. We support geoscience department leaders and faculty with specific guidance tailored to the needs of the department from workshops for their students to assessment services to analyze departmental needs and provide outcomes-based recommendations to support them.
We cannot wait to support you. We have the shared lived experiences of being employed by various sectors, have ourselves experienced career transitions, and have had non-traditional career journeys.
Our Team
Pranoti M. Asher - Owner & Primary Consultant
Pranoti is a versatile and respected geoscience professional with extensive leadership experience in non-profit management. Her intersts and passions lie at the intersection of education, outreach, DEIA, and workforce development for the geosciences. She has worked across professional societies and beyond to help stand up and support new initiatives to support geoscientists and their career advancement - from mentoring programs to equity based pathways into geoscience graduate programs. She innovated and executed programs to champion geoscience leaders at academic and research institutions. Pranoti also spent many years as a geoscience faculty member. She is driven by a commitment to helping others discover, thrive in, and lead within the geosciences by creating opportunities that make the field more welcoming, accessible, and equitable for all. She also believes that investing in people is the most effective way to strengthen the geosciences and is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations reach their full potential through mentorship, collaboration, and inclusive leadership. Pranoti received her Ph.D. in the geological sciences from the University of Connecticut and is a fellow of the Geological Society of America. When not working, Pranoti enjoys gardening, cooking, traveling, and reading mysteries.
Connect with Pranoti on LinkedIn
Collaborators
When we need additional advisors and guidance, we work with these
amazing folks to support you.
Liz Gilden - Career Consultant
Liz is an atmospheric scientist with a passion for helping geoscientists advance their careers. Liz specializes in geoscience education, outreach, and career development, with experience spanning the non-profit and government sectors. She has contributed to mentoring and career outreach programs for early career scientists and brings expertise in science communication, having developed content in weather, ocean, and climate sciences for K-12 educators. As a coach both professionally and in her personal life, Liz is driven by helping others identify their goals and build the skills and confidence to achieve them. She understands firsthand that the skills driving success in one arena — discipline, resilience, goal-setting — are the same ones that propel careers forward. Liz also has her own coaching business where she coaches athletes of all levels and spent 10 years racing competitively as a professional triathlete. She believes that professional strengths come from all facets of life, and that recognizing and applying them strategically is what sets individuals apart. Liz holds a Master of Science in Atmospheric Science from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Penn State University. Outside of work, Liz enjoys running, traveling, and exploring new foods.
Connect with Liz on LinkedIn
Olivia Ambrogio - Science Communication Consultant
As a biologist herself, Olivia recognizes both the importance of sharing science in a way that’s meaningful and the difficulty in doing so without guidance. For the past 15 years, Olivia has designed and conducted science-communication workshops and webinars and developed online resources to support scientists in building dialogue and trust with others as well as sharing information about their research to both other scientists and non-specialist audiences. She has guided scientists in developing everything from talks to graphical abstracts to promotion and planning for citizen-science programs. She has also built and supported communities of practice, providing guidance, resources, networking, and mentoring for scientists at all career and experience levels. She is committed to making it easier for specialists and non-specialists to engage together around science, its value, and its connection to everyone. Olivia has a Ph.D. in biology from Tufts University and a B.A. in biology and English from Oberlin College. In her free time she enjoys creative writing, nature journaling and photography, and convincing her 10-year-old daughter to help her make ink out of oak galls.
Connect with Olivia on LinkedIn
Heather Houlton - Assessment and Evaluation Consultant
Heather is a data scientist and assessment associate who develops and leads workforce initiatives, empowering geoscience departments to implement data-driven decisions and ensure successful outcomes. As a geoscientist and STEM education researcher of 16 years, she acts as a bridge engaging geoscience academic administrators, educators, researchers, and students to synthesize data, write reports, and drive organizational change. She employs emotional intelligence and technical aptitude in social science, survey methods, and data analysis to measure progress toward strategic goals - practiced skills that remain central to her career in higher education. She holds a Master of Science in Geoscience Education from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Astronomy/Planetary Science from University of Colorado - Boulder. Outside of work, Heather is an avid rock climber and snowboarder. She enjoys international travel, playing guitar, and cooking for friends and loved ones.
Connect with Heather on LinkedIn