Karen Chin

Early life and education

As a college student at University of California San Diego, she worked as a nature interpreter for the National Park Service.

When Chin was in graduate school at Montana State University, studying modern grasslands, she took a job at the Museum of the Rockies. There Chin worked with Jack Horner and preparing fossils from the Two Medicine Formation for study. She began by slicing newly unearthed maiasaura bones for Horner to study with a microscope. Among the fossil were eggs and nests and unusual "blobs" that had not yet been identified. Chin asked to be the one to study these fossils and her research would confirm her hypothesis that they were coprolites.

This experience convinced Chin to study fossils.

She notes that due to her gender and racial identity, she is unusual in her field, saying:

I was an atypical student when I began my academic career in paleontology because I was female, a person of color (Black, Chinese, plus...), and older than most students entering graduate school. Yet ironically, the people that have been important mentors to me are three white men who had confidence in my abilities and offered critical guidance on my academic journey. The generous counsel of these scientists helped me succeed. In turn, I am happy to demonstrate that paleontologists can come in all colors and flavors.

After her Masters, Chin went on to receive her PhD in Geological Sciences from University of California, Santa Barbara in 1996 where she was advised by Bruce H. Tiffney.