Meet Dr. Dori Contreras

VISIT DALLAS: What sparked your initial interest in paleobotany, and how did it evolve into your current role at the Perot Museum?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: My career path was a little unusual, as before getting into science I was working full-time in other fields, including the car industry, then finance, and property management. I was slowly taking night and distance learning courses at Austin Community College working towards a likely art major. However, I became enthralled by biology and ecology from a non-major course focused on David Attenborough’s 1979 BBC series Life on Earth, and the later 1984 series The Living Planet. These courses got me hooked and I immediately switched to a science major and eventually enrolled at Texas State University. I already had an affinity for plants from spending a lot of time outside and in forests as a kid, but Paleontology surprised me. I took a plant course taught by a paleobotanist that got me fascinated with how plants and their environments changed through time. I wanted to understand that history and how it shaped the world we see today. I started getting research experience as an undergrad, then went to UC-Berkeley for my PhD in Integrative Biology studying a Cretaceous (that’s dinosaur-aged) flora of the southwest. Afterwards, I was fortunate to land back in Texas when The Perot Museum was looking for a paleobotanist within my area of specialty.

VISIT DALLAS: Can you share some of the biggest challenges you faced starting out in your career?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: Some of the biggest challenges have come throughout the educational route. First, the journey is long and requires intense study and dedication, as well as learning how to navigate academia and compete for limited opportunities. Second, becoming a scientist means getting involved in new research and figuring out how to approach the unknown – that presents a whole host of challenges!

VISIT DALLAS: Can you describe the most fascinating fossil plant discovery you’ve been a part of and its significance?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: Sometimes I think the most fascinating discovery feels like whatever new thing I am working on! That’s the fun thing about science, new information is exciting. But, the project I am most fond of was one in which my colleagues and I reconstructed a fossil flora from south-central New Mexico, which today is in the Chihuahuan desert. I spent nearly 10 years digging up and describing plant fossils of a really diverse lush tropical forest with palms, extinct redwoods, and other broad-leaved trees that existed 76 million years ago. The fossil forest is significant because it captures a time when flowering plants were taking over the landscape, transforming forests into their more modern-day form. This flora in particular shows us some important steps of that transformation in tropical climates.

VISIT DALLAS: What would you say was your breakthrough moment or turning point in your career?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: For me a real breakthrough in my early career path was an opportunity that I had as an undergraduate through the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program. I spent 8 weeks doing a research project on tropical tree ecology at a research station in the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. It was an immersive learning environment surrounded by scientists working on all types of things. That experience taught me how to do novel science from start to finish while supported by mentors. It also gave me the experience necessary and the determination to move forward and pursue graduate studies to become a scientist.

VISIT DALLAS: Who were your biggest supporters or mentors along the way?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I have been fortunate to have a lot of great mentors. My undergraduate research advisor Dr. Gary Upchurch and graduate advisor Dr. Cindy Looy have of course been really influential, but also all of my colleagues in those labs and many other students and scientists that I have worked with along the way. I’ve met really inspirational, collaborative, good people and that broader community makes such a difference. My biggest supporters personally have been my husband and family.

VISIT DALLAS: In your journey as a paleontologist, what are some of the most memorable or unexpected experiences you've had in the field?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: One of the most memorable experiences was standing on the top of a hill with a talented field geologist as we looked over a wide expanse of desert landscape. We were talking about the rock outcrops laid out in front of us, and he was interpreting and visualizing the ancient landscape – floodplains with meandering rivers - that was recorded in the rocks that were deposited many millions of years ago. I realized that he was looking at two worlds at one time, the present landscape and the distant past, superimposed. That moment really opened my mind to what the rock record holds, and what you can unlock by learning to read it.

You interact with plants and wildlife while doing fieldwork, and that can result in some less-than-favorable encounters. Cactus is a common culprit of unpleasantness. But especially memorable was a time in the desert when I had been working to pry a large block of fossil-bearing rock off a wall, and after it finally came off and I watched it tumble down the slope, I heard a rattle and turned to discover that a giant rattlesnake had been living in the crack behind that block and now it was coiled up less than 2 feet away, reared up and angry! I jumped back pretty quickly and managed to escape harm and eventually, it slithered away. We were extra careful at that site after that encounter.

VISIT DALLAS: Could you describe a typical day and what excites you about it?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: One of the greatest things about my job is that there isn’t exactly a typical day, although there are a range of things that I might be doing. Overall my job is split between research, lab management and curation of our fossil specimens, and working with the museum’s education and outreach. One thing that is constant is that I am always trying to learn, discover, or communicate something new. Common activities include studying and describing fossils in the lab, collecting fossils in the field, working on data and analysis in my office, writing manuscripts or reports and proposals, having meetings with my colleagues on many collaborative projects, and working with volunteers and our lab and collections staff to prepare and care for our fossil holdings.

VISIT DALLAS: How do you bring the Dallas brand’s “maverick, can-do spirit” into your daily work?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: Along with the rest of the science team at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, we are constantly tackling challenges, whether intellectual or logistical, or even things like inventing techniques and processes to extract information from fossils or preserve them. You really have to bring a “can-do” spirit to this kind of work – the scope can be so large and with so many unknowns, and you have to just tackle it.

VISIT DALLAS: Are there any upcoming trends in your field that you're particularly excited about?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: Yes, so many! One big trend for science broadly is a move towards “open science” and better sharing of data and findings. For folks like myself that work with specimen collections, this is particularly exciting because better accessibility to specimen data and better data interoperability across research groups and institutions means that we can build larger datasets and more effectively collaborate to achieve bigger aims. By necessity paleontologists work different sites and have super specific sub-specialties, and over time our datasets have grown and technology and techniques have become more sophisticated. Now we are growing our data infrastructure to put different types of data together and ask big questions about ecology and biology and environments through time. It’s exciting that the trend is collaboration towards those goals.

VISIT DALLAS: How do you balance the challenges of leading paleo prep labs and working on new fossil discoveries?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: The two go hand in hand since prepping fossils is a critical part of the fossil discovery process. We have a fabulously talented team of fossil preparators who work to prepare fossils so that we can glean the maximum information from them as possible. They also work to stabilize and conserve them so that we can care for them for future generations.

VISIT DALLAS: What were the challenges and rewards of collaborating with an international network to advance paleobotanical research?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: The challenge of working with large groups of colleagues from around the globe is that everyone is busy, and there are a lot of time zones involved. It can be like herding cats. But the reward is working with some really talented and passionate folks that are dedicated to building research infrastructure and that will lead to advancements in paleobotany research and learning.

VISIT DALLAS: How do you make complex scientific concepts about past ecosystems accessible and engaging for museum visitors, especially young audiences?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I think the key is to turn the science into stories. It’s important to focus on teaching a few key interesting points, and not to get bogged down trying to teach all the details of everything that is known about a topic. Good visuals help a lot too!

VISIT DALLAS: What are some of the key projects or initiatives you’re currently working on?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: We’ve got a full slate of exciting projects that we are actively working on right now. Most of them revolve around uncovering the fossil history of our region, which happens to largely be from the age of dinosaurs. I’m working several plant fossil sites around here and the southwest to understand what past vegetation was like and how that has led to our modern environments. From right under our feet in the DFW metroplex and surrounding areas, our team is also digging up giant marine reptiles that lived in a seaway that covered this region at times, as well as the dinosaurs and other animals that lived along and near the ancient shoreline. Our team and collaborators are working to piece together the ecosystems of the past.

VISIT DALLAS: What role do you believe museums like the Perot play in inspiring the next generation of scientists?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: Museums play a huge role. They are the places that pull together the information discovered by all sorts of scientific fields, weaving that information together to tell the stories of our world and beyond in engaging ways. These are stories of discovery, of the people and methods that contribute to them. Museums are places that really spark curiosity and interest.

VISIT DALLAS: What are some of the common misconceptions about women in the STEM industries?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: A common misconception is that we are not here! It varies so much across different disciplines. In biology, women now make up more than half of the undergraduate majors and something like 53% at the doctorate level. Geology is less, however. We don’t see those numbers yet in permanent positions and senior positions, although that is changing. There is a problem of attrition later in the career pipeline.

Another common misconception revolves around fieldwork and manual labor aspects of paleo or geology and biology. Women scientists are out doing really cool and challenging fieldwork, sometimes in really remote places, and excelling! I would add for people that aren’t a fan of fieldwork or long travel, that it’s not necessary to do extreme fieldwork as a paleontologist – there are a lot of different questions to ask and different techniques and analyses and many don’t involve new collections at all. We have museums full of specimens that still need to be studied, or looked at in new ways with new technologies.

VISIT DALLAS: As an advocate for women in STEM, what changes would you like to see to ensure more women enter and thrive in paleontology?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I think seeing more women represented in these careers is always helpful. But importantly, supporting this career field and jobs in general, whether academic or at museums is critical. To make sure women thrive once in their careers, having adequate funding for research makes a big difference, as well as having a reasonable work-life balance.

VISIT DALLAS: Can you describe a time you faced gender-based challenges and how you overcame them?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I have been fortunate to work with very supportive people who didn’t question my capabilities based on my gender. However, I have heard stories from colleagues, so I know my experience isn’t necessarily broadly representative. The biggest challenge I faced, especially as a non-traditional student, was that the age at which I needed to start a family was during one of the more intensive stages of an early career. I had my first kid while I was finishing my Ph.D., and from the pregnancy to early child-rearing and nursing, it was incredibly difficult while working non-stop on research and teaching and traveling for conferences and museums and fieldwork. I was lucky that my primary advisor was fully supportive, and even went to bat to get the university to add a nursing room in the building.

VISIT DALLAS: How do you hope your career path will inspire other women looking to break into the STEM fields?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I mean, the simple answer is, being in STEM. But more than anything I think my career path is really non-traditional. I would like to think that that might inspire people from all different walks of life to know that they can always follow something, even if it wasn't what they originally thought they would be doing when they were younger. You can change your path, and you can take new opportunities, and you can go and do it if you dedicate yourself to it. It's never too late.

VISIT DALLAS: In your opinion, what changes need to happen to break down stigma for women in STEM industries?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I think some of that's already changing with upcoming generations. As time goes on we keep seeing more and more women in STEM fields. We're starting to see women attaining these more senior positions and climbing the ladder. That, over time, will help break down a lot of that stigma. We're already seeing it in museums. We're seeing women hold these amazing positions and going out and doing awesome things. There are women going off leading awesome expeditions and people are seeing that. I think those barriers are being broken down now and it's good to see.

VISIT DALLAS: What advice would you give to aspiring paleontologists, particularly women, who are eager to break into the field?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I'd say two things because I often get asked the question, "How do you get into this field"? And there are not really many paleontology programs. Your degree is usually in biology or geology, and you can go either route. They lean towards looking at the science in different ways. So my advice is to definitely get an undergraduate degree in geology or biology, and really lean into your studies. Ideally, you'll want to seek out institutions that have a good biology or geology degree and that will give you access to professors that are paleontologists that study the kinds of things that you're interested in.

I think one of the really important things is to just get as many experiences as you can early on. Reach out and seek people in the profession to talk to. Find out if there are opportunities to get some volunteer experience, to job shadow, or to do something where you can get a realistic view. Find out what is it really like to do these jobs and to understand what the careers within this field are. You only get that from putting yourself in those spaces.

I think another big thing is to learn what you don't like doing and what you don't want to do. The educational path to becoming any scientist is very long. So if you can get some early experience finding out what a job is really like, you could save yourself a lot of time. For example, if you don't like doing fossil hunts or writing manuscripts. As a scientist, I spend a lot of my time writing and editing. Ultimately, you have to figure out what are the things that you like about a job and what works for you.

VISIT DALLAS: How has being based in Dallas influenced your career or the opportunities available to you?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I came to Dallas for this career. Although I grew up in Texas and did my Ph.D. elsewhere, the fact that Dallas has this thriving city that built an amazing museum, that then expanded its paleontology program and chose to hire a paleobotanist in order to study the whole ecosystem. That's what brought me here. Because of the particular job focus for the role, it meshed exactly with what I was looking for and I was excited to get back to Texas, where I grew up and where my family is. Dallas is an expanding city and a place where the people of the city support our museum and want it to grow and thrive.

VISIT DALLAS: Can you share how Dallas supports the advancement and empowerment of women?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I've thought a lot about this. My personal experiences are in the museum environment and with folks that I interface with as a part of the museum, but through those I have worked with a lot of amazing women in leadership roles in all sorts of different jobs, not just science. Really inspiring people that I have learned a lot from already, just in the time I've been here. Dallas is fostering an environment where women are doing a lot of amazing things. I mean, we're sitting here doing interview about women in STEM! Just seeing these kinds of things promoted by Dallas is amazing.

VISIT DALLAS: How do you see the “maverick, can-do spirit” of Dallas reflected in the scientific endeavors at the Perot Museum?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: Opportunities don't just fall into our lap, right? We have to go out and get them. We have to talk to people. We don't just have national park land that we could just go next door and find our fossils in these well-known deposits. We have to reach out and make things happen. We have a great community that alerts us to fossils. It's being able to not only make things happen, but Paleontology is a field where if you find an opportunity, then you run with it. We have to look at these opportunities and think, "What can we do with this? What does this tell us? What do we find out about this? How do we get it?" Logistics can be hard for excavations. For example, tomorrow our job is to try to pull a 1,000-pound block of rock and fossils out of a hole. These are the kind of things that are the definition of "can-do." You just have to make it happen.

VISIT DALLAS: When you’re not working, where in Dallas do you find inspiration and relaxation?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: I have young children and we spend a lot of our free time at the many parks and natural areas woven throughout the Dallas area. We span several unique ecoregions, so there are a lot of different types of parks to visit.

VISIT DALLAS: As someone who embodies the vibrant spirit of Dallas, what are your top three must-visit places for a first-time visitor looking to experience the city’s unique culture?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: The Perot Museum of Nature and Science of course! Dallas has fabulous museums, not just for science but also for art and history. For the unique Dallas culture, I would say that Deep Ellum and the Bishops Arts District are also great.

VISIT DALLAS: How do you see Dallas as a city that nurtures creativity and ambition, and what local events or experiences would you suggest to someone wanting to tap into that energy?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: Dallas is such a thriving metroplex with so many people doing really interesting things. We have big art and theater scenes, as well as scientific institutions and major businesses across the STEM fields. There are events and clubs that tap into just about anything you could look for.

VISIT DALLAS: For someone visiting the Perot Museum, what exhibits or features would you recommend to spark interest in paleontology and inspire a sense of wonder?

DR. DORI CONTRERAS: Definitely the Life Then and Now hall on the 4th floor where our paleontological exhibits are concentrated. We also have an active fossil lab in that hall where you can watch our professional preparators and volunteers working on the fossils that we are doing science with right now!

Otherwise, we also have fossils and geology stories and exhibits woven throughout the rest of the museum. It’s really nicely done, if you haven’t visited then you definitely should!