Life has been anything but rocky for Southport-raised Jo Shaw, since she graduated college in 2022. Shaw spent four years at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York studying geology. She graduated with degrees in geological, environmental, and aquatic sciences. She is now a geologist working at Haley & Aldrich, a Burlington, Massachusetts firm specializing in geotechnical engineering. 

Her days are filled with monitoring drillings at job sites, analyzing soil and groundwater samples, creating health and safety reports, identifying rocks found beneath the soil, and completing project status reports. But her days as a collegian have put her into the scientific community’s spotlight. As a student, Shaw participated in a research project examining water quality in two of the nearby Finger Lakes, Owasco and Seneca, assessing harmful algal blooms. The project spent four years examining factors to see what triggers algal blooms in both lakes. The science journal “Water” recently published the research paper. 

Shaw credits the research paper as a main factor in why Haley & Aldrich hired her. “Having hands-on statistical work was fascinating,” said Shaw. “I was also able to use the knowledge from my environmental statistics course, and apply it in a real-life research project. It is very exciting to say I was able to be a part of that.”

Shaw began participating in the project in her sophomore year under the direction of Professor John Halfman. Later, the two conducted a year-long research project in the fall of her senior year. The research studied how heat, daylight, wind and other environmental factors impacted algal blooms. She described the experience of having a research paper published as “pretty crazy.”

Researchers wanted to know how each environmental factor impacted algal blooms, but Shaw’s analysis showed the biggest impact occurred when all factors worked in conjunction.

”What we thought would be the biggest contenders weren’t. Honestly, it was a combination like a warm sunny day, no wind and not a lot of water movement caused the blooms,” she said.  

Shaw has been a professional geologist for two years, but that wasn’t her original plan. In high school, her favorite classes were anatomy and physiology. As a college freshman, she planned on studying biology. Then she attended an early geology lecture and lab class. “The class was called ‘Water,’ and it was fascinating,” she said. “I quickly discovered I loved science more than biology.”

In choosing a college, she looked for a small institution with an opportunity to play field hockey. In high school, she played field hockey, softball and basketball. “I wanted an educational atmosphere similar to high school. A place where I could get to know my professors. It was also important to me that I could play field hockey,” she said.

In high school, she scored high marks on and off the field. She consistently made the honor and high honor rolls. She made the National Honor Society, and was named a Mountain Valley Conference Academic All-Star and an All-National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic Squad member. Shaw was the softball team’s Most Valuable Player in 2015. She was also named to an Honorable Mention Second-Team All-MVC team and was a Boothbay Region High School field hockey team captain.

In college, Shaw was on the dean’s list and was a Trustee Scholar all four years. She graduated cum laude as a First Generation student. She was also a Women in Geoscience Club member.

She played college field hockey for two years, but COVID-19 ended her collegiate playing days. She is now living in Brighton, Massachusetts. Shaw grew up in Southport with a year-round population of around 600 people. So, living in a suburb of Boston is quite different. “It’s a big change. I don’t’ love it or hate it, but I can say I’m accustomed to it,” she said. “In Southport, most places close at 9. Here, they stay open so late you can order food until 2 in the morning.”

Despite living 113 miles from Southport, Shaw still has a close-knit community of high school and college friends surrounding her. “It’s so great that I’ve built my own community of friends from home and college. Carter Babcock lives down the street as does Nicole LaBrecque. Jude Alamo and Hannah Winslow also live close, as do several college friends,” she said.

She still has a special place in her heart for her childhood home. “It’s hard to love something that’s not Southport and Boothbay, Maine.”

Her friends still call her “Jo,” but her work colleagues call her “JoAnna.” Shaw decided to use her given name at Haley & Aldrich. “At work, I’m JoAnna because that’s what it says on my resume.”

In her professional life, she is grateful for all the educational opportunities she had at BRHS and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. “Not everyone has an opportunity to go to college. I wanted to challenge myself and I’m glad I did,” she said. “I studied geology, played college field hockey, studied in the Bahamas and had a research paper published. Here, at Haley, I’m doing something I never thought I’d do, but I love it.”

Shaw is a 2018 BRHS graduate. She is the daughter of Amy and Robert Shaw.