Marissa A. Vara

Marissa A. Vara is a Higher Education Specialist at UCAR - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, focusing on the SOARS Undergraduate STEM program since June 2021. Previously, Marissa served as a Science Assistant at the National Science Foundation, where initiatives centered on equity and diversity in geosciences were led from April 2019 to May 2021. Marissa has also held teaching and educational roles at Uvalde High School, GeoFORCE Texas, and as a Graduate Assistant at Louisiana State University, where research in paleoclimatology was conducted. Additional experience includes project management at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and research geology at the University of Texas at Austin. Marissa holds a Master of Science in Paleoclimatology from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor's Degree in Geological and Earth Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin.