Earth Data Employees Pass Association of State Boards of Geology Exam

Two employees of Earth Data, Inc., Ben Gemballa, Project Geologist, and Kayla Warhola, Geologist, both of Chestertown recently passed the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG®) Fundamentals of Geology Examination. The examination is the first step for a person seeking to become a Licensed Professional Geologist. Employees must work five years in the field before taking the Professional Geologist Exam.

Pictured left to right are Kayla Warhola, Geologist, and Ben Gemballa, Project Geologist, and both of Chestertown and employees of Earth Data, Inc. The two recently passed the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG®) Fundamentals of Geology Examination.

According to ASBOG, much of today’s geological practice affects the health, safety, and welfare of the public, the environment, and the economy and the feasibility of engineered works. Geologists make use of their special knowledge for the benefit of the public: from the obvious, e.g., exploration and development of mineral resources plus the development of water resources, to the less obvious, e.g., evaluating the stability of foundations for buildings, dams, bridges, and roadways, plus many others.

Gemballa completed his Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and his Master of Science in Geophysics at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. His work at Earth Data has involved drilling and sampling monitoring wells, overseeing pumping tests in high-capacity groundwater production wells, and performing borehole video surveys and specialized geophysical logging on a variety of Earth Data projects. He has also provided construction administration and construction inspection work on Earth Data’s SWIFT® project in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Warhola completed her Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the California University of Pennsylvania in California, Pennsylvania. Her work has primarily involved collecting and analyzing surface and groundwater samples on some large, ongoing projects and providing detailed sediment descriptions from deep drilling projects. Ms. Warhola also utilizes her previous construction inspection experience on various projects and is currently training to learn to operate Earth Data’s geophysical logging equipment.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of these two employees who have been with us a little over a year and their initiative to further their professional certifications. Having licensed professional geologists is not only a standard for the industry but a standard for our company as well,” states Mark Williams, President of Earth Data, Inc.