Penn Junior Jack Stack Is Pursuing His Paleontological Dream

Some paleontologists travel far and wide to seek new fossils — to the desert Southwest of the United States, remote regions of China or the farthest tip of Argentina. University of Pennslyvania student Jack Stack, on the other hand, made his first paleontological discoveries much closer to home.

At home, in fact.

“My family lives on a long, gravel driveway,” says Stack, a junior at Penn who hails from Ithaca, a small town nestled in the middle of the “mitten” of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. “When I played outside as a kid, I started finding bits of invertebrates, corals and shells in the gravel that was dumped there.”

At 9 or 10 years old, it wasn’t clear that such finds would amount to more than unique show-and-tell props. But for Stack they became the spark of much more. A decade later, paleontology is Stack’s career ambition. He’s published articles and a book. He’s initiated and led several research projects. He’s given poster presentations and, unusual for an undergraduate, two talks at leading scientific conferences. And he’s an active member of the lab of Lauren Sallan, Penn’s Martin Meyerson Assistant Professor in Interdisciplinary Studies, all while balancing a full courseload.

“He is really dedicated to his path,” says Sallan. “Most undergraduates, you bring them into the lab and they don’t necessarily know what they’re interested in, and they certainly don’t lead their own projects in freshman and sophomore years. He has the direction and drive of an advanced graduate student.”

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