Kusali Gamage

Disclaimer

This transcript is based on a video-recorded interview deposited at MarE3, JAMSTEC (Yokosuka, Japan).

The transcripts of the research project Oral Histories of Scientific Ocean Drilling are polished representations of oral conversations, and are intended solely for the purpose of preserving and documenting personal accounts and memories. They are not a literary product, and are not intended to exhibit literary qualities.

The primary goal of this transcript is to capture the spoken words and memories of the interviewee as accurately as possible. Minor editing and polishing works have been performed to enhance clarity and readability while maintaining the authenticity of spoken discourse, including non-standard grammar, inconsistencies, repetitions, and pauses.

The reader must be aware that memories of an event can vary between individuals and may evolve over time due to various factors, such as subsequent experiences, interactions with others, and personal emotions.

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Please cite the interview as:

Interview of Kusali Gamage by Beatriz Martinez-Rius on 2025 December 18, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (New Orleans, USA). [link]

Beatriz Martinez-Rius (BMR): Today is December 18th of 2025. I am Beatriz Martinez-Rius, historian of science at JAMSTEC, and I am at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center of New Orleans, during AGU 2025, with Kusali Gamage. Thank you so much.

Kusali Gamage (KG): Thank you for having me, Beatriz.

BMR: First of all, can you please introduce yourself by saying name, affiliation and current position?

KG: My name is Kusali Gamage, and I am currently an adjunct professor at the Austin Community College in Austin, Texas. I am a Professor in Geology.

BMR: Can you give me a broad overview of what has been your relationship to the scientific ocean drilling?

KG: From my PhD, all of my research was focused on IODP samples, primarily from seismogenic zones in different parts of the world. However, after I graduated, my first job was also at IODP as a staff scientist. That’s how I’m related to IODP.

BMR: Let me start by asking about your background. Where are you from?

KG: I was born and raised in Sri Lanka, so far away from here. I was studying biology in high school, and thought that I would go in more of a medicine direction. But while I was in high school, I was introduced very briefly to geology through Earth resources in a chemistry class, and I was very excited about it. I got very curious, so I started finding things on my own. That’s how I got interested in geology. Then, I applied to come to the US to study geology. That’s how I got into geology. I was not doing anything related to ocean drilling until I got into my PhD.

For my Master’s degree I was studying paleontology, micropaleontology, and then I found my PhD advisor at University of Florida, Liz Screaton. She was doing research in hydrogeology in subduction zones through ocean drilling.  I was very interested in hydrogeology, but at that time I had no clue what Ocean Drilling Program was. She accepted me to her program, and I was her first PhD student. That’s how I got into ocean drilling, almost by accident.

BMR: Can I ask you a bit before that, were your parents related to science or engineering?

KG: No, both my parents did not have a background in sciences. My mom was a housewife, and my dad was a businessman. There was no relationship to science. However, my uncle was a professor in engineering, and he inspired me to go in the science direction.

BMR: How common was for a woman to get into a science career in Sri Lanka? And I’m asking because I have no clue of how is it in Sri Lanka.

KG: That’s an interesting question. I never thought about it, but I think several decades ago, like my mom’s generation, even when women go into higher education there’s a good chance they end up being a housewife. Because culturally women are homemakers and family always comes first. But I think nowadays it’s very different. There’s a lot of support for women to be in the sciences or any other field, for that matter. Even when I was in Sri Lanka, women went into higher education and I didn’t encounter any obstacles.

BMR: Can you tell me more about the people who was influential in your career? You mention your PhD advisor, but you can talk about any other mentor or colleague.

KG: The reason I got interested in science – I remember in sixth grade in Sri Lanka, I had a science teacher. She was the first science teacher in middle school who really changed the way I thought about science. And it was because of her that I thought about becoming a scientist. She was an excellent science teacher, that you understand almost everything she said, and she related science to your everyday life. I remember one of the things that has really stayed with me. One day she told us, speaking to the students, “As your parents are getting older, you, as their children, need to ask them what medications they take, make sure they take them on time, and understand what those medications are.” We were only about 12 years old. She was telling us to take responsibility and, at the same time, to understand science.

That really resonated with me and has stayed with me throughout my life. It showed me that science isn’t just about presenting at conferences or doing high-end research; it’s science in everyday life. So, yeah, she was a wonderful teacher to have in anyone’s life.

BMR: Can you tell me more about this first contact with scientific ocean drilling? How was it? You mentioned working with samples.

KG: My first encounter with ODP data and samples was through my advisor. Most of what I worked with came from the Ocean Drilling Program, and I also used DSDP data. The core samples were collected during expeditions that my advisor participated in. I did not sail as a PhD student, so my work was primarily shore-based.

BMR: And what was your first experience offshore, on the JOIDES Resolution?

KG: I sailed on the transit, after the ship was refurbished. I believe it was in 2007. During the shakedown, we sailed from Singapore to Hawaii. It was a long transit; there was a stop in Guam… I had no idea how I was going to feel. People had told me about seasickness but I had never experienced it. I was totally fine at the beginning, and then I got really seasick. But the moment we got to Guam, I felt so good all of a sudden. The rest of  the transit was fine, because I knew how to manage it.  But that was definitely a memorable experience from my sailing days (laughs).

One thing I really liked was how you became a family with the people onboard. You sail for two months and really bond with everyone. I enjoyed that a lot. I also liked being away from land, with everything else happening onshore, and not having to use money or drive. Those were all things I looked forward to every time I sailed. It felt like keeping everyday life at a distance and going on a retreat, it was truly a retreat for me.

BMR: What was your position onboard, during that transit?

KG: I served as a staff scientist. We tested all the new equipment installed on the ship and made sure that all the scientific instruments were working as intended before the first cruise following the shakedown cruise.

BMR: At what point did you apply for being a staff scientist? And why did you wanted to become a staff scientist? You had no previous experience onboard.

KG: It’s very strange that I even got this job because I had never sailed before. I just saw the opening for a staff scientist and I knew it was a long shot because I had never sailed. So, when I applied, I didn’t know what would happen. Somehow I made it to the final list and got the job. It was one of those lucky moments. Once I was at IODP, I was determined to try it out and do my best.

BMR: How many expeditions have you sailed on?

KG: I was on the transit shake-down cruise, EXP 321 and 321T.

BMR: What kind of things did you learn on board that you think were important for your future career? And this can be in any direction you’d like to talk about.

KG: Initially, I was trying to learn all the acronyms. IODP has so many acronyms. I think only after I left IODP, I kind of started to understand some of those acronyms (laughs). So, yeah, I learned the acronyms; then I learned the structure of the organization-how they operate, because there’s so many officers, and people, and committees… I got exposed to almost of those things in the first six months or so.

Once I started working with the science party on my expeditions, I realized scientists came from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, so I became very sensitive to their needs. Some of the scientists were very senior, which meant I had to understand their perspectives and adapt how I communicated, whether in emails or in conversation. The people-management aspect was probably the most important thing I learned at the time. I didn’t realize back then how much I would rely on that experience, but many years later, it remains a key skill that supports my current career.

BMR: What was your job about? Both, on land and at sea, as staff scientist.

KG: As a staff scientist, our work begins many months before the expedition, the pre-expedition activities require a lot of planning. So, you do project planning on shore you’re your science party, operation engineers, technical staff, curator and publications etc. You have to be super-organized and I really like that type of work. And then, once you’re on board, you have to make sure that all the activities go according to the plan.

You have to be a good communicator and also understand, on a human level, what people are going through. Not everyone is in a good mood all the time. Especially on board, people can get tired after a while, so you need to be sensitive to those situations. Sometimes, you also have to handle conflict resolution, for example, when multiple people want the same samples, you have to navigate that fairly.

Once you’re back on land, you organize the sampling parties, work with the scientists, and compile the expedition proceedings. That work continues for a couple of years, as more science and data come in and the proceedings need to be finalized. So, each expedition is really a long-term effort, pre-expedition planning, the expedition itself, and post-expedition follow-up, spanning four or five years from start to finish.

BMR: It’s sounds like what for Chikyu is the Expedition Project Manager (EPM).

KG: Yes, it is exactly the same title. “Staff Scientist” and “Expedition Project Manager” were used interchangeably. During IODP, we were mostly called Staff Scientists, but I know that sometimes we were also referred to as Expedition Project Managers.

BMR: Did you get to do any actual science onboard?

KG: Yes. I studied the hydrogeology properties of sediments received from EXP 321.

BMR: And why did you stop being staff scientist? Was there any challenge for you, to continue in that position?

KG: I absolutely enjoyed being a staff scientist, but I also knew that it was not a long-term job for me because of the sailing portion of it. There was a requirement that you must sail, once per year. Which is great, but I was expecting my first child, so that’s when I decided to quit – though I have to tell that my immediate supervisor Adam Klaus was very supportive and encouraging for me to continue at IODP.  Although I left IODP, I’ve stayed connected with them because they were like a family to me. They were a very supportive group, and I continue to collaborate with them in other ways.

BMR: Can you tell me more about what kind of relationship is established between staff scientists?

KG: In IODP?

BMR: Well, I understand that you were in Texas A&M and there were several staff scientists working there. So, were you more than one on board, did you always work with the same people…?

KG: On one expedition, a single staff scientist sails with the 28 scientists in the science party. Other times, you work alongside the rest of the staff scientists. When I was there, I was the only female staff scientist, but everyone around me was amazing. I absolutely enjoyed working with that group.

BMR: What has been your relationship with scientific ocean drilling after you quit being staff scientist?

KG: After I left IODP, I joined Austin Community College, thinking it might be a transition job. I hoped that once my kids were grown, I could get back to IODP research, but that never happened – that’s another story.

Even so, I maintained my connection with IODP. Teaching at a community college made me realize that we did all this incredible work on the ship, offshore, but my students at the community college had no idea. I’d ask them, “Do you know what NASA is?” and they’d all know. Then I’d ask, “Do you know what IODP is?” and they had no clue. One of our textbooks had pictures of the JOIDES Resolution, and I’d tell them, “I sailed on this research vessel,” which got them excited.

One day, I thought, “It’s not right that students don’t know about this.” So, I called Katherina Petronotis—who became a staff scientist after I left—and asked if we could do a video call with the ship. She arranged it, and we had a virtual session with my class. At the time, these kinds of calls weren’t very common or organized, but my students loved it. One of them said, “We weren’t really excited at first, but seeing the scientists working on the ship completely changed how we thought about a research vessel.”

That experience inspired me to write my first education proposal to the National Science Foundation. It took eight months to complete because I had never written an education proposal before, but it was funded. Since then, I’ve submitted multiple NSF proposals—some focused specifically on ocean drilling, others on broader undergraduate research—but all aimed at promoting undergraduate research at the community college level.

BMR: That’s great. You took a different role, actually, in training the next generation.

KG: Yes, absolutely. I wanted to share my experience with others. In fact, with the first group of students we worked with through National Science Foundation funding, we had 12 students each year for the first two years. Out of the 24 students, one ended up pursuing a PhD in ocean drilling and just graduated last year from the Jackson School of Geosciences. It was amazing. Many others went on to become geologists, but this particular student was drawn to ocean drilling. We were thrilled, and she has already sailed and is now an active member of the ocean drilling community.

BMR: Yes, once you get involved, you are within the community.

KG: Absolutely. She even talked to me about coming back to the community college to do the same work. It’s like a domino effect. It takes time to see the outcomes, but given enough time, it can make a real, positive difference.

BMR: It’s how it works, is a feedback look where you need early career researchers. I was wondering, have you tried to connect Sri Lanka with IODP?

KG: Great question. Last year, I was in Sri Lanka as a Fulbright Scholar. My Fulbright proposal was focused on promoting ocean drilling to Sri Lankan students. Even though Sri Lanka is an island, they weren’t connected to the ocean drilling program. I had the opportunity to teach there, and the most interesting part was that the very last expedition on the JOIDES Resolution was happening at the same time, with Kristen St Jones as one of the co-chief scientists. I arranged a video conference between that expedition and the students in Sri Lanka, and it felt like coming full circle.

That was the only time they had been exposed to the ocean drilling program at that level, and it was fascinating to see their excitement. I wish I could have brought samples or done more hands-on activities, but logistical challenges made that impossible.

BMR: Do you think it’s possible to attract a country like Sri Lanka to get involved in the ocean drilling program? And I know now it’s a complicated period, where the US has this sort of transition office [SODCO] and IODP continues as IODP³ with ECORD and Japan, but even in the future.

KG: I think absolutely, they would be interested if you highlight the advantages and facilities. Sri Lanka is an island, surrounded by water, and there’s growing interest in ocean sciences. They recently established a university dedicated to ocean sciences, which didn’t exist when I was there, and there are now more career opportunities in the field.

When I wrote my Fulbright proposal, I had hoped to talk to them about ocean drilling and the possibility of joining IODP as a member. By the time I actually arrived in Sri Lanka, the program was sunsetting, so I didn’t get a chance to have that conversation. But I clearly remember including it in my proposal as a goal, to introduce them to ocean drilling.

BMR: It’s interesting that you mention that you didn’t get to talk to them, because it shows how important it is to have that consistency. Within the program, gave or pitch something that not only has a legacy, but it also has a long continuation forward. So, this period of uncertainty is not only detrimental for the scientists, but also for the future of the program.

KG: The gaps are really difficult to recover because people move on to other things, and once they commit elsewhere, bringing them back is challenging. We’re also losing expertise as scientists age and retire, so knowledge transfer has to happen continuously—but that isn’t guaranteed right now.

Even though legacy samples exist and researchers can work with them, the excitement of collecting new data is gone. At some point, you hit a brick wall. There’s only so much you can do with legacy data, and the thrill of sailing, the “icing on the cake” is missing. Now it’s just, “We have the data, we have all these cores and samples,” but some of the excitement is lost.

A good example is the U.S. mining industry. Mining largely stopped in the 1950s, and now, with demand for critical minerals, there’s a shortage of skilled people. Many of the mining engineers and geologists from that era are retiring, and the U.S. has to train new personnel, sometimes even relying on expertise from other countries.

I see a similar risk in ocean sciences. If we don’t act quickly to address knowledge transfer and skill development, in a few decades we could lose a significant portion of that talent.

MR: Now that you are more focused on education, what are the main challenges you face when you try to communicate or pitch students about scientific ocean drilling?

KG: I guess the biggest challenge is that community college students are a little different compared to those at four-year institutions. Many of our students are the first in their families to attend college. A lot are working full-time or part-time, and many have children, so they have numerous obligations—family, work, and more.

Because of this, it can be difficult to convince students to pursue ocean sciences or work with a program like IODP. They often don’t see a clear connection to a career in the field. Many of our students do not want to be in academia. They want to earn an associate degree and enter the workforce. Some plan to continue to a four-year degree and then start a career, but very few are aiming for a Master’s or PhD. As I mentioned earlier  in one of our NSF-funded undergraduate research programs, only one out of 24 students ended up pursuing ocean drilling.

If there were a clear career path—showing students, “Here is what you can do and the jobs available”—it would be much easier to sustain and recruit students into ocean drilling, or really into any field.

BMR: Actually, this makes me think that ocean drilling works not only because of scientists. There are many other professions and work opportunities related to scientific ocean drilling – I’m thinking on the ship crew, but there are also others on land that are non-academic jobs.

KG: In my mind, IODP has always been portrayed as high-end academic research, which makes it hard for students to see career paths outside of academia. Looking back as an outsider, I think that perception has contributed to some of the challenges the program faces today.

I remember bringing my students to the Gulf Coast Repository at College Station. Our students met with engineers, publication experts, technical staff, and curators and learned about all the different jobs withing IODP. Students got excited because they realized you don’t have to be a scientist to work in this area, but having a science background is important.

Now that I’m thinking more broadly I realize most people in IODP are somehow connected to academia, and lacking connections to industry, technological innovation etc. The program wasn’t expanding in these directions, and I think that limited perspective may have contributed to why it wasn’t funded to continue.

BMR: Yes, it’s an interesting period where many people are thinking how to move forward, and at the same time how to sell the program.

KG: Exactly. We did excellent science with IODP, and we’re still doing this very high-end research. I think we should continue that. But we also should expand to other areas.

BMR: Yes. So, what’s the most valuable you take from your experience in scientific discovery? The most important for you – your personal life, career… Anything you can think about.

KG: I think what made IODP special for me was the people. It was my first job working in ocean drilling, and the connections I made there were invaluable. At the end of the day, if you don’t enjoy the people you work with, it’s hard to stay. But I was very lucky, this was a wonderful group of people. I’m still deeply connected with them. That’s why  I always attend the town halls at AGU, I just want to see the people.

I left IODP in 2010, but my connection has never faded. When I visit College Station, I always stop by to see them. For years, I took my students to the Gulf Coast Repository for field trips until Covid. I hope we can start those again.

BMR: And is there anything you want to talk about that has not come up?

KG: Yes, one thing I’d like to mention. I’m currently working on a project completely different from ocean drilling, but the skills I learned from ocean drilling have trained me well for this work.

Last year, I was in Sri Lanka on a Fulbright scholarship teaching oceanography and talking about ocean drilling. During that time, I had informal conversations with faculty at the university where I was teaching and researching. They were very interested in Earth resources, particularly graphite, which has been mined in Sri Lanka for over a century. This graphite is extremely pure, around 97–99 percent, and is used in EV batteries, military-grade storage applications, and other high-end technologies. They were eager for research collaborations, industry partnerships, and entrepreneurship opportunities, but they had no existing connections with the U.S.

When I returned to the U.S., I spoke with the National Science Foundation about potential collaborations. Because nothing existed yet, they suggested organizing a workshop to bring U.S. scientists working on critical minerals to Sri Lanka. I had to find participants myself, including people from USGS and other U.S. mining institutions, and together we wrote a proposal—which got funded. Next year, I’ll return to Sri Lanka for the USA-Sri Lanka Graphite Summit.

The interesting part is that when I told NSF I would coordinate the group but didn’t have expertise in critical minerals, they said I had to take the lead because I knew the people in both countries and understood the project. I couldn’t say no. Now I’m applying everything I learned from ocean drilling to this project. I’m coordinating across the supply chain—industry, mining in Sri Lanka and the U.S., processing, business groups, and scientists. It was overwhelming at first, but then I realized my ocean drilling experience had prepared me for this kind of management across many different entities. Even though I’m no longer working in ocean drilling, the experience continues to shape my work, and I’m very thankful for that opportunity.

BMR: It’s great to hear. I like it because it shows the impact that this can have in someone’s career. In your case, it was at a very early stage of your career, but it has an impact even years later.

KG: Yes, years later, in many different ways. I’m probably not a traditional scientist who went through ocean drilling and followed a single path. I’ve done many different things, but it’s all connected through the skills I learned. It’s not about ocean drilling or critical minerals; it’s about the skills you gain that can be applied anywhere. I often tell my students the same thing. Sometimes you get so focused on one aspect of science or your work, but it’s really the skills you develop through your experiences that carry you forward in your career.

BMR: I agree, I also feel like that.

KG: And ultimately, it’s important that people recognize your work. Ocean drilling was a place where your work mattered. Every time I went on an expedition, the science party became like family. Every place you go, you expand that family. I had very little experience with sailing, but even so, I got to know so many people. It’s wonderful when people remember you, recognize your contributions, and value your service—that’s an important part.

BMR: Yeah, it’s not only work, it makes you feel like something… That you can be proud of your work.

KG: Absolutely. IODP is something I can always talk about. (Laughs) I remember being interviewed for a cartoon book years ago. They even asked for a picture of my childhood to show the journey, where I started and where I am now, to illustrate how it all connects. There’s so much to share. Even though my time at IODP was short, the impact was immense and very valuable.

BMR: Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

KG: Thank you, Beatriz. I appreciate you taking the time to do this.

BMR: It’s great to learn about people who is not directly involved right now, but continues with this passion for scientific ocean drilling, and see that it had this impact in your life. It looks like scientific ocean drilling is a place you keep coming back, for different things.

KG: Right.

BMR: Just because you really think it’s valuable.

KG: Yes, it’s valuable, and the people are a big part of it. I’m sad to see everyone retiring, but I hope to continue working with the new generation as well. I like to celebrate moments even when things come to an end. Every ending brings a new beginning, and something good will come out of it. These pauses are important—not full stops, just moments to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and how to improve. If funding had been continuous, we might not have taken the time to think critically about how to do things better.

BMR: Absolutely.

KG: I also think about ways to bring in people beyond the academic side, almost like a business model. How can we do other things from this ship or platform in the future? I’m very excited and I truly hope IODP will get their new platform in the near future.

BMR: We all hope for the best. Well, thank you so much.

KG: Thank you, Beatriz.