Ruth worked for 27 years as a geologist and high school science teacher, most recently teaching Earth systems science and physics to ninth-grade students in Amherst, New Hampshire, where she also served as Science Department coordinator for several years. As a teacher, she received recognition in the form of a Toyota TAPESTRY grant for an inquiry-based geo-mapping curriculum project that linked students’ data collection to the New Hampshire Geological Survey program. Earlier in her career, she worked in the environmental consulting and petroleum industries on projects across the country. She is a fellow of the Paul F-Brandwein Institute, and serves on the New Hampshire Geological Resources Advisory Committee.