Christina Lochman-Balk

Christina Lochman-Balk (October 8, 1907 – March 8, 2006) was an American geologist who specialized in the study of Paleozoic era fossils, formerly known as Cambrian Paleontology.

Lochman-Balk was also given the title of "Dean of Women" which gave her the responsibility of monitoring and coordinating the activities and concerns of female students attending the institution.

[3] Lochman-Balk's husband Robert died on February 19, 1955, when the plane he was travelling on mysteriously crashed into the Domingo Baca Canyon rock spire known as Dragon’s tooth Archived 2023-03-08 at the Wayback Machine.

[4] After her husband's death, Lochman-Balk continued her work as a lecturer at the New Mexico Institute of Technology and Mining until she became a full professor and the head of the geology department in 1957.

Lochman-Balk's vast knowledge of Cambrian era trilobites gave her the opportunity to contribute to a variety of journals and publications in the field of Biology.

[5] To continue her research of the Upper Cambrian Faunas, Lochman-Balk relocated towards the west, in the Rocky Mountains, located in Montana.

This set of characteristics makes it hard to establish a more precise timeline[11] than could be developed with fossils found in the late Dresbachian and Franconian era's.

In the years following, additional information and evidence was collected supporting this discovery as geologists were becoming more familiar with the faunas of North American zones.

[5] During the era in which Lochman-Balk's career took place(1933-1972) women were beginning to enter nontraditional professions and striving to succeed in fields dominated by men.

Lochman-Balk was able to rise through the ranks and continually achieve titles and recognition that few women had ever received in the field of Geology through her own merit.