Rebecca Hackworth completed her M.Sc. in Geology (2003) at University of Wisconsin-Madison studying stable isotopes and foraminifera but was drawn to palynology and completed her Ph.D. in Geology at Louisiana State University (2008). Her research focus was on Quaternary gulf coast pollen and siliceous plant microfossils, phytoliths. She joined BP as Palynomorph Biostratigrapher for GoM Deepwater Exploration in 2008 where she focused on utilizing palynology in Paleogene and Cretaceous, with an emphasis on the Wilcox. In 2012, she moved to the GoM Appraisal and Development team as a biostratigrapher working on both Neogene and Wilcox assets. Rebecca joined Chevron in 2014 as a biostratigrapher in CTC (Chevron Technology Center) supporting GoM, where she worked with colleagues to expand the role of palynology in the Wilcox. She has also worked in the South China Sea, Canada, and most recently, Australia. Her role includes providing active drilling support for GoM wells (Miocene and Paleogene), developing integrated biostratigraphic workflows, and applying quantitative tools to better understand paleoenvironments.