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Originally from Utah, Matsumura grew up hiking and exploring the outdoors – a love that stayed with him even as his early career took shape behind a desk. After working early in his professional career in the information technology industry, he realized he craved more hands-on work and joined the military, eventually serving in Kansas as a fuels technician. “I worked in fuels in the military. We pumped fuel into aircraft, tested jet fuels, managed million-gallon storage tanks,” he said. When his service ended, Matsumura and his wife chose to settle in Norman, and he began to chart a new path.

In deciding on what he’d want to pursue as a new career path, he reflected on his time in Utah and the environmental changes he saw impacting the state.

“[I thought] it’d be nice to do something where I can get outdoors and do things I always enjoyed, like exploring and figuring things out, but also something related to something I thought was important,” Matsumura said. Hydrology – the study of water movement, quality and availability – became a natural fit.

Today, Matsumura is diving deep into the field he once only observed. At OU, he’s found hands-on opportunities that have brought geology to life, including field camps in Colorado and research in planetary science.

“We’re taking olivine and dissolving it in saturated brines that you might find on Mars […] trying to understand some of these patterns we see on Mars and some of the minerals we’ll see on Mars,” he said. “It’s kind of exciting knowing that research in a lab here might get applied to something that the NASA rovers are doing.”

Matsumura also currently serves as the president of OU’s chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and is honing in on finishing up his coursework this semester – areas of focus he says were made possible because of scholarship support.

“I know for me, any of the scholarships I’ve gotten have helped a lot,” Matsumura said. “Rather than having to go work, I can focus on the other things, like research. I don’t think I’d be nearly as involved if I had to go out and find a full or part-time job to help pay the mortgage. I think that’s been the biggest part. Scholarships have let me be more engaged in the actual learning and the school activities. I feel like I’m more prepared to go out and do what I want.”

After graduating this December, Matsumura will head into the workforce – again – this time more passionate about his profession and his contributions to society as the Water Resources Manager with the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments.