A fascination to study dinosaurs is quite peculiar

By: Jordan Abbas

A picture of a dinosaur fossil on the ground. Credit: amnh.org

When Andre Lombardi was four years old, he became fascinated with dinosaurs and has become more interested with them ever since. 

“Once I got dinosaur toys as a kid, I fell in love with them,” said Lombardi. “I wanted to know more about the extinct reptiles.”

As Lombardi got older, he wanted to discover dinosaur bones and become more educated on  their existence. After doing research, he found out he can study Paleontology in college and get closer to his childhood dream of studying bones of dinosaurs. 

Although studying paleontology is uncommon, Lombardi hopes to take his studies seriously and one day find his own fossils. Lombardi whom is a recent graduate of CSI, now attends Hunter College aiming to get his Bachelor’s degree in science.

 Lombardi still visits CSI frequently to discuss future plans with his former professors. “It’s like networking,” said Lombardi. “These people help me grow my resume and I get to volunteer my time for research.”

Lombardi’s mother, Catherine, has been a big supporter of his ever since his interest of dinosaurs began. She even jokingly refers to him as “dinosaur boy” sometimes.

 “My son has a huge obsession with fossils,” said Mrs. Lombardi. “As a kid he used to try and dig up bones in the backyard.” 

According to Lombardi, usually people don’t know what paleontology is when he tells them that’s his interest in a future career. He often has to explain to them that it’s the study of fossils.

In January of 2019, Lombardi was selected to participate in a paleontology internship in Colorado. For two weeks Lombardi got the chance to work alongside with well known scientists and gain hands-on experience. 

After completing the internship, Lombardi knew that this was what he wanted his career to be based on, and it gave him the determination to work harder. Landing the internship was one of the first real experiences Lombardi had with actual fossils. 

When Lombardi isn’t studying, he’s most likely re-watching his favorite movie, Jurassic Park. This movie is a favorite for him since it shows real looking dinosaurs and them roaming the world. Sometimes, Lombardi wonders what it would’ve been like to live at the same time as dinosaurs. 

A lot of people say that Lombardi and Ross from friends are similar because they both have a love for paleontology. Lombardi’s friends sometimes crack jokes about his love for dinosaur fossils, but at the end of the day they support him. Lombardi’s career goal is not so common, but it is an interesting one.  

When Lombardi isn’t attending classes, he often visits The Museum Of Natural History in Manhattan. They have many displays at the museum of dinosaur fossils and descriptions listed of how each lived their life very long ago. 

The museum is a favorite for Lombardi because it gives him the opportunity to take a step back millions of years to see how these reptiles lived. 

At Hunter College, Lombardi has plans to put together a Paleontology club where students and staff of the science department would meet weekly and discuss new discoveries and go over research. In order to create the club, Lombardi has to get signatures from notable professors in the science department along with interested students. 

His plan is to get as many people involved as possible and educate people on paleontology. The more people that know about Paleontology, the better it is for making this club happen.

Paleontology has become a lifestyle for Lombardi and he plans on sticking with it forever. Lombardi doesn’t know what he would do without science, specifically paleontology. 

 “It’s become a huge part of my life,” said Lombardi. “I would be lost without it.”