1 of 2 Kathleen Benison, WVU professor of geology, is part of a team of scientists consulting with the Mars rover about which rocks to bring back to Earth to study. Photo by WVU Photo by WVU MORGANTOWN â One of the big questions in all of science has been does life exist outside of the Earth? Or is the Earth unique and the only planet that hosts living organisms? In her research as a geologist at West Virginia University, Kathleen Benison has focused on weird environments. She has studied acid salt lakes that have ânastyâ water compositions but life still thrives there.