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Geology Department Website
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 Geology is an exciting, interdisciplinary science dedicated to understanding the
formation and evolution of our planet and the other rocky bodies in the solar
system.
Geologists probe and study the deep past -- for example, to see as clearly as
possible
how life has evolved, how the continents have shifted and how climates have
changed. They apply the tools of chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics to
examine problems that range in scale from microscopic to interplanetary, using a
variety of approaches including fieldwork, laboratory analysis and computational
modeling.
In addition to guiding the stewardship of mineral, water and energy resources
vital to
society, geologists increasingly strive to reduce the impact geological hazards
(e.g.,
earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides) have on people and to reduce the adverse
effect
people have upon the natural world (e.g., soil erosion, polluted groundwater).
An
understanding of at least rudimentary geology is essential for solving many
environmental problems.
Taking advantage of the department's proximity to such features as the San
Gabriel
Mountains, the Pacific Coast, the San Andreas Fault and the Mojave Desert,
students
augment their classroom and laboratory experiences by exploring the spectacular
geological setting around them.
Participation in research is an integral part of the learning experience.
Students are
encouraged to become involved in some form of research effort, often in direct
collaboration with faculty, at all stages in their careers.
During the academic year many of our courses incorporate short research
projects, and independent courses are available for upper-class students wishing
to explore areas beyond our normal curriculum. Seniors conclude their degree
work with a year-long independent thesis. The thesis topic can focus upon an
area of research which is selected by the student with input from the faculty,
can build upon summer experiences such as participation in a
Keck Geology
Consortium project or an internship, or may involve
collaboration with faculty in their primary areas of research. In recent years,
field work for student summer projects has taken place in locations ranging from
Montana to Mexico to Mongolia. Conference attendance and presentation of
research results is encouraged when appropriate and students occasionally
co-author professional papers.
The Geology Department is well-equipped to support a variety of different
field-based
projects as well as geophysical, hydrogeological, mineralogical and
computer-based
research. Physical facilities include a sample preparation room, wet lab and
GIS-equipped computer lab. Students also have access to items such as an X-ray
diffractometer, Trimble GPS units, optical microscopes, a growing selection of
NASA and remote sensing data and an extensive rock, mineral and fossil
collection.
Finally, the current members of the Geology Department are scholars recognized
for their teaching, research and dedication to communicating geological
knowledge to the public.
Richard Hazlett, an associate professor who holds the Stephen M. Pauley Chair,
is a
volcanologist who also runs the college's new Environmental Analysis program. He
has
twice won the College's Wig Award for teaching excellence, and has helped
educate many scientists and members of the public alike about the spectacular
geology of such places as Hawaii and Joshua Tree National Park.
Linda Reinen, also an associate professor, is a structural geologist whose
NSF-funded
research focuses on fault mechanics and fault stability in an effort to
understand why faults and earthquakes work the way they do. In 2003, her
strength as a teacher and her contributions to the field of geoscience education
were recognized by the Geological Society of America, which gave her its annual
Biggs Award for Excellence in Earth Science Teaching.
Rounding out the associate professors, Eric Grosfils is a planetary geologist
whose
NASA-funded research interests focus primarily on understanding how volcanic
systems form and evolve on the Earth, Venus and Mars, with occasional related
forays expanding into research about impact cratering and tectonics. He has been
invited to pursue both educational and research-related projects on site at the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. In 2001, he
received the Biggs Award for Excellence in Earth Science Teaching from the
Geological Society of America.
At the assistant professor level, Bob Gaines is already an enthusiastic teacher
whose
research interests and work with students focuses primarily on the "Cambrian
Explosion" of animal life. Using integrated approaches uniting sedimentological
and
paleontological methods, his work primarily explores the nature of the earliest
complex
ecosystems and the relationships of those ecosystems to the environments they
inhabited.
Finally, in 2005 the department expects to add a new assistant professor who
will focus on research and teaching topics relating to the chemistry and
structure of minerals and igneous rocks.
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Geology Department Website
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