The Department’s faculty and students continue to contribute to the visibility of Geology and the Geosciences in a variety of interesting ways last year. Jade Star Lackey’s research on ancient volcanic rocks in the south central Sierra Nevada was discussed in Wired Science, and he and a few students from the Department were quoted on a piece in The Student Life about the significance of the declaration of the San Gabriel Mountains as a National Landmark by President Obama in the fall. In the spring issue of Pomona Magazine, Eric Grosfils and Bob Gaines were both featured in the “State Secrets” piece for field sites we frequently visit: Amboy Crater and Anza Borrego. Both locations are remembered by many graduates who joined Eric and Bob on memorable trips to both places. Linda Reinen gave multiple talks at the College and at local agencies about The Great California ShakeOut and the science of what a magnitude 7.8 would do in southern California, and how to prepare for one.
Bryan Gee’s (PO’16) “summer snapshot” interview about lab work related to understanding the Cambrian Explosion captured well the kinds of activities that one might find going on in Edmunds Hall during the summer. In August, Bob Gaines’ work in the Burgess Shale was featured in reports by several news agencies including this one that was aired by the CBC and CNN. Gaines and Lackey also helped the Art Department select rocks to grace the courtyard spaces in the new Studio Art Hall. One of the rocks is the largest sample to ever come to the College: an 11,000 pound granodiorite boulder riddled with xenoliths that Jade Star acquired as a donation from a quarry in Riverside. The collaboration of Geology and Studio Art was described in an article released by the College.