Geology - Macalester College€¦ · nature of Earth, frequently combining disciplines such as...
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MACALESTER ACADEMIC UPDATE 2018 FALL Geology Whether studying glacial lakes in Montana, the geochemistry of rocks in Minnesota, mountain-building in California, or dinosaurs and depo- sitional environments in Montana and Madagascar, students in the Macalester Geology Department creatively examine the history and nature of Earth, frequently combining disciplines such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Students may major or minor in geology. Faculty Raymond Rogers, professor and chair, received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1995 and came to Macalester in 1997. He studies the stratigraphy, sedimentology, and taphonomy of fossil- rich rocks, with field areas in Montana and Madagascar. Alan Chapman, assistant professor, received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology. He is a structural geologist who studies the tectonic and petrologic development of continental margins, focusing on the North American Cordillera and the Central Andes. Kelly MacGregor, professor, joined the department in 2003. She earned her PhD from the University of California– Santa Cruz, where she studied glacial geomorphology. Her research focus is on the evolution of alpine landscapes as well as river dynamics, and she conducts fieldwork in British Columbia, Glacier National Park, and Minnesota. Kristi Curry Rogers, professor, received her PhD from Stony Brook University in 2001 and came to Macalester in 2008. She is a vertebrate paleontologist specializing in the largest of all dinosaurs, the sauropods. She is also a professor in the Biology Department. Karl Wirth, associate professor, came to Macalester in 1990 from Cornell University, where he earned his PhD. He is an igneous petrologist with research interests that focus on the origin of igneous rocks and the chemical evolution of the Earth’s crust. Laboratory Supervisor Jeff Thole (M.Sc.) teaches the introductory labs and manages the Keck Laboratory instrumentation (SEM-EDS, XRD, XRF). Trained in igneous petrology, he also has a background in hydrogeology and environmental consulting. Recent Topics Courses Cosmochemistry Secrets of Soils: A Magnetic Approach Planet Earth: The Science Behind the Series Sequence Stratigraphy Recent Honors Projects The honors projects listed are based on collaborative faculty-student research. Nolan Ebner ’18 (Chevy Chase, Md.) “A Re-Examination of the 38.9 ka Ignimbrite at Fond St. Jean, Dominica” Rachel Surprenant ’18 (Carmel Valley, Calif.) “Taphonomy of a Vertebrate Microfossil Bonebed from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana: A Comparative Approach” Hoai-Nam Bui ’17 (McLean, Va.), “An Investigation of Pathological Vertebrae in Sauropod Dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous Maevarano Formation of Madagascar” Meghan Gleason Klapper ’17 (Sudbury, Mass.), “Inverted Metamorphism of the Condrey Mountain Schist” Anik Regan ’17 (Tucson, Ariz.), “Comparative Taphonomy of Molluscan Death Assemblages from the Gulf of Mexico” Sierra Swenson ’17 (River Falls, Wis.), “Taphonomy of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Coprolites of the Two Medicine Formation of Northwestern Montana” Ted R. Toegel ’17 (Red Wing, Minn.), “Characterization of Phosphorite Nodules in the Phosphoria Formation, Southeast Idaho” Resources With funding from the National Science Foundation and other sources, Macalester’s science departments are continually enhancing their technological resources. Geology students use state-of- the-art equipment, including: X-ray diffractometer (XRD) Micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (µXRF) X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and sample preparation equipment for fusions and pressed pellets Variable-pressure scanning electron microscope with energy and wavelength dispersive spectrometers (SEM-EDS/ WDS) and cathodoluminescence detector (CL) Gamma-ray spectrometer Numerous modern petrographic and stereoscopic microscopes with digital imaging capabilities Modern rock processing facilities for crushing and pulverizing, thin sectioning and polishing, and grain size measurements (sieving) Up-to-date computer facilities with numerous Apple and PC microcomputers One of the best resources for geology students is the land itself. With fossil- bearing rocks in southern Minnesota and some of the oldest rocks in the world farther north, the land provides many opportunities for field trips. Geology field trips have taken students and faculty to Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, and the Galapagos Islands.
Transcript of Geology - Macalester College€¦ · nature of Earth, frequently combining disciplines such as...
M AC A L E S T E R AC A D E M I C U P DAT E2 0 1 8 FA L L
GeologyWhether studying glacial lakes in Montana, the geochemistry of rocks in Minnesota, mountain-building in California, or dinosaurs and depo-sitional environments in Montana and Madagascar, students in the Macalester Geology Department creatively examine the history and nature of Earth, frequently combining disciplines such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Students may major or minor in geology.
FacultyRaymond Rogers, professor and chair, received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1995 and came to Macalester in 1997. He studies the stratigraphy, sedimentology, and taphonomy of fossil-rich rocks, with field areas in Montana and Madagascar.
Alan Chapman, assistant professor, received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology. He is a structural geologist who studies the tectonic and petrologic development of continental margins, focusing on the North American Cordillera and the Central Andes.
Kelly MacGregor, professor, joined the department in 2003. She earned her PhD from the University of California–Santa Cruz, where she studied glacial geomorphology. Her research focus is on the evolution of alpine landscapes as well as river dynamics, and she conducts fieldwork in British Columbia, Glacier National Park, and Minnesota.
Kristi Curry Rogers, professor, received her PhD from Stony Brook University in 2001 and came to Macalester in 2008. She is a vertebrate paleontologist specializing in the largest of all dinosaurs, the sauropods. She is also a professor in the Biology Department.
Karl Wirth, associate professor, came to Macalester in 1990 from Cornell University, where he earned his PhD. He is an igneous petrologist with research interests that focus on the origin of igneous rocks and the chemical evolution of the Earth’s crust.
Laboratory SupervisorJeff Thole (M.Sc.) teaches the introductory labs and manages the Keck Laboratory instrumentation (SEM-EDS, XRD, XRF). Trained in igneous petrology, he also has a background in hydrogeology and environmental consulting.
Recent Topics CoursesCosmochemistry
Secrets of Soils: A Magnetic Approach
Planet Earth: The Science Behind the Series
Sequence Stratigraphy
Recent Honors ProjectsThe honors projects listed are based on collaborative faculty-student research.
Nolan Ebner ’18 (Chevy Chase, Md.) “A Re-Examination of the 38.9 ka Ignimbrite at Fond St. Jean, Dominica”
Rachel Surprenant ’18 (Carmel Valley, Calif.) “Taphonomy of a Vertebrate Microfossil Bonebed from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana: A Comparative Approach”
Hoai-Nam Bui ’17 (McLean, Va.), “An Investigation of Pathological Vertebrae in Sauropod Dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous Maevarano Formation of Madagascar”
Meghan Gleason Klapper ’17 (Sudbury, Mass.), “Inverted Metamorphism of the Condrey Mountain Schist”
Anik Regan ’17 (Tucson, Ariz.), “Comparative Taphonomy of Molluscan Death Assemblages from the Gulf of Mexico”
Sierra Swenson ’17 (River Falls, Wis.), “Taphonomy of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Coprolites of the Two Medicine Formation of Northwestern Montana”
Ted R. Toegel ’17 (Red Wing, Minn.), “Characterization of Phosphorite Nodules in the Phosphoria Formation, Southeast Idaho”
ResourcesWith funding from the National Science Foundation and other sources, Macalester’s science departments are continually enhancing their technological resources. Geology students use state-of-the-art equipment, including:
X-ray diffractometer (XRD)
Micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (µXRF)
X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and sample preparation equipment for fusions and pressed pellets
Variable-pressure scanning electron microscope with energy and wavelength dispersive spectrometers (SEM-EDS/WDS) and cathodoluminescence detector (CL)
Gamma-ray spectrometer
Numerous modern petrographic and stereoscopic microscopes with digital imaging capabilities
Modern rock processing facilities for crushing and pulverizing, thin sectioning and polishing, and grain size measurements (sieving)
Up-to-date computer facilities with numerous Apple and PC microcomputers
One of the best resources for geology students is the land itself. With fossil-bearing rocks in southern Minnesota and some of the oldest rocks in the world farther north, the land provides many opportunities for field trips. Geology field trips have taken students and faculty to Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, and the Galapagos Islands.
Geology
Faculty-Student ResearchStudents have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty on research and to co-author papers. Many students conduct research with faculty on campus or at other academic institutions between their junior and senior years. See also the Recent Honors Projects section.
Jamie Goodin ’17 (Brooklyn, N.Y.) conducted research on parasites in ancient clams in Montana, and published his findings with Professor Rogers in a geological journal.
Heidi Anderson ’14 (Corvallis, Ore.) conducted geochemical analyses on sediment from lakes in Glacier National Park, Montana with Professor MacGregor, to understand the effects of climate change and human impacts over the past ~200 years.
InternshipsStudies are enhanced by fieldwork and research from independent internships throughout the Twin Cities area.
Kelsee York ’18 (Muskego, Wis.), Great Rivers Greening, outreach intern
Jamie Goodin ’17 (New York), Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources, communications intern
David Baldus ’16 (Minneapolis), St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, research intern
Emily Diener ’15 (Duluth, Minn.), Marshall School, science department intern
Alexandra Lawrence ’14 (McCordsville, Ind.), National Museum of Natural History, fossil prep intern
After MacalesterGeology graduates find that their Macalester education has prepared them well, whether they seek advanced degrees or choose to work in business.
Rachel Surprenant ’18 (Carmel Valley, Calif.) is in a master’s program in paleobiology at the University of California–Riverside.
Glen Hartford ’17 (North Andover, Mass.) is an army engineer officer stationed in South Korea with the 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Army.
Sierra Swenson ’17 (River Falls, Wis.) is pursuing a master’s in stratigraphy and paleobiology at the University of Georgia.
Cedric Hagen ’16 (Rosemount, Minn.) is in a PhD program in paleobiology and stratigraphy at Oregon State University.
Hannah Wilson ’16 (Durham, N.C.) is working for the U.S. Geological Survey conducting field work in Missouri.
Patrick Sullivan ’16 (Shoreview, Minn.) is working for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Benjamin Faulkner ’15 (Greenbrae, Calif.) works for the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
Bolton Howes ’15 (Lakewood, Colo.) is pursuing a PhD in stratigraphy and paleoclimate at Princeton University.
Lucy Andrews ’14 (Wayzata, Minn.) is pursuing a PhD in environmental science, policy, and management at the University of California–Berkeley.
VisitorsMacalester’s Geology Department frequently invites national and regional experts to meet with students and discuss contemporary issues in their fields.
Dr. Kieran McNulty, professor in the Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, “Anatomy of the debate over Homo floresiensis”
Dr. John Hogan, associate professor of geology, Missouri University of Science and Technology, “In the beginning: Insights into the origins of the granite texture”
Dr. Justin Simon ’96, PhD, planetary scientist, NASA, “The Life and Times of Supervolcanoes: Inferences from Long Valley Caldera”
Dr. Jack Horner is curator of paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies; Regents Professor of Paleontology at Montana State University in Bozeman; a senior research fellow in the Department of Paleobiology at the Smithsonian Institution; and an honorary research fellow with the Natural History Museum in London. He directs the largest dinosaur field research program in the world. He presented “How to Build a Dinosaur: The New Science of Reverse Evolution.”
Updated August 2018
macalester.edu/geology
