A course about minerals, rocks, and soils. We practice identifying and describing Earth materials using their physical, optical, and chemical properties. We learn to use field and lab techniques to test hypotheses about how Earth materials form and change in different tectonic and environmental … [Read more...] about Earth Materials
Geology of Natural Hazards
Natural hazards will affect most of us at some point in our lives. We will investigate spectacular hazards, like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, and hazards that are far less dramatic, but no less dangerous, like floods and coastal erosion. This course will help us understand why natural hazards … [Read more...] about Geology of Natural Hazards
Deep Sea Volcanism
Mid-ocean ridges are the single largest volcanic feature on Earth. My research uses the mineralogical and chemical compositions of the ocean floor to understand the magmatic and tectonic processes that form the oceanic crust. Much of my work has occurred in tectonic windows, which are unique … [Read more...] about Deep Sea Volcanism
Ancient Rifting of Pangaea
Our research explores magma transport and crystallization processes in the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), a large igneous province that was erupted on Pangaea just before the supercontinent rifted apart about 200 million years ago. I work with Dr. LeeAnn Srogi (emerita … [Read more...] about Ancient Rifting of Pangaea
Young Volcanoes in the American Southwest
Ice Springs Volcanic Field in Utah's Black Rock Desert is made of nested cinder cones and their associated lava flows. My research uses petrological data, major and trace element geochemistry, and cosmogenic dating methods to study the complex eruption sequence. This work is in collaboration with … [Read more...] about Young Volcanoes in the American Southwest
Geochemical X-ray Methods
I am a high-temperature geochemist that uses the compositions of Earth materials to understand how they form and evolve. Most of my research involves analyses in our Wooster X-ray and geochemistry labs. Our X-ray lab is equipped with a Rigaku ZSK Primus II XRF and Miniflex II XRD. Students in my … [Read more...] about Geochemical X-ray Methods
Volcano-Ice Interactions
A volcanic eruption in the presence of ice or meltwater can be extremely hazardous, injecting huge amounts of ash into the atmosphere and generating catastrophic glacial outburst floods. But there is so much we can learn from volcano-ice interactions because they also create characteristic … [Read more...] about Volcano-Ice Interactions
Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers
Undergraduate research is a theme that extends across all aspects of my career. I am a Councilor for the Geosciences Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research and have been facilitating faculty development workshops on undergraduate research mentoring since 2009. My scholarly work on … [Read more...] about Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers