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Geology

   On September 29-30, 2012 more than fifty geology alumni from around the country came back to
their alma mater to honor a favorite professor at
the Richard C. Anderson Memorial Symposium
held on campus.  
Alumni and professors gave presentations on their specialities during the conference and the
weekend culminated with a field excursion to
two local quarries. 

  

Jeremy Hoffman award winner

 Geology major, Jeremy Hoffman '11, is awarded the prestigious national
Lumley American Geophysical Union
Young Environmental Scientist Award!
Cracking the 8.2 Kiloyear Cold Event

 

Prospective students! Check out this special summer course to the Rocky Mountains for incoming first-year students!

Prospective students who are interested in a geology major can compete for a $4,000 departmental scholarship! click here for details!

 

Dr. Hammer honored by Lincoln Academy of Illinois It is not often you see geologists in tuxedos--
Dr. William Hammer (center) was inducted as a Lincoln Laureate by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois which honors Illinoisans for their achievements in science, medicine, business and conservation. Dr. Hammer is flanked by his tuxedoed colleagues Dr. Strasser (right) and Dr. Wolf (left).   

 

 

Hellert and Crandall's publication

 

 

 

 

 

 Geology majors Spencer Hellert '12 and Jake Crandall '12 become published authors in one of the leading paleontology journals with their research on early Triassic Antarctic reptiles. Manuscript in press

 

May 2013--Augustana Geology majors head off to Kalamazoo, Michigan to the Geological Society of America's meeting to present their senior research! Click and type in "Augustana" in the search command to check out all of their abstracts!

How did Augustana geology majors spend their summer?

  • Paid dinosaur research at the Burpee Museum, Utah Dinosaur Quarry
  • research in Alaska with the Juneau Icefield Project
  • Paid internship with Illinois Department of Transportation
  • Paid geologic research in Wyoming through the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program
  • Paid internships in the paleontology labs of the Field Museum, Chicago 
  • Paid internship at the Mammoth Site, South Dakota
  • Paid water research with the City of Moline, Illinois
  • Geology field course in Ireland

 

Augustana Geology students in Wyoming 2008
Augustana geology students on a field trip in Wyoming.

About Program

  • Geology majors at Augustana study the fundamentals of the science, including mineralogy; igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary petrology; vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology; structural geology; hydrogeology; environmental geology; stratigraphy geomorphology; and plate tectonics. Geology is an interdisciplinary science, requiring knowledge of fundamentals of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics.
  • Augustana's geology program includes 3 professors and all of them have a Ph.D.
  • The Geology Department emphasizes field experiences, offering numerous local and distant fieldtrips every year and providing opportunities for student research during the summer and the school year.
  • Geology majors are well-prepared for graduate school in earth and environmental sciences or law, and many majors pursue careers in earth sciences, education, and business. Many geology majors also choose to minor in Environmental
    Studies at Augustana.

Student research opportunities

  • The Geology Department faculty are all engaged in active research, much of which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), including Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) funded projects. This provides many opportunities for student participation in research during the summer and school year.
  • Research projects may vary with student interest and funding, however recent projects have included research in experimental petrology, paleontology, geomorphology, hydrology, and glacial geology.
  • Geology majors are encouraged to complete a senior research project under the direction of one of the faculty members, completing GEOL450 (Introduction to Research) and GEOL451 (Senior Research). Completion of GEOL451 requires a written senior thesis and public presentation of results, typically at a Geological Society of America professional meeting.
  • Many students participate in NSF-funded REU programs (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) during the summer between junior and senior year. Students have traveled to Alaska, Mongolia, Kamchatka, and the Caribbean Islands with such programs.

Dr. Fryxell's latest publication

Available in the College Bookstore: the posthumous publication of Dr. Fryxell's book Ferdinand Hayden: A Young Scientist in the Great West 1853-1855, a stirring narrative that chronicles Hayden's scientific expeditions before he advocated the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872. The book was edited by Augustana professor Dr. Richard Anderson '52, Phil Salstrom '60 and Paul Salstrom.

 

Remembering Dr. Richard Anderson
(1930-2009)

The Geology Department mourns the passing of beloved Professor Emeritus "Doc" Anderson.

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