THE EPOCH No. 32 Spring 1998 - January 2000 A Newsletter for Alumni and Students Department of Geology Website: http://www.geology.buffalo.edu The State University of New York at Buffalo E-mail: [email protected] 876 Natural Sciences Complex Telephone: (716) 645-6800, Ext. 6100 Buffalo, New York 14260-3050 Fax: (716) 645-3999 HIGHLIGHTS Geology in 2000 and Beyond By John C. Fountain, Professor & Chairman Departmental News The Fall of 1999 marked a major turning point for the Geology A Review of the Department, not because that is when I began my term as department chair but because, for the first time in five years, the department is fully staffed Last Decade . 2 again – and thus for the first time ever, our programmatic model begun under Field Camp Truck Mike Sheridan can fully be implemented. Replacement Fund . 3 When the department expanded after the formation of the SUNY system, there was one faculty member in each major area (mineralogy, petrology, Meet the NEW Faculty .. 4 structure etc.). The advantages of this model include excellent undergraduate education and a broad range of research interests. The disadvantage of this Duttweiler Geological approach is that each faculty member worked essentially alone, which is a Field Station . 7 significant disadvantage in competing for sponsored research funds. When Mike Sheridan was selected to replace Chet Langway as Chair in 1990, he began a reorganization of the department into concentrated Research News research programs. This resulted in the formation of two major programs: Paoha Island environmental geology and volcanology. While not all of our research falls How did it emerge? . 8 neatly into these two programs, every one of the five new faculty we have recently hired strengthens these research areas. As a result we have SW Pacific Ocean, collaborative research in several areas, and our research groups including the East of New Zealand . 11 rock fracture group (Becker, Fountain, Jacobi, Peacock and Baker) and the volcanology group (Bursik, Gregg, Sheridan and Parfitt) are large and diverse. Our New EGR Lab . 12 In addition we have built strong collaborations with other departments (examples include fluid dynamics: Bursik and Civil Engineering; surface Student News chemistry: Giese, Fountain and Chemistry; Evolutionary Biology: Mitchell Degrees Conferred & and Biology and Anthropology; Risk analysis: Sheridan and Math and Student Honors . 13 Geography). The faculty endorsed the concept of organizing into research groups After the Deluge . 15 almost 10 years ago, but implementation required hiring new faculty to add strength to the programs. To the credit of SUNY, the department and search committees, we have added five fantastic new faculty members in the last two Alumni News years. Geology & Law Thus, by happy coincidence, I take over the department at a time where A Good Match . 16 we finally have the faculty we have been planning for. In contrast to the last four years, in which we were scrambling to cover courses with too few faculty, Alum Notes . 17 and trying to compete for grants without faculty in critical areas, we are now well positioned for the future. In the year 2000 and in years to come, the department will continue its The Epoch 1 DEPARTMENTAL NEWS excellent teaching program, and facilitated. The location on the geology and volcanology. We also will expand its already impressive North Campus has allowed us moved to develop cooperative research efforts. Never, in the to develop computation and research programs with other more than 20 years since I joined information technologies that university units. Reflecting the the faculty, has the department were impossible before. development of these new been in such a strong position. In this period the geology programs and the strength of our Our challenge will now be to deal personnel have greatly changed. current faculty, the department with the new era of reduced State Long term members of our staff may change its name to Earth support. We have chosen not to who left during the 1990's are and Environmental Science next scale back our efforts, but will missed. Following the retirement year. continue our drive for excellence. of Doris Millholland, Alison There has been a major An accompanying article des- Lagowski became the depart- change in our undergraduate cribes our efforts in this area, as mental administrative assistant. curriculum. We have implement- we launch a drive to obtain funds Shortly thereafter, Rachel Costa ed 4 yearlong sequences that to replace our venerable, and took a position in the College of integrate geophysics and geo- now defunct, field camp truck. It Arts & Sciences and was replaced chemistry into the sequence of is important to note that in spite by Marty Roth. Ted Marciniak required courses for undergrad- of the highly computerized nature and Dave Borden retired but uates. We hope this will provide of modern geology, field geology their positions have not yet been a stronger quantitative back- remains an essential component. filled. The university freeze on ground for all students as well as Our students under Drs. Jacobi, new hires will probably postpone a more logical sequence of Sheridan, Bursik and other our finding a new technician subject matter. Also we have faculty continue to map and to until 2002. Several distinguished developed a Hydroscience cert- spend their time in the field. faculty retired in the 1990's and ificate program with the Geog- As computer models have their teaching and research prog- raphy Department in which become more sophisticated, it rams generally went with them. students can take a selection of has become more apparent that These losses include Chet courses in both departments and the major limitations to many Langway, Charlie Clemency, Jack receive acknowledgement of this models, from global environ- King, Dennis Hodge, Parker important training in environ- mental changes to finding oil and Calkin, and Paul Reitan. mental geology. Besides this we gas, arise from limits in our Together they represent nearly have established a 5-year BA/MA knowledge of field geology. In the 200 years of service to the program which will accelerate the next Century, as in the past, we department and UB. training time for good UB stu- will continue to emphasize field Replacing these positions is a dents who recognize early in their geology and its implications, cadre of young energetic faculty academic program that they want although now combined with who bring a variety of new to follow a professional track in high-tech methods. specialties and directions to the geosciences. department. Those who joined The 1990's were a period of the faculty in this period are nearly continuous reductions in A Review of the Marcus Bursik (volcanology and budgets with every important surficial processes), Tracy Gregg decision being controlled by Last Decade (volcanology), Matt Becker (hyd- major constraints that required By Michael F. Sheridan, Professor rogeology), Greg Baker (env- compromises. Geology fared well ironmental geophysics), David during this period due to the The era of the 1990's saw a Peacock (structural geology), and strength and unity of the depart- wide range of changes in the Liz Parfitt (volcanology). The ment. Major gifts from alumni Geology Department that was fields of specialization of the new helped to lighten the load and welded onto the framework dev- faculty reflect a development plan may prove essential in the eloped by past generations. followed by the department. To coming years. Extreme pressure Notably, the department moved remain a viable research unit in is being placed to increase the from Ridge Lea through Fronczak this modern period, larger work- numbers of students enrolled in Hall to our present site in the ing groups are necessary. Our our classes and for our funded Natural Sciences Complex. Here plan was to build on the strength research coffers to increase. With we have a good teaching environ- of the core faculty (Dr.’s Giese, all this said, I am contemplative ment and outstanding research Fountain, Jacobi, Mitchell, and as the stewardship of the laboratories where interaction Sheridan) and develop two main department passes to John with other units on campus is areas of strength, environmental Fountain. The Epoch 2 as important today as it has been my interest in fieldwork, in the past. eventually leading me to pursue a Field Camp Truck To this end, we announce the field oriented Ph.D. in geology. kick-off of a major fund drive Some of my most cherished Replacement Drive aimed at replacing the vehicle memories are those of friends By John C. Fountain, Chairman and it’s customized equipment. I and events I encountered that ask that each of you who felt that summer. The UB Geology field camp, a our camp is something special The summer field program vital part of our program since it and worth continuing, help with takes students by vans through was started in 1968, is now in this drive. This fund will be four states to remote field sites real danger of discontinuation dedicated solely for replacement that are often on back-roads. due to the need to replace our of field camp equipment. Your Reliable and efficient vehicles are equipment truck. Our Field support will be acknowledged in needed to accomplish these trips Camp has provided students and future editions of the Epoch, and safely. One such vehicle is a faculty with a unique and will be appreciated by each and large truck used to transport wonderful combination of every student in the future. cooking and field equipment, geologic mapping, education and food, and the large quantities of wilderness experience in the Thank you in advance for your water necessary in arid beauty of the western United generous support.