Geoscape 2016
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GEOScape 2016 Department of Geosciences Alumni and Friends Annual Newsletter 2 3 A Message from the Department Head The Michael Smith Natural Resources Building will be a substantial (approximately 50,000 square feet) expansion of the College, to be constructed begin- ning in 2017 on the front (south side) of the present Natural Resources Building and will give natural resources and geosciences a new level of campus prominence. A generous donation from Michael Smith (who is, among other things, the chairman and chief execu- tive of Freeport LNG) finalized this historic project, Early conceptual drawing of the new Michael Smith Natural Resources Building which also received critical donations from alum- What a dynamic and exciting year for the nus Ed Warner and our longtime department and department and College! college friends, John and Dolores Goodier. further grow these resources for future in-need and faculty deliberations. high-achieving Field Camp students. This included breaking ground on a new Warner Michael’s donation also created the Michael Smith The focus of the new position will be in near-sur- College of Natural Resources Building, new full- Scholarships for Undergraduates program, a new A generous anonymous donor has provided match- face geoscience spanning the “Critical Zone” ex- ride four-year and Field Camp scholarships for our suite of full four-year geology scholarships ing funds for this effort, and a number of alumni tending from the top of vegetation to the bottom of students, long-awaited classroom renovations, and (including summer Field Camp) to in-state and other supporters, recognizing the fundamental the weathered layer. We anticipate having a new an expansion faculty position in the department students, beginning in the fall of 2017. importance of maintaining a strong and affordable faculty colleague on board by fall of 2017 to further focusing on near-surface geosciences. Field Camp experience within the Geology expand our geological, geophysical, hydrogeolog- We also initiated a campaign this year to estab- curriculum, have already helped out as well. ical, geochemical, and other broad activities in While noting these recently developed and, in lish a Field Camp Scholarship program that is still near-surface processes and resource issues, and to some cases, historic initiatives and opportunities, picking up steam. Many of our geology students Kindly reference the development news at the end build new bridges to other departments and I certainly also want to emphasize and recognize face financial challenges with the nearly $6,000 (in- of this newsletter for more details about this and specializations in the College, across CSU, and the continuing excellence of our faculty and staff state) cost of the five-week field course, typically other initiatives. As always, I thank our many, many beyond. in delivering an extremely high-quality geoscienc- taken during the summer after the junior or senior alumni and other friends for their substantial and es education and providing deep and professional year, when student financial aid and other resourc- longstanding support to the department in so Again, it is a great honor to serve as the department mentorship to our students. Just a sample of the es may be wearing thin. With early donations, we many ways. head and to be able to introduce another exciting department’s far-flung and internationally rec- were able to award the first 12 of these scholarships annual GEOScape newsletter. My sincere thanks, ognized teaching, research, and broader impacts this summer to highly deserving recipients and, Late-breaking news this fall is that we have been once more, for your interest in and engagement in efforts can be briefly summarized here. working with our Geosciences Advisory Council granted the College resources to create a new geosciences. members and college development, next seek to faculty position in the department, representing the highest priority area identified in our recent Rick Aster Head, Department of Geosciences GEOScape - 2016 4 5 A Message from the Dean their fields and the world. It is truly a global depart- ment; with work from far northern lattitudes, to South America, all the way to Antarctica and here at home in Colorado. It’s also clear from the energy and enthusiasm I see in the halls, that the department’s faculty are equally as passionate about their research as they are for teaching and mentoring students. We’re also very proud of the work the graduate students in the Department are producing, further extending the impacts of the Department around the globe. Canyonlands National Park, Utah Friends of CSU Geosciences, I’ll close by expressing my gratitude and thanks Welcome to another great issue of GEOScape! We’re to all of the alumni and friends of Geosciences for thrilled to report on the exciting progress the everything you do to advance our programs and Department of Geosciences has made over the past support our students. During my travels, I’ve had year in their teaching, research, and outreach. the pleasure of meeting many of you and heard about the phenomenal personal and professional As Rick mentioned, it’s been a very exciting year accomplishments you’ve achieved since leaving for the College. We are looking forward to con- Warner College. Moreover, I’ve seen firsthand your struction of the Michael Smith Natural Resources commitment to supporting your alma mater. We Building addition, which we’ll anticipate occupy- are extremely grateful and cannot understate the ing in Fall 2018. The addition not only provides importance of your support. much-needed classroom and teaching lab space, but will elevate the College’s profile in a significant Thanks for all that you do and for representing our manner on campus and beyond. programs so well, I am consistently impressed with some of the tremendous research being generated by geosciences. Our researchers and faculty in John P. Hayes geosciences are having tremendous impact on Dean, Warner College of Natural Resources GEOScape - 2016 6 7 Table of Contents Message from the Department Head 2 Message from the Dean 4 Alumni Thoughts 8 Student Highlights 17 Departmental Highlights 24 Faculty Brief Notes 36 Departmental Honors 47 Development Priorities 49 Thanks to our Supporters 50 Rainbow Falls, Black River, Michigan (Photo: Jerry Magloughlin) GEOScape - 2016 8 9 Harold ‘Hal’ Pranger, M.S., Geology, 1988 Hal Pranger currently is chief of the Geologic Features and Systems Branch of the National Park Service’s Geologic Resources Division in Lakewood, Colo. GRD is part of the Washington office of the NPS, located in the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate. Hello, fine people of CSU geology! I have three in India, Fall River in Rocky Mountain National short things to mention in this note: 1) how an Park, and the like, Stan was kind enough to let me average student in the CSU grad school was able – Joe six pack – work on a NASA project study- to launch a dream career in the geosciences; 2) a ing strange channels on Mars. I was glad for this Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colo. summary of my undeservingly fantastic career; funded project, even though it provided, let’s say, and 3) the tremendous recent developments in the limited field opportunities. When Stan told me CSU Department of Geosciences that are making it of my draft thesis, “you are a very poor writer,” a national leader. it struck me as harsh (although true), and those Alumni Thoughts words have motivated me throughout my career I was fortunate enough to get into CSU grad school to at least not be a totally lame writer. The lesson in 1985 under Stan Schumm, who, as many of you I learned is that you don’t necessarily have to be know, was one of the most important scholars and an academic superstar to have a very rewarding practitioners of fluvial geomorphology in the 20th career. century. I was a good student at CSU, but certainly not of the caliber of some of my fellow students After grad school, job prospects were grim, and so such as Dave Jorgensen Harbor, Dru Germanos- I asked Stan if I could work at his consulting firm. ki, and John Pitlick, who each are now successful I worked for two years as a geomorphologist, professors (see http://geology.wlu.edu/harbor/vita. collecting field data, digitizing data, analyzing htm; http://geography.colorado.edu/people/facul- data, writing code, writing reports, and evaluating ty_member/pitlick_john). stream channels all over the country. Phenom- enal experiences – thank you, Stan (and Chester While these guys were studying active tectonics Watson, and Mike Harvey.) GEOScape - 2016 10 11 I was “let go” from Stan’s company due to finan- ported studies of a massive landslide and tsunami donate, send personal success stories, or just spread cial strain, and became a hydrologist for the state that occurred in Alaska a year ago (https://vimeo. the word about developments such as the Smith of Wyoming, where I regulated a couple of dozen com/186109797). We developed Junior Paleontol- scholarships. For graduating or soon-to-be gradu- gigantic surface coal mines to ensure that the land ogist and Cave Scientist programs (https://www. ating students, I’d encourage you to consider broad- was properly reclaimed. That job paid little, but nps.gov/subjects/fossils/junior-paleontologist. ening your experience and apply for a position carried with it a lot of power to literally shape the htm; https://www.nps.gov/subjects/caves/ju- with the NPS geoscientists-in-the-parks program land. I left for six months to be a consulting hy- nior-cave-scientist-program.htm). We’re working (http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/gip/index. drologist in Portland, Ore., which broadened my on the cutting edge of photogrammetry (http:// cfm), which funds about 150 three- to 12-month in- understanding of wet environment hydrology and nature.nps.gov/geology/monitoring/photogram- ternships in national parks on a variety of geologic restoration tremendously.