Geosciences Newsletter
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NEWSLETTER WMU GEOSCIENCES Vol. 7 Issue 1 NEWSLETTER WMU GEOSCIENCES FALL 2014 GEOSCIENCES COMMUNITY 2014 igneous petrologist, mineralogist, and Western Michigan University economic geologist. Research interests distinguished world renowned, for Joyashish include, but are not limited researchers to enhance the education to, origin and distribution of metallic and research missions of the University. sulfide mineral deposits in the Upper Geosciences were quick to respond. We Peninsula, the Penokean orogeny (1.8 were the first unit in the University to Ga), magmatic events associated with take advantage of this wonderful the formation of the Mid-continent Rift opportunity and our efforts culminated system (1.1 Ga), and the applications of with the hire of Dr. Essam Heggy stable isotope geochemistry in high effective fall of 2015. Essam is a temperature geological processes. planetary geophysicist on the Radar Science Group in the Jet Propulsion Dr. Mohamed Sultan Joyashish delivered on his promises. He Laboratory, a Visiting Associate in the initiated an aggressive research project California Institute of Technology, and Dear Friends and Alumni, in the Upper Peninsula and all his an Associate Professor of Geophysics in students, six of them, are currently the Institut de Physique du Globe de This has been a good year for engaged in research projects in the UP. Paris, France. His main science interests Geosciences and we have a lot to He teamed up with Dr. Alan Kehew and in space and planetary geophysics celebrate. Over the past two years, we together they secured federal funding to covers Earth arid regions, Mars, the worried about replacing our pursue their research in SW Michigan Moon, icy satellites and Near Earth distinguished faculty members who (Alan) and in the Upper Peninsula Objects. His research efforts involve the retired (Dr. Ron Chase) and others who (Joyashish). Joyashish is getting the characterization of ice and water left us for other positions on campus (Dr. attention of the mining industry as well. dynamic on Mars, the Moon, Jovian Icy Carla Koretsky: Dean Lee Honors Aquila Resources Inc. is providing satellites as well as Earth hyper-arid College) or off campus (Dr. Mike Joyashish with additional funds to regions. He addresses this objective Grammer: Oklahoma State University). pursue his research activities in the UP, through comparative studies of the Dr. Joyashish Thakurta was hired to geochemical data, and field support as evolution of hydrogeological systems on replace Dr. Ron Chase and to spearhead well. Thanks to Dr. Thakurta we now Earth Hyper-arid regions and on Mars the Michigan Geological Survey research have a sulfur isotope lab in Haenicke and other planetary bodies. and mapping programs in the Upper Hall. Peninsula. We were fortunate to hire Dr. Joyashish, a distinguished scientist, an A few months ago, President Dunn active researcher, and an experienced announced an initiative to attract to NEWSLETTER WMU GEOSCIENCES | Issue 1 2 sensors on planetary missions. Western is close to several large-scale dunes that are optimal sites for testing his low frequency sounding radar systems and is close to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Radiation Lab, where collaborations on building some of the experiment subsystems are possible. We have an ongoing search for a tenure track position in sedimentary petrology. The search is going well and we expect All of these ongoing activities and many to invite the short listed applicants on others that I am not listing here are campus in the next few weeks. We are bringing more and more talented excited about this particular hire. The oil students our way. Our research revenues and gas industry is currently over the past five years averaged over a experiencing severe shortages of million dollars per year. Considering that professionals - particularly in we are a small department, a geosciences. Over the years, department of 12 faculty members, we Geosciences provided the training that generate one of the highest, if not the New faculty member Dr. Essam Heggy enabled many of our graduates to highest, research dollars/faculty in the pursue successful careers in this College of Arts and Sciences. Our gifts At JPL, Dr. Heggy used radar imaging, industry. The new hire will add to the and endowments over the past five sounding techniques, and existing strong research team headed by years were the second highest measurements of electromagnetic Drs. Barnes, Harrison, and Gillespie and ($750,000) in the College of Arts and properties of rocks in radar frequencies will enable us to continue providing the Sciences despite the fact we are one of to investigate structural, hydrological adequate education and training in this the smallest departments. Our graduate and volcanic elements in terrestrial and vital and growing field. student population is 65 students this planetary environments. Essam has his year compared to 53 last year and twice We are committed to improve the work hands full. He is a member of the science what it was five years ago. We launched space environment for our students. team of the MARSIS instrument aboard our Integrated Science program two Rood is one of the oldest buildings on the Mars Express orbiter (2003-present), weeks before the beginning of the fall campus. With no exceptions, all our labs the Mini-SAR experiment aboard semester of 2014 and to our surprise five are outdated, do not serve our students Chandrayaan-1, the Mini- RF experiment students enrolled. on board the Lunar Reconnaissance well, and need a face lift. Every year we Orbiter (2008-present) and the pool our resources to renovate one of I want to take this opportunity to thank CONSERT radar experiment on board our six labs. The computer lab, the one all of the personnel who generated this the Rosetta mission (2004-present). used the most by our students, was the success story. I mean our faculty, our Essam is the Principal Investigator of the first to be renovated. This year we staff, our students, and loyal Advisory NASA Earth Venture Mission Concept completed the renovation of the Council members. They all worked hard OASIS (167 M$) that will, if funded, map paleontology lab, and the mineralogy under difficult conditions to make this for the first time the spatial distribution lab is scheduled for renovation in 2015. department the flagship of the College of shallow aquifers in the arid desert Geosciences led the efforts of four of Arts and Sciences. Last but not least regions on Earth. departments (Geosciences, physics, we will have our 50th year anniversary statistics, and mathematics) to establish on homecoming next fall. Please mark Essam says Geosciences and Western is a rock garden south of Rood. Our your calendars and COME. We want to where he wants to be. He wants to team students now have a close by location celebrate your achievements up with our research group (Earth where they can enjoy the outdoors. throughout the years, and we want to Science Remote Sensing group working Moreover, the garden can potentially connect with all of you. We want to in arid areas world-wide) to enhance his serve are a recruitment tool as it has show you what we did with your chances to respond to several NASA been recently listed as one of the stops department, how it evolved through calls that are oriented toward exploring in summer orientation campus tours. time, and discuss with you our plans for hyper-arid environments as is the case the upcoming years. We want your input for the next Earth Venture Mission call and insights. It is an opportunity for you planned for late 2015. Western’s strong to meet your colleagues, instructors, and aviation school will help him test and staff. We want you to tell our students calibrate airborne geophysical the challenges you faced, the obstacles instruments prior to sending these NEWSLETTER WMU GEOSCIENCES | Issue 1 3 you conquered, and more importantly topics, but here I am, proving that a grandkids. And several students spent time share with them your success stories. solid, basic background in fundamental with me working on their research projects, Nothing will please us more than seeing geology really is important. including an undergraduate. you here with us during homecoming Teaching assignments have been Here are updates on students working with 2015. me. Hussain Alfaifi and I installed wells in my shifting as we adjust to faculty back yard for slug testing. We tested them retirements, while still trying to offer a further this year, and Hussain presented the well-rounded slate of geo-courses. results at national GSA in Denver. We wrote GEOS 1500 “Natural Disasters and an article, which we are revising for Hazards” has been shifted to the spring submission to Groundwater Monitoring and semester, and I’ve handed off teaching Remediation. I talked with Jim Butler (the GEOS 2500 “Planetary Geology” to world expert on slug testing) recently, who Johnson Haas. This has given me more has a different slant on the effects of slug time to continue developing the GEOS size on slug testing results. Hussain and I did testing to look at a hypothesis that Jim and I 1000 “Dynamic Earth” course and to discussed. Rachel Salim is writing her thesis concentrate on GEOS 3220 “Ocean based on many long lab tests she did on Systems.” I taught during the Summer II capillary rise of water and kerosene in silts semester for the first time. Although I and fine sands. One of the current tests was was presenting my old standby “Ocean started over a year ago. Courtney Wright Systems” it was my first time to do so helped Rachel with her lab work. Seth Kuiper on-line. Who says you can’t teach old is writing his thesis on interactions of professors new tricks? groundwater and a creek downstream of a dam.