From the Chair Looking forward, five of our most prominent faculty announced their plans to retire within the next three Dear GeoBadgers, years. We are thus on the cusp of a multiyear transition Greetings from Weeks Hall, where we that will require major investments in laboratory hope that your year was filled with renovations and equipment, as well as numerous other challenges, adventures, and good adjustments as we hire their replacements. We are times with your family and friends. now searching for two new geochemists, a process that Here in Bucky Land, we had a great, will require much time and planning this year. We are collective year in the field and in also discussing innovations in our introductory-level our labs and classrooms. As always, courses in order to meet a newly-announced 20% the department was a vibrant place, with thousands of campus-wide increase in undergraduate enrollment during undergraduates circulating through our classrooms and 250 the next four years. faculty/scientists/post-docs, staff, and geo-students variously Our alumni continue to play a critical role in our engaged in our scientific and administrative enterprise. We department’s day-to-day and long-term activities. Our Board thank former department chair Professor Harold Tobin and of Visitors actively consults with and advises the faculty and present department administrator Michelle Szabo for their is held in high regard by the College. Retired alumnus and long hours and superb work in overseeing and managing now adjunct faculty Bill Morgan teaches a department class the department. Harold’s reward for his three years in “the on carbonates and advises our student AAPG chapter. And chair” will be a half-year research leave in New Zealand. alumni donations profoundly impact the department. For Michelle’s “reward” will be to help the new chair, me, guide example, 43 of our graduate and undergraduate students the department wisely and effectively. received awards at our 2017 Spring Banquet, all funded by The past year has been marked by numerous significant alumni donations. We spend ~$60,000 to fund student field events and milestones pertinent to the past, present, and experiences every year and more than $100,000 annually for future. We honor the memories of emeritus professor Charlie five graduate student fellowships and assistantships, once Bentley, the subject of a feature article in this Outcrop, and again all from alumni donations. long-time department accountant Judy Gosse, both of whom It’s a golden time to be in Weeks Hall. The department is died during the past year. On a happier note, 18 of our filled with world-class geoscientists, hard-working, talented graduate students completed their M.S. or Ph. D. degrees; graduate students, and motivated undergraduates, all we wish them bright futures! Amongst the various awards tangling with important problems related to our dynamic, and honors that were conferred on our faculty during the fascinating, and often-hazardous planet. If you wish to past year, Jean Bahr and John Valley each received multiple, facilitate some of the research, field experiences, or other well-deserved awards for their high career achievements. items that elevate our department, there are abundant Supported by alumni donations to our Student Field opportunities to help (p. 32). We appreciate every donation Experience Fund, Professor Brad Singer led a group of ~20 and will use it well. Enjoy this year’s Outcrop, which was faculty, students, and alumni on an 18-day-long January field coordinated, edited, and produced by Professor John Valley trip to the Chilean Andes, where he spearheads a multi- and staff member Mary Diman. national, NSF-funded study of Earth’s most rapidly inflating volcanic complex. Chuck DeMets http://geoscience.wisc.edu 2016-17 The Outcrop 1 The Board of Visitors meeting in Weeks Hall, September 15, 2017: L to R, Kirt Campion, Bill Morgan, Jamie Robertson, Martin Shields, Tim Carr, Christine Griffith, Board Chair, Tina Pint, Jim Davis, Steve Johannsen, Tom Doe, Chuck DeMets, Department Chair, Photo, Mary Diman. The Board of Visitors Christine Griffith, Board Chair greatly. A great deal of thanks must go to Mi- have them as a face of the department, dis- (2016-2018) chelle Szabo, the department administrator, playing the wonders of geology to the world As alumni, we are proud of our school and and everyone on the staff who have worked so and budding new geologists. The enthusi- its reputation for research and teaching. We hard this past year to keep everything running asm of everyone associated with the Geol- acknowledge the entry it has given us into our smoothly. ogy Museum (Richard Slaughter, David own careers and recognize the need for con- We (BOV) meet with students when we Lovelace, Carrie Eaton, Brook Norsted) is tinued support. We, on the Board of Visitors, visit, to give advice on careers, job searches, contagious. are the voice of alumni. Our role is to provide and graduate school admissions. Tina Niel- In January, Brad Singer led a successful an external perspective to the department son, Steve Johannsen, and other alumni field trip to Chile-Argentina to see volcanic and to reach out to other alumni, to support near Madison have met with students on mul- rocks of the southern Andes. The trip went the department and its students. We meet in tiple occasions. We would like to reach more 18 days, with 20 students and 2 alumni. Other Madison in the fall and spring, to learn about students, more often, and would welcome any field trips with alumni participation are pos- what’s happening in the department and to interested geology alumni who would like to sible. Anyone interested in New Zealand? This interact with students. become involved. If you live near Madison, trip, scheduled for Spring 2018 is an oppor- We welcome the new Department Chair, or are able to travel, let us or the Department tunity for alumni to see outstanding geology, Chuck DeMets, and look forward to working know. Another way for alumni to connect with with expert guidance, and to help defray the with him to support the department. We students is thru social media: Badger Bridge: costs of students. Contact the Department appreciated the opportunity to work with pre- https://www.uwalumni.com/services/alumni- for more information if you are interested in vious department chair, Harold Tobin, and directory/getting-started/ attending . salute him for his great service as department Last spring, we met graduate students and We want to maintain our contacts with chair and expect to continue working with learned about their research in the depart- our fellow alumni through alumni receptions him in other capacities. mental Research Symposium. We also heard at geological society meetings and through Bill Morgan joined the UW faculty as from representatives from various student alumni events like the barbeques in Houston, adjunct professor. He had a long career as clubs: Undergraduate Geoclub, Graduate hosted by Liz and Cory Clechenko. On a carbonate geologist with ConocoPhillips Geologic Society, AAPG Imperial Barrel, and Sept 14-15, 2017, the Geological Engineering and as a consultant, and is a past president PaleoClub. It was a pleasure to meet such Faculty, Staff and Students, together with the of SEPM and a past BOV chair. Building on enthusiastic and well-spoken students and GLE Board of Visitors, held a well-attended carbonate labs first developed by Lloyd Pray to hear about their activities: field trips, job and interesting Alumni Symposium in Madi- and added to by Toni Simo, he and Shanan preparation, community outreach, and social son. We propose to hold a similar reunion for Peters taught the first carbonate class in events. My favorite social event is the ‘bad our Geology alumni in the near future, featur- several years this past spring semester. geology movie night’. ing geologic topics of local and general inter- We were sad to learn about the untimely We are also very proud of the Geology est, presented by departmental and alumni death of Judy Gosse, who handled depart- Museum, with its beautiful exhibits, ongoing experts. Stay tuned for more information. ment finances. The Department misses her research programs, student fossil preparators, The Geoscience Department faces chal- and community outreach. We are lucky to lenges due to reduced state funding, with 2 Department of Geoscience • University of Wisconsin-Madison freezes on tuition and staff hiring and contin- Fund, which provides the Department the Tom Doe, [email protected] Evan Franseen, [email protected] ued uncertainties about federal grants, due flexibility to respond to pressing needs, such Steve Johannsen, [email protected] to recent change in the administration. The as laboratory modernization. Our Develop- Ben Laabs, [email protected] University has dealt with funding challenges ment Director at the U.W. Foundation, Troy Nancy Mahlen, [email protected] Richard Manser, [email protected] by reducing faculty through attrition, but they Oleck ([email protected]), is avail- Jeff Pietras, [email protected] recognize that departments need to replace able if you want to discuss donation options in Tina Pint, [email protected] faculty who retire, especially in key depart- more detail. Martin Shields, [email protected] ments, like Geoscience. Several distinguished Geoscience Department is well known Senior Advisors professors in the Department are expected to within the College of L&S for its very gener- Charles Andrews, [email protected] Donald Cameron, [email protected] retire in the next several years. It will be a tall ous donors. 2015-2016 was a banner year for Timothy Carr, [email protected] order to fill their shoes; the Department will donations as multiple donors took advantage Kenneth Ciriacks, [email protected] need to recruit new high-quality professors of the Nicholas matching fund to fund gradu- Doug Connell, [email protected] James Davis, [email protected] and fund new research, to fulfill their goal of ate fellowships and teaching assistantships David Divine, [email protected] maintaining a strong research program.