Mission Statement & Code of Conduct
The Department of Geosciences is designed to prepare students to excel in earth-related careers in public service, the private sector and education. The programs are intended to improve a student's ability to grasp earth concepts and ideas with greater clarity. Our goal is to provide high-quality training to prepare graduates for life-long advancement in the geosciences.
The department is committed to fostering an open and welcoming environment for students of all races, gender identities, nationalities, and backgrounds. Black lives matter! To help encourage this environment, all members of the Department of Geosciences follow a set of principles and practices for professional behavior that all faculty, staff, and students are held to. Our full Code of Conduct can be viewed here as a pdf file.
Faculty Spotlight
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Dr. Mark Abolins teaches a course about earthquakes and folded and fractured rocks (Geol 4080/5080 Structural Geology), a Field Methods in Geology course (Geol 3050), and an on-line course about caves (Geol 3040 Geoscience of Caves). His research foci include (a) the development of caves within folded and fractured rocks, (b) the geology of continental interiors, and (c) the accuracy of geologic maps. In the computer sphere, he uses geographic information system (GIS) software and Midland Valley MOVE structural geology software in teaching and research. He has incorporated state-of-the-art local and global LiDAR (light detection and ranging) elevation datasets into his work.
