Department of Geology and Geography
If you would like you include your information on this Bulletin Board, please email your news to Pranoti Asher.
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7/16/2008
New faculty in the Fall ...
Alessandro Zanazzi (Ph.D.) will be joining the department this Fall semester to teach introductory courses. He recently completed his Ph.D. from University of South Carolina in Stable Isotope Geochemistry. Alessandro holds a Masters degree in Geology from Iowa State and a Bachelors degree in Geology from the University of Padua, Italy. Welcome!
6/24/2008
Alumni news ...
Luke Davis (Geology major, class of 2004) is now a registered geologist in the state of North Carolina. Eric Wink (Geology major, class of 2002) is now Pappa Wink - father to little Roan born in late May.
6/10/2008
Student lands internship ...
Geology major William (Ben) Crowe has landed a summer internship at Chatham Public Works. Ben is pursuing a B.A. in Geology along with minor in GIS. Congratulations, Ben!
6/4/2008
Transition ...
Dr. Eleanor Camann has has accepted another faculty position (at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver ) and has therefore resigned her Georgia Southern faculty position effective July 31. We all wish her the best in her new home and job.
5/2/2008
The 2008-2009 GeoClub officers are ...
President: Will Spence
Vice President: Ben Crowe
Secretary: Andrea McHugh
Treasurer: Emily Galloway (Fall 2008), Brooke Hamil (Spring 2009)
Many thanks to Abby Cramer for her hard work along with the other officers to keep the GeoClub running smoothly!
4/2/2008
Scholarship winners are ...
Andrea Mchugh (Geology major) was the winner of this year's
Hanson Scholarship and Melanie Barron (Geography major) was
the winner of this year's Good Scholarship. They were recognized at the Honors Day Convovation this morning. Three geology students (Abby Cramer, Brooke Hamil and Kevin Ashman) were awarded the Excellent Scholarship. Kevin Ashman was also inducted as a Golden Key Honor Society member. Congratulations to
all these students. Four geography students (Melanie Barron, Nancy Page, Sarah Brant, and Paul Foster) were awarded the Excellent Scholarship. Wesley Howard was inducted as a Upsilon Pi Epsilon member.
3/25/2008
Faculty Research Grants ...
Eleanor Camann and Wei Tu were awarded Faculty Research Grants this spring by the Research Committee in the Faculty Senate. Congratulations to them!
3/6/2008
GeoClub in the news ...
The Department of Geology & Geography's student-run organization, GeoClub is joining forces with SAGE (Student Alliance for a Greener Earth), the University Wellness Program, and the Residence Halls to increase environmental awareness on campus. For the month of March, these organizations have planned events and activities around the theme: "LivinGreen: Reduce, Reuse Recycle." The program's goals are to 1. Reduce monthly energy consumption in the residence halls by 20%, 2. Use paper products instead of plastic, and 3. Use permanent, reusable products instead of temporary, disposable products. Some of the many events planned include speakers from Keep Bulloch Beautiful, the Department of Geology & Geography, and the US Green Building Council, environmental themed films such as 'Kilowatt Ours' and 'A Crude Awakening', a "rescue recyclables" day, a carbon neutral concert, and water tasting demonstrations. GeoClub along with the other organizations hope to inspire GSU students, faculty and staff to live a little greener and be more conscious about their individual usage of energy and recyclable products. A calendar of events is forthcoming.
Read more at http://welcome.georgiasouthern.edu/wellness/LivinGreen/index.html
2/20/2008
New faculty to join the deparment ...
Dr. Brian Bossak will be joining our department this coming fall to fill our tenure track GIS position. Brian will be teaching a variety of geography courses including GIS courses. Brian is currently working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georiga. He has a Bachelors and Masters degree in Geography from University of Georgia and a Doctoral degree in Geography from Florida State University. Welcome to the department!
1/7/2008
Geology major makes the news ..
The University Honors Program is proud to announce that Georgia Southern University
student Jacob Taylor has been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Institute of International Education.
Taylor is a sophomore majoring in history and geology and is a member of the University Honors Program. The award will provide funding for Taylor’s study abroad semester at the University of Oulu in Finland this spring.
The Gilman International Scholarship Program offers awards for undergraduates to study abroad and was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. Taylor is the first Georgia Southern University student to receive the award.
“Living and studying in a unique culture such as Finland will be an experience that will have an immense impact on my life,” said Taylor.
During his time overseas, Taylor will take courses in Nordic and Scandinavian history and culture as well as study the Finnish language. In addition, he plans to explore the geological features of the country firsthand. Furthermore, Taylor plans to immerse himself in Finnish culture through the Kummi Program, which partners exchange students with local families.
This overseas experience will serve as a stepping stone on Taylor’s path to become a Peace Corps volunteer after graduating from Georgia Southern. Taylor then plans to pursue a master’s degree in geology and a career as an outdoor educator.
As a condition of the scholarship, Gilman recipients are required to complete a project upon return to their home institution. This fall, Taylor plans to create an exhibition involving photographs, mineral specimens, topographical maps and cultural artifacts to provide visitors with “a glimpse of what it is like to experience the culture and environment of Finland.” Taylor will also prepare a presentation and slideshow which he will deliver to classes on campus and in local schools.
In addition, he plans to use his experience in Finland to help shape the challenge courses he supervises as a staff member in Southern Adventures located in the Campus Recreation and Intramurals department on campus. Taylor stated that he is committed to “intertwine aspects of studying abroad into activities that focus on diversity, challenging personal boundaries and achieving a global perspective.” Through his multifaceted project, Taylor is ultimately committed to “allowing others to conclude that education abroad is beneficial, possible and necessary.”
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.
Jake Jones (B.S. Geology, 2005) was married to Heather Anderson on December 22, 2007 in Savannah. To contact Jake, email him at jake.jones@ttemi.com
Jessica vander Maas ( B.S. Geology, 2005) has accepted the Laboratory Coordinator position in the department starting January 2008.
12/1/2007
Faculty changes..
Mike Kelley has accepted a position as Physical Scientist in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In this capacity he will serve as the Program Scientist for a new Discovery-class spacecraft mission, and will assume his new position on February 1, 2008. Being selected to fill this job is a wonderful opportunity for Mike and recognition of his accomplishments within the community of space scientists.
Dr. Musa Hussein, who is defended his PhD at UTEP, has accepted full-time employment for the Spring 2008 semester. Musa is a Jordanian with a specialty in geophysics. He also has experience in GIS and remote sensing. Musa has taught several lecture and lab courses on his own both at UTEP and a local community college. He will be teaching introductory lecture and lab courses during the spring semester.
11/19/2007
Time to get out of Dodge
Dodge Sinkhole now 80 feet deep - includes quote from Dallas Rhodes, chair of Georgia Southern Department of Geology and Geography http://www.macon.com/198/story/186899.html
9/24/2007
Department featured in the latest Georgia
Southern Magazine...
The Summer 2007 issue of the Georgia Southern Magazine has several notes pertaining to Department faculty. The SE GSA meeting stats are featured on page 2 whereas Jonathan Geislers NSF grant is featured on page 10. To read these stories click on the magazine link http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/magazine.htm
9/13/2007
Coastal Geology being offered in Spring 2008....
Are you looking for an upper division geology course for next
semester? See the flyer.
8/9/2007
Georgia Sea Grant award....
Dr. Eleanor Camann was again awarded funding from the Georgia
Sea Grant for a day of educational ship time on board the Skidaway
Institute of Oceanography's research vessel, the R/V Savannah.
Twenty lucky students in her Principles of Oceanography class
will get to enjoy the experience on October 9, 2007.
6/13/2007
New faculty to join the department....
Adam J. Parrillo will be joining the department for the academic
year 2007-08. Adam has concentrated on urban, economic, and social
geography of urban development for his doctoral studies at the
University of Cincinnati. He plans to defend his dissertation
this December. Adam's BS and MA degrees are also in geography
from Cincinnati. He has been teaching part-time for the last year
and has instructed courses in human geography, world regional
geography, and introductory level GIS. Adam also has experience
as a GIS consultant and serves on the board of directors for the
Village Life Outreach Project, a group concerned with rural villages
in Tanzania.
We welcome Adam and his family to our department.
6/3/2007
Planetary news....
Dr. Michael Kelley, a Research Scientist in the Department of Geology and Geography, is helping NASA choose the next generation of low-cost spacecraft missions in the Discovery Program. Over the last year Dr. Kelley has served on a science review panel that provides NASA Headquarters with an assessment of the scientific feasibility and value of proposed missions to comets and asteroids. In addition to teleconferences, the panel has held meetings in Washington, DC and Greenbelt MD, and has conducted a site visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. Previous missions in the highly successful Discovery Program include Mars Pathfinder, Stardust, Deep Impact, Lunar Prospector, and the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous.
5/3/2007
New faculty to join the deparment ...
Tom Chapman will be joining our department this coming
fall to fill our tenure track GIS position. Tom will be teaching
a variety of geography courses including GIS courses. Tom is currently
finishing his Ph.D. in Geography in the Geography Department at
Florida State University. He has a Bachelors degree in Geography
from Michigan State University and a Masters degree in Geography
from University of Toledo in Ohio. Welcome to the department!
5/2/2007
Department featured in the latest Georgia Southern Magazine...
The Spring 2007 issue of the Georgia Southern Magazine has
one story pertaining to Department faculty. Jonathan Geislers
adventures in Mongolia are featured on page 13. To read this story
click on the magazine link http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/magazine.htm
5/1/2007
Jason Dittmer is moving...
Jason Dittmer has accepted a Lecturer's position at the University College of London beginning in September. The University College geography program is among the best in the world and this is a great opportunity for Jason. Read more about the geography program at : http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/
Best wishes to Jason and Stephanie.
4/16/2007
2007-2008 GeoClub Officers election results...
Please join me in congratulating our newly elected GeoClub officers and committee chairs for the 2007-2008 school year, and in thanking our outgoing club leaders for their service.
Here are the results of the election:
President: Abby Cramer
Vice-President: Will Spence
Secretary: Matt Johnson (Fall)/Shannon Ferguson (Spring)
Treasurer: Paula Rowland
T-Shirt Committee Chair: Amanda Begg
Fundraising Chair: Steven Batchelder
Trip Coordinator: Chris Wheeler
4/4/2007
Geology major receives honarary student membership...
Jordan Copeland (BS Geology) was the recepient of an
honarary student membership in the American Institute of Professional
Geologists (AIPG). The photo below shows Jordan accepting her
membership certificate from Dr. Ron Wallace, President of the
Georgia Chapter of AIPG at the recent SE GSA meeting in Savannah.
4/4/2007
More good news....
Our very own Jason Dittmer received the Wells/Warren Professor of the Year Award at Georgia Southern University's 2007 Honors Day Convocation held at the Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, April 4. http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/press-release.php?nid=61 Way to go Jason!
See another press release about this news: http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/2007_PressRels/Apr07/dittmer.htm
Abigail Cramer (Geology major) was the winner of this year's
Hanson Scholarship and Nancy Page (Geography major) was
the winner of this year's Good Scholarship. Congratulations to
both these students
4/3/2007
Two G and G faculty receive external funding....
Wei Tu received $25,000 from the AT&T Industrial Ecology Faculty Fellowship Program. Wei's project is "Integrating Structural Economics Approaches and Geographic Information Systems to Study Substitution Information for Energy: Towards an Industrial Ecology to the Information Technology." He will begin the study this summer. Read more about this award at http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/viewArticle.php?id=125
Jonathan Geisler learned today that NSF approved his
proposal for the project entitled "Collaborative Research:
Systematics and Evolution of Fossil and Living Delphinidans (Dolphins,
Porpoises, and Kin)." The three-year long project will be
funded at about $45,000 per annum.
Read more about this award at http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/viewArticle.php?id=75
Congratulations to both Wei and Jonathan!
3/28/2007
Trever Slack weds his field assistant Abby Burch
Geology alumnus Trever Slack (working on his master's degree
at Clemson) was married to his field assistant Abby Burch on March
24, 2007.
3/1/2007
Faculty and student presentations at Spring 2007 meetings..
Geology and Geography faculty will be presenting papers and
posters this fall at the national AAG, and regional Geological
Society of America meetings. Click on this link
to read abstracts..
12/19/2006
Dr. Hiram Stanley Hanson
STATESBORO - Dr. Hiram Stanley Hanson, age 83, died Sunday
at the Ogeechee Area Hospice Inpatient Facility. He was born in
Carroll County, Ga., to the late Henry Loon and Mary Jones Hanson.
He attended Emory-at-Oxford, received bachelor's and master's
degrees in chemistry and master's in geology from Emory University,
did post graduate study in chemistry at Montana State, received
the Ph.D. degree in geology and geochemistry from the University
of Arizona and did post doctoral study in science education at
Stanford.
After employment in industrial and research chemistry, he entered
teaching and taught at Middle Georgia, Piedmont, Reinhardt and
Emory-at-Oxford colleges in Georgia and Sul Ross State College
in Alpine, Texas. After joining the Georgia Southern faculty in
1964, he was instrumental in establishing a geology program, and
retired in 1988 as a professor of geology and head of the Department
of Geology and Geography.
He had varied interests, including gardening, wood working and
with his wife enjoyed travel and collecting. He was preceded in
death by his wife, Mary Frances "Macy" Graham Hanson;
and one brother, Glen Hanson.
Surviving are a daughter and son-in-law, Maryette and Stephen
Rogers of Gunnison, Colo.; a brother, Arnold Hanson of Newnan,
Ga.; a sister, Frances Arnold of Fayetteville, Ga.; several nieces
and nephews also survive.
The visitation will be held Thursday from 1-2 p.m. at Joiner-Anderson
Funeral Home.
The memorial service will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. in the chapel
of Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home with Dr. H. William Perry officiating.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the
Ogeechee Area Hospice, P.O. Box 531, Statesboro, GA 30459.
12/12/2006
Undergradute is awarded GSA Research Grant...
Jordan Copeland, Geology major, was awarded the undergraduate research grant from the Southeast Section of GSA in the amount of $275.00 for her project entitled "Investigating Possible Structural Control on the Interaction of Surface and Ground Water at a site on the Georgia Coastal Plain." Congratulations Jordan! Way to go!
10/3/2006
Homecoming events......
Greetings Alumnus!
The Department of Geology and Geography cordially invite you
to join the faculty, geology and geography majors, and other alumni
for our annual Herty Homecoming Breakfast and Alumni Seminar.
The event starts at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 21, 2006 with
a breakfast buffet in Room 1107 Herty. Breakfast and open house
run until 9:30 a. m. followed by our Alumni Seminar from 9:40
a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Room 2112, Herty. The football game against
arch-rival Appalachian State kicks off at noon .
The Alumni Seminar will consist of four brief (~ 15 minute) presentations
from Amy Semratedu (Industrial Minerals BASF), William Brooks
(N.O.A.A. Coastal Services Center), Michael Sparks (U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency) and Kevin Collins (Georgia Environmental Protection
Division). The presentations are designed to give our majors a
taste of life after graduation and to provide our alumni with
a chance to teach the faculty. This is an important opportunity
to provide some sound advice to our Geo-majors as they prepare
themselves for the "real world".
Please join us for this reunion, bring your business cards, talk
to our majors and check out the renovations in the Herty Building.
Please remember that spouses, "significant others" and
family are always welcome. I hope you can join us for this important
event.
Sincerely,
Kelly Vance
Alumni Coordinator
Dept. of Geology & Geography
9/27/2006
Faculty and student presentations at various upcoming meetings...
Geology and Geography faculty will be presenting papers and
posters this fall at the regional AAG, Geological Society of America,
MetSoc, and Society for Vertebrate Paleontology meetings. Click
on this link to read abstracts..
8/9/2006
Kudos ...
Dr. Jim Darrell was presented with the Career
Service Award by the COST Council for his years of dedication
to the University, the College, and the community during the Fall
COST convocation. Jim, congratulations and happy retirement!
8/1/2006
New faculty join the deparment ...
Dr. Keith Bosak will be joining our department this
coming fall to fill our temporary geography position in GIS. Keith
recieved his Ph.D from University of Georgia and his B.S. and
M.S. degrees from Appalachian State University.
Dr. Mathieu Richaud will be joining our department this
coming fall to fill our temporary geology position. Mathieu recieved
his Ph.D from Northern Illinois University.
7/15/2006
More changes...
Dr. Pranoti Asher has accepted the position of Interim
Associate Dean for Faculty and Research Programs in the College
of Science and Technology, starting 1 August 2006. Dr. Asher is
an Associate Professor of Geology in the Department of Geology
and Geography, where she has received several awards from the
College and the University for Excellence in Teaching. She and
Dr. Kelly Vance presently hold an NSF research grant to study
the influence of modern research equipment and pedagogical approach
on student learning in geology laboratories. Dr. Asher is active
in professional service; she was awarded the 2004 Distinguished
Service Award from the Association for Women Geoscientists, and
in 2007 she will Chair the 56th Annual Meeting of the SE Section
of the Geological Society of America. Her experience in teaching,
scholarship and service merged in 2005, when as a Faculty Fellow
at the Center for Excellence in Teaching she promoted faculty
development across the University.
4/11/2006
Department featured in the latest Georgia
Southern Magazine...
The Spring 2006 issue of the Georgia Southern Magazine has two stories pertaining to Department faculty and students. Michael Kelley and his adventures in Antarctica are featured in an article on page 12-13, and Chuck Trupe with geology major Trever Slack's research project can be found on page 26. To read these stories click on the magazine link http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/magazine.htm
4/5/2006
Honors Day...
Geology major Jordan L. Copeland was recognized as the 2006 Hanson Geology Scholarship awardee and Geography major Kelly M. Bickers was recognized as the 2006 Good Scholarship awardee at this years Honors Day celebrations. Congratulations to all the awardees.
2/27/2006
Faculty and student presentations at various
upcoming meetings...
Geology and Geography students and faculty will be presenting papers and posters this spring at the national AAG, regional Geological Society of America, and other meetings. Click on this link to read abstracts..
2/23/2006
New faculty join the deparment ...
Dr. Ellie Camann will be joining our department this
coming fall to fill our tenure track coastal geology position.
Ellie will be involved in teaching Oceanography, Sedimentology
and Stratigraphy, Enviornmental Geology, and introductory laboratory
courses. Ellie received her Ph.D. in Coastal Sedimentology in
the Geological Sciences Department at University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. She has two Bachelors of Science degrees - one
in Foreign Services from Georgetown University and the second
one in Geological Sciences from University of Texas at Austin.
Mr. Robert Yarbrough (currently a Ph.D. student at University
of Georgia) will also be joining our department this fall to fill
up our tenure track Cultural Geography position. Rob will be involved
in teaching World Regional Geography and Human Geography courses
in addition to courses in his area of interest. His research interests
include topics such as Population Geography (Immigration), Place
and Identity, and Gender and Geography. Rob received a Masters
degree in Geography from University of Georgia and a Bachelor's
degree from Roanoke College.
We welcome both Ellie and Rob to our department.
12/15/2005
Faculty member receives funding...
Dr. Eleanor Camann was awarded funding by the Georgia Sea Grant College Program for a day of educational ship time on board the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography's research vessel, the R/V Savannah. The grant will allow students in her Principles of Oceanography (GEOL 1530) class next semester to get hands-on experience in oceanographic sampling and data collection. The trip is scheduled for February 28, 2006.
12/14/2005
Department featured in the latest Georgia
Southern Magazine...
The Fall 2005 issue of the Georgia Southern Magazine has several stories or newsclips pertaining to Department faculty and students. Kelly Vance and the GPR article is on page 4, Jonathan Geisler is featured on page 5, Faculty Awards on page 8, Clark Alexander and alum Mike Robinson are featured on pages 22 and 23 and alum Pete Krembs on page 34. To read these stories click on the magazine link http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/magazine.htm
11/23/2005
Student-faculty research grant competition
awarded to
geology major Trevor Slack and his advisor Chuck Trupe for their work on structural analysis of fractures in Miocene rocks of the Georgia Coastal Plain.Their proposal was funded for $2822.13. Congratulations!
11/21/2005
Click on the Georgia Southern Web page....
to read Michael Kelley's adventures in Antarctica at http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/
11/21/2005
Geology major receives COUR award for his
research..
Geology major Trevor Z. Slack was successful in obtaining
a 2005 Paulson Math & Science Student Research Awards under
the College of Science and Technology, Office of
Undergraduate Research (COUR) program. His proposal
was fully funded for $1758.88 for his project proposal titled
"A structural analysis of fractures in Miocene rocks of the
Georgia Coastal Plain."
Congratulations to Trevor and his advisor Chuck Trupe.
11/7/2005
Mike Kelley travels to Antarctica...
Read more about Mike's upcoming travel in this press release:
http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/2005_Press_Rels/Nov05/antartica.htm
10/6/2005
Geisler involved in study of unique whale
fossil
Read more about this important discovery by our very own Jonathan
Geisler at http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/2005_Press_Rels/Oct05/whale.htm
10/3/2005
Invitation to Homecoming 2005...
Dear Alumnus:
Please join alumni, faculty and current Geo-majors for the Department of Geology and Geography Homecoming Breakfast and Alumni Seminar on Saturday, October 22, 2005. Due to the extensive nature of renovations currently in progress in the Herty Building, this event will be held next door at the Georgia Southern Museum. Museum doors will open at 8:00 a.m. and a buffet style breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. followed by the Alumni Seminar at 9:40 a.m. The Alumni Seminar consists of a few short presentations ( ~ 15 minutes each) to showcase work or projects conducted by our alumni. The presentations provide an excellent opportunity for our current majors to learn about "life after graduation" and to interact with working professional geoscientists. The presentations are also a great chance for the former students to teach the faculty! We will try to limit the presentations to two or three; however, any alumnus that wishes to prepare a poster to showcase their work (and/or to help us to prepare our current majors) is welcome to bring one. Posters can be displayed continuously during the event and afterward if you wish to leave them. Please let us know if you plan to bring a poster so that we may prepare an adequate number of display boards. Presentations should be over by ~10:30 a.m. providing plenty of time to mingle and meet current majors or new faculty. Renovations to the natural history exhibits at the Museum have just been completed and Jonathan Geisler (Dept. Vertebrate Paleontologist & museum curator) invites you to review the new exhibits during your visit.
The Homecoming football game begins at 3:30 p.m. so there is ample time for tailgate barbecue and celebrations in the Paulson Stadium lot before the Eagles take on the Citadel. We hope you can join us in this annual reunion and take the time to share your experience with the faculty and current majors. Please send an e-mail if you can join us and remember that family and friends are always welcome.
Hope to see you on the 22nd of October!
Sincerely,
Alumni Coordinator
Department of Geology and Geography
Georgia Southern University
9/1/2005
Heading for Antarctica...
Michael S. Kelley has been selected to join the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) expedition for the 2005-2006 field season. He will be deploying to Antarctica (via New Zealand) this November and will join twelve other team members who will spend a part of the southern hemisphere's summer laced up in extreme cold weather gear and below-zero temperatures. To read more about the ANSMET program click on http://geology.cwru.edu/~ansmet/
8/18/2005
Department featured in the latest Georgia
Southern Magazine...
The Summer 2005 issue of the Georgia Southern Magazine features
an article on the Ecuador field trip (see pages 16 and 17). To
read this article click on the magazine link http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/magazine.htm
8/16/2005
Faculty and student presentations at various
upcoming meetings...
Geology and Geography faculty will be presenting papers and posters this fall at the national Council on Geographic Education, the regional AAG, Geological Society of America, MetSoc, and Society for Vertebrate Paleontology meetings. Click on this link to read abstracts..
8/12/2005
Convocation 2005 - Faculty Awards for Excellence...
http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/2005_Press_Rels/Aug05/facawards.htm
6/9/2005
Department office relocates to....
Herty 0100C beginning June 16, 2005. Phone numbers
and fax number remain unchanged. To obtain contact information
about the main office, click here.
6/2/2005
Denise Battles moves to Northern Colorado....
Denise Battles has been named Dean of the College of
Natural and Health Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado
(UNC) effective July 1, 2005. UNC, located in Greeley, Colorado, is
a doctoral-granting institution of approximately 12,000 students.
As Dean, Denise will oversee six academic schools in the areas
of Biological Sciences; Chemistry, Earth Science & Physics;
Human Services; Mathematical Sciences; Nursing; and Sport &
Exercise Science.
Beginning July 1 she can be reached at: denise.battles@unco.edu
Best wishes from all the faculty to Denise and Mike. Good luck
in your new position.
5/30/2005
Soren Larsen departs for Missouri....
Soren Larsen will be leaving the department this July
to join the Geography faculty at the Univeristy of Missouri-Columbia
in Columbia, Missouri. Best wishes to Soren and his family. Soren
can be reached at larsens@missouri.edu
5/30/2005
Susan Langley leaves Georgia Southern....
Susan Langley will be leaving the department this July.
Best wishes from all the faculty to Susan. She can be reached
at slangley@frontiernet.net
5/10/2005
Human Geography position....
Ms. Jennifer Kopf will be joining the department this
fall to fill the position of Human Geography. Ms. Kopf is cultural
geographer who has her BA in German Studies from Miami of Ohio
and a MA in Geography from Texas. She is currently a PhD candidate
at the University of Kentucky and plans to defend her dissertation
on "Spatial Strategies of Resistance to Anit-Islamic Animus
in German East African Transportation, Labor, Education, and Social
Policies" this summer. Ms. Kopf has held teaching posts at
George Mason University and Miami of Ohio. She has lived in Switzerland
and travelled extensively in Europe, Africa, and elsewhere. Welcome
to the department!
5/7/2005
Georgia Southern Award for Excellence in
Instruction goes to...
Pranoti Asher was named the recipient of one of the University's two Award for Excellence in Contributions to Instruction. This was announced during Saturday's Spring Commencement Ceremonies. http://cost.georgiasouthern.edu/news/
4/25/2005
COST Teaching Award goes to...
Chuck Trupe, Associate Professor of Geology, is the co-recipient of the COST Award of Excellence in Teaching for 2005. He will be formally recognized at the COST Fall 2005 Faculty Meeting. Congratulations Chuck!
4/7/2005
New geography faculty joins the Department...
Dr. Xingyou Zhang will be joining our department this coming fall to fill our tenure track GIS position. Xingou will mostly be involved in teaching GIS courses. He is currently a Senior Research Scientist at the Childrens Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Xingyou received his B.S. in Geography from Hunan Normal University in China and M.S. in Geography from Lanzhou University also in China. He also received another Masters degree- this time in Statistics from the University of Cinncinati in Ohio. He was awarded the Ph.D. in Geography also from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio in 2004. Welcome to the department! We look forward to working with our new colleague!
4/6/2005
Honors Day...
Geology major Jake B. Ball was recognized as the 2005 Hanson Geology Scholarship awardee at this years Honors Day celebrations. Geology majors Susan Howell was recognized for being listed in "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges" while geology majors Joel Trainor and Jessica vander Maas (formerly Hatton) recieved the "Excellent Scholarship." Susan, Jessica, and Joel were also recognized for their outstanding academic achievement by being invited to the Phi Kappa Phi Membership. Jessica was also inducted into the Golen Key National Honor Society for her scholastic achievement. Congratulations to all the awardees.
3/10/2005
New geology faculty joins the Department...
Ellie Camann will be joining our department this coming fall to fill our Coastal geology temporary position. Ellie will be involved in teaching Oceanography, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Enviornmental Geology, and introductory laboratory courses. Ellie is finishing up her Ph.D. in Coastal Sedimentology in the Geological Sciences Department at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has two Bachelors of Science degrees - one in Foreign Services from Georgetown University and the second one in Geological Sciences from University of Texas at Austin. Welcome to the department! We look forward to working with you.
3/8/2005
And the winner is...
Geology major Jake Ball is the winner of the 2005 H. Stanley
Hanson Scholarship. Jake is a native of LaFayette, GA and is working
on the B.S. in geology degree.
Congratulations to Jake !
3/1/2005
DNR funds Jim Reichard....
Jim Reichard was recently awarded an $80,106 grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the project titled "The relationship between artesian groundwater springs and ecology of coastal rivers in Georgia". This two year project is being funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and administered by Georgia DNR.
2/2/2005
Dr. Clark Alexander in New Zealand....
Lead scientist, Dr. Clark Alexander, along with an international
team of scientists, soon will embark on a new research vessel,
the R/V Kilo Moana, off the east coast of North Island,
New Zealand for a research expedition to study the ocean floor.
Read more by clicking here
1/20/2005
Michael Kelley is awarded NASA funding...
Research Scientist Dr. Michael S. Kelley has been awarded a 3-year, $101,800 grant from the NASA Planetary Astronomy Program. The funding will support telescopic observations of asteroids and data reduction for his project entitled "Compositional Investigation and Genetic Testing of Dynamical Asteroid Families."
1/10/2005
Faculty and student presentations at various
upcoming meetings...
Geology and Geography faculty will be presenting papers and posters this spring at the annual AAG meeting, regional GSA meeting, Wild Game Supper, and at the LPSC. Click on this link to read abstracts..
12/10/2004
Chair invited to participate ...
Dallas Rhodes was invited to participate in a Building
Strong Geoscience Departments workshop to be held at the College
of William and Mary on February 24-26, 2005. This will be an opportunity
to showcase many of our departmental achievements.and successes.
12/8/2004
Two geology students selected for the 2005
Legislative Wild Game Supper...
Geology major Jessica Mannering will be presenting
her research in Atlanta next month. Her poster will be entitled
"New Species of Toothed-Whale from the Oligocene (25 MYA)
of Coastal South Carolina." Congratulations to Jessica and
her advisor Jonathan Geisler.
Geology and geography major Susan Howell will also be presenting her research in Atlanta next month. Her poster will be entitled " An Integrated Approach to Geologic Mapping of Carolina Terrane Rocks in the Woodlawn and Aonia Quadrangles of Georgia." Congratulations to Susan and her advisor Kelly Vance.
12/1/2004
New faculty joins the department for Spring
05 .....
Donald Thieme (PhD. University of Georgia) has accepted
the one-semester temporary teaching position in the Department.
He will be teaching Sedimentology and Stratigraphy and introductory
geology laboratories this coming spring. The faculty and students
welcome Dr. Theime to Statesboro.
11/8/2004
Even more good news.....
Pranoti Asher received the Association
for Women Geoscientists 2004 Distinguished Service Award at
the GSA meeting in Denver, Colorado.
11/1/2004
More good news.....
Pranoti Asher has been selected for the Center for
Excellence in Teaching (CET) Fellowship Program for 2005. Her
fellowship will extend through the 2005 calendar year with half
of her assignment shifted to the CET. She will be involved in
promoting faculty development at the University. Learn more about
CET at http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/cet/
11/1/2004
Fred Rich in the news.....
Fred Rich was appointed as the regional co-PI for the
East Central Region of PRISM. PRISM (Partnership for Reform in
Science and Math) is funded by the National Science Foundation's
Math-Science Partnership Program. The intent of PRISM is to provide
educational experiences to math and science teachers in from kindergarten
through college; the greatest emphasis is on the K-12 years. They
currently work with seven school districts, and are funded, theoretically,
for five years at about $1M per year.
10/8/2004
Academic Excellence award...
goes to Jessica Mannering (Geology major) for her proposal
entitled "Presentation of student poster at annual Paleontological
Meeting." Her award is in the amount of $500. Congratulations
on your award and good luck at the Denver meeting!
10/8/2004
Geospatial Profile information
A very nice piece on geospatial technology as an emerging field
that was produced the U.S. Department of Labor. Click here
to read more about this...
9/17/2004
Homecoming events planned.......
Click on this link to
find out more...
8/31/2004
Faculty Grants ....
Soren Larsen received a Faculty Enrichment Grant from
the Government of Canada in the amount of $4,712 to support pedagogical
research and development in the summer of 2004. Larsen used the
funding to modify an existing course on the geography of North
America by partnering students with Canadian institutions (via
electronic mail) for the purposes of conducting an original research
project on US-Canada relations.
Soren Larsen received a National Science Foundation Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM) mini-grant in the amount of $5,000 to work with educators from area public schools to better integrate Geography into the existing Earth Science curriculum. Specifically, the project will create a web-based database of landscape change that will pair historic and contemporary photographs of natural and human sites across the state of Georgia. Upon completion of the project, educators from across the state will be able to use the web site to create their own lesson plans.
Kelly Vance received a $5269 Faculty Research Grant for his project entitled "Field and Geochemical Investigation of Carolina Terrane Rocks in Georgia." This work will also support senior thesis projects by Susan Howell and Jake Jones.
Jason Dittmer, Soren Larsen, and Mark Welford
received a $10,000 grant from the Board of Regents of the
University System of Georgia to fund the Consortium for the Study
of Trans-Atlantic Communities of African Descent. Research under
the umbrella of this consortium will be ongoing through the 2004-2005
school year on Sapelo Island in Georgia and throughout the Caribbean.
8/30/2004
Georgia Southern Magazine features two
stories about the department....
The Summer 2004 issue of the Georgia Southern Magazine
features an article on Geography (see pages 16 and 17) and another
one about the Statesboro Meteorite (see page 7). To read these
click on the magazine link http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/magazine.htm
8/11/2004
Faculty and student presentations at various
upcoming meetings...
Geology and Geography faculty will be presenting papers and
posters this fall at the annual Geological Society of America
meeting in Denver, CO and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
Meeting in Denver, CO. Click on this link
to read abstracts..
8/11/2004
COST Teaching Award goes to...
Dr. Pranoti Asher, Associate Professor of Geology, was
awarded the 2004 College of Science and Technology Excellence
in Teaching Award. She is pictured below with our Dean, Dr. Anny
Morrobel-Sosa during COST Convocation on August 11.
6/09/2004
Geology major receives honarary student
membership...
Luke Davis (BS Geology, minor Geography, class of 2004)
was the recepient of an honarary student membership in the American
Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG). The photo below shows
Luke accepting his membership certificate from Dr. Ron Wallace,
President of the Georgia Chapter of AIPG.
5/24/2004
Alumna in the news
Kresha Jones (BA Geology, minor GIS, class of 2002) will be married to Charles Aycock of Hazelhurst on May 29 2004 at the Georgia Southern Botanical Garden. All friends and relatives are invited to attend. (Taken from the Sunday May 23 issue of the Statesboro Herald). Kresha is employed by the Effingham County Board of Commissioners as the GIS project manager. Best wishes to Kresha and Chuck.
4/27/2004
Chuck Trupe granted tenure and promotion
Dr. Chuck Trupe was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of geology. Congratulations to Chuck and thanks for his many contributions to the Department
4/7/2004
GeoParty is coming....
The fifth annual awards dinner will be held on April 23, Friday
at 6 pm at Mark Welford's home. Check the departmental bulletin
board outside Herty 1100 for details.
4/2/2004
Sigma Xi Competition.....
At the Sigma Xi Competition at Southern last week, students presented
their research posters to faculty and students. Geology major
John Mnieckowski was the winner in the undergraduate competition.
John's presentation was titled "A NEW SPECIES OF PROTOCETID
CETACEAN FROM THE EOCENE OF SOUTH CAROLINA." Congratulations!
3/31/2004
2004-2005 GeoClub Officers announced....
The GeoClub Officers for the next academic year are:
President - Jessica Hatton
Vice-President - Jessica Mannering
Secretary - Chris Marquez
Treasurer - David McKee
Congratulations to all the new officers and thanks to Jenny
Hawkins for organizing the election process.
3/16/2004
Geology major wins a creative writing award...
Geology major Joel Trainor is one of the recipients of
the Roy Powell Awards for Creative Writing. Joel, a sophomore
from Waynesboro, was the winner in nonfiction for his essay "Tidal
Waters." He will receive a cash award for $50, a framed certificate,
and recognition at the University's Honors Day Ceremonies on April
7. Additionally, his work will be published in Miscellany, the
campus literary and arts magazine. Congratulations to Joel!
Pictured from Left to Right -- Joel Trainor, Jessica Hatton, Susan
Howell, and Charles Edwards at the Honor's Day Celebrations on
April 7.
3/12/2004
Georgia Southern geologists study new meteorite...
Michael Kelley and Pranoti Asher were in the news recently...
Read this story to learn about the Statesboro meteorite..
http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/2004_Press_Rels/March04/meteorite.html
3/10/2004
And the winners are...
Geography major Charles Edwards is the winner of the 2004
Daniel B. Good Scholarship. Charles is a native of Lawrenceville
and is working on the B.S.Ed in geography degree.
Geology major Jessica Hatton and Susan Howell are
the winners of the 2004 H. Stanley Hanson Scholarship. Jessica
is a native of Hazlehurst and is working on the B.S. in geology
degree while Susan is a native of Tucker and is working on her
BA in geology and BS in Geography.
Congratulations to all the winners !
3/1/2004
Fossil factory at the Georgia Southern
Museum...
For kids 6 and up accompanied by an adult
Saturday March 6, 2004 2:00 -4:00 PM
Work with the museum's own paleontologist, Dr. Jonathan
Geisler and discover the incredible things that fossils can teach
us. dig in fossil-rich dirt and take home what you uncover!
Contact the museum for more information by clicking on the link
below.
http://welcome.georgiasouthern.edu/museumnews/famsat.html
2/25/2004
Faculty and student presentations at various upcoming meetings...
Geology and Geography faculty and students will be presenting
papers and posters this spring at the 100th Annual Meeting of
the Association of American Geographers in Philadelphia, PA ,
the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, TX, and
the joint NE-SE Geological Society of America Meeting in Tysons
Corner, VA. Click on this link
to read their abstracts..
2/11/2004
Soren Larsen receives Canadian Grant...
Dr. Soren Larsen received a Faculty Enrichment Grant from the Government of Canada in the amount of $4,712 to support pedagogical research and development in the summer of 2004. Larsen will use the funding to modify an existing course on the geography of North America by partnering students with Canadian institutions (via electronic mail) for the purposes of conducting an original research project on US-Canada relations. Congratulations, Soren!
2/2/2004
New geography faculty joins the department...
Wei Tu will be joining our department this coming fall.
He will be teaching introductory level and upper division courses
in geography and GIS. He received his B.S in Geography with a
minor in Economics and his M.S. in Geography from East Normal
China University in Shanghai and is currently completing his Ph.D.
in Geography degree from Texas A&M University. He is currently
teaching Geography of Global Village (similar to World Regional
Geography) at Texas A&M. His teaching interests include urban
and regional development, theories and applications of GIScience,
and Economic Geography.
1/14/2004
B.A. with Major in Geography approved..
The Board of Regents approved the B.A. with a major in Geography this morning. This is great news for the department and for potential majors interested in Geography. Thanks to all the faculty who worked very hard to make this happen! Interested in the major? Check this form to see all the degree requirements.
1/13/2004
Two students selected for the 2004 Legislative Wild Game Supper...
Geography major Susan Howell and geology major John Mnieckowski will be presenting their research in Atlanta later this month. Congratulations to these students and their advisors Drs. Clark Alexander and Jonathan Geisler. Susan was also invited to present her research in a special theme session at the upcoming NE-SE GSA meeting in Washington DC.
http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/provost/wildgame/
12/05/2003
Georgia Southern Magazine features two stories about the department....
The Fall 2003 issue of the Georgia Southern Magazine features an article on Dr. Fred Rich's work and another one about the NSF grant awarded to Drs. Asher and Vance. To read these click on the magazine link http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/magazine.htm
11/24/2003
Some more good news . . ..
Geography major Susan Howell and geology major John Mniechowski
will be presenting their research at the Legislative Wild Game
Supper in Atlanta on January 27. This is three years in a row
when we have had two students' work on display at the meeting.
11/10/2003
Vatican Astronomer to speak on campus.....
Click on this link for more information. For more information about the talk, contact Dr. Michael Kelley at extension 7913.
Savannah Morning News carried this story on 11/12/03 - Click here to read the story
10/14/2003
Homecoming events...
Geology and Geography alumni... Please click on this link from your alumni coordinator, Dr. Kelly Vance.
8/19/2003
Faculty and student presentations at various upcoming meetings...
Geology and Geography faculty will be presenting papers and
posters this fall at the annual Geological Society of America
meeting in Seattle, WA and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
Meeting in St. Paul, MN. Click on this link
to read abstracts..
(from left to right) Jim Reichard, Denise Battles, Jim Darrell,
Dallas Rhodes, Michael Kelley, and Pranoti Asher during the GSA
meeting in Seattle. Students Luke Davis and Jake Jones are missing
in action as they were attending sessions during the meeting....
(we hope!)
SDSMT Professor Gale Bishop (formerly at Georgia Southern) and
Georgia Southern University colleague Dr. James Darrell swapping
lies in front of Bishop's poster on trophic analysis of Cretaceous
crabs at the GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle.
7/31/2003
Jim Henry retires...
In a major transition for one of the Department's faculty, Dr. Vernon J. "Jim" Henry retired on July 31, 2003, after directing the Georgia Southern University Applied Coastal Research Laboratory on Skidaway Island in Savannah for the past 12 years. Jim's distinguished record of geologic service to the University System and the State of Georgia began 41 years earlier however. In 1961, Jim arrived from Texas A&M University with his PhD in hand to accept a joint appointment between the Sapelo Island Marine Institute and the Department of Geology on the main campus of the University of Georgia. From there, he went on to become Director of the Marine Institute (1965-1971) while remaining an UGA faculty (1961-1982), the Chair of the Department of Geology at Georgia State University (1982-1992) and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Geology and Geography at Georgia Southern University (1992-2003). Over his career, he has advised 14 MS and 3 PhD students and provided advice and service to the State on a host of coastal issues. Although officially retired, Jim has several projects that he intends to pursue including the publication of a continental-shelf atlas based on his decades of marine geologic studies and the application of his detailed knowledge of regional stratigraphy to groundwater policy development.
7/30/2003
Georgia Southern Magazine features two stories about the department....
The summer 2003 issue of the Georgia Southern Magazine features an article on Geography major Michael Robinson's research and another one about the Volcanology field trip to Hawai`i. To read these click on the magazine link below.
http://news.gasou.edu/magazine.htm
7/21/2003
NSF proposal funded for $104,445....
Associate Professors of Geology Pranoti Asher (P.I) and Kelly Vance (co-PI) have been awarded a $104,445 National Science Foundation grant for their project, "A Comprehensive Plan to Improve Mineral Science Instruction Using Project-Based Learning and XRD Analysis." The grant will support Drs. Asher and Vance in developing laboratory materials for Environmental Geology, Mineralogy and other courses that will use X-Ray Diffraction techniques . The purchase of a Rigaku Miniflex XRD system will permit students to investigate industrial mineral applications and evaluate mineral hazards and construction materials. The XRD will also serve undergraduate research projects that investigate soils, clays, fine-grained rocks, and synthetic materials. Our congratulations to Pranoti and Kelly!
Read
about this award on NSF's web page
7/15/2003
Quake 'rocks' Bulloch area....
Residents in Candler, Bulloch felt seismic event
By JAKE HALLMAN
Reporter for the Statesboro (Ga.) Herald
An earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter Scale rumbled residents of Bulloch and Candler counties Sunday afternoon.
Officials reported no damage or injuries from the quake, which occurred at 4:15 p.m. Sunday. According to the National Earthquake Information Center, the quake was centered near Cobbtown, about 25 miles west of Statesboro and 20 miles east of Vidalia, three miles beneath the surface.
"There was nothing of any real consequence reported, except that we had one (an earthquake)," said David Moore, Candler County Emergency Management Agency director.
Moore said several Candler County agencies received calls from people curious about the event, and he confirmed it was an earthquake Sunday night.
Carol Sanders, Metter clerk of court, said she felt the quake at her home.
"It sounded like a big clap of thunder," she said. "The windows rattled and the ground shook a little bit."
Sunday's event didn't compare to an earthquake she experienced in California years ago, she added.
Metter resident Sonny Morgan said he wasn't sure what he was hearing when plates began rattling and windows started shaking at his home.
"I heard it and the sound lasted for about 14 or 15 seconds," he said. "It was just long enough to where I knew it wasn't thunder or a large truck passing by on the road."
Morgan's daughter, Metter Middle School seventh-grader Blythe Morgan, said the event was "scary."
"I was on the internet when I head this noise and felt shaking," she said. "At first, I thought it was thunder and then the plates and windows shook."
Morgan, a life-long resident of Metter, said he had never experienced
an earthquake.
"There's never been an earthquake like this since I've lived
here," he said.
The earthquake occurred along a fault, or crack in the bedrock, according to Dr. Dallas Rhodes, head of the Georgia Southern University department of geology and geography.
"We seldom see the faults that produce these earthquakes," Rhodes said. "We have anywhere from a few hundred feet to a few thousand feet of poorly consolidated sands, silts and clays the lie over the bedrock."
Sunday's quake was probably caused by leftover stress from when North America began moving away from Europe hundreds of millions of years ago, he added.
"We're still seeing some stretching taking place, and every once in a while there are these minor adjustments," Rhodes said. "Earthquakes of this magnitude aren't unusual. These are really small quakes."
In the spring, there was an earthquake off Georgia's coast, and one similar to Sunday's quake hit near Athens in March. On average, Georgia sees one or two minor quakes a year, he added.
The last major earthquake in the area was in Charleston in 1886, Rhodes said, which caused damage and strong motion throughout the area. It was the strongest earthquake ever recorded on the U.S. East Coast.
"That dwarfs everything else by comparison," he said. "Something like this (Sunday's quake) is almost a completely different species compared to the Charleston earthquake."
According to John Minsch, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, earthquakes have not been increasing in frequency in the Southeast.
"Any place can have earthquakes from time to time," he said.
Geologists have no way of predicting when or where an earthquake will happen, he added.
Herald staff reporter Logan Thomas contributed to this report.
Jake Hallman can be reached at (912) 489-9405 or via e-mail at
jhallman@statesboroherald.net.
5/21/2003
Dan Good retires from Georgia Southern.....
Dr. Daniel B. Good, Professor Emeritus of Geography, who is retiring on May 31, 2003. After service in the U.S. Navy with a Naval Air Patrol Squadron, the native Pennsylvanian, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Emory and Henry College in 1965. Dr. Good matriculated at the University of Tennessee where he earned the Master of Science degree in 1967, and the PhD in 1973, both in geography.
Dr. Good was Georgia Southern's first full-time geographer when he arrived on campus in 1969 as a member of the Department of History. After a campus-wide reorganization, Dr. Good joined the geology faculty in 1980 to create the Department of Geology and Geography. Over the last 22 years he has nurtured the geography program, helping it grow from a few service courses to a full-fledged Bachelor of Science major in 1997. Dr. Good has taught more than 20 different courses, ranging from the basics such as World Regional Geography and Introduction to Human Geography, to courses in his original specialty (economic geography), to new fields he largely taught himself, most notably weather and climate.
Dr. Good's expertise in the climate of south Georgia and his experience in watching the weather here for over 30 years has made him Statesboro's and Georgia Southern's unofficial weather man. No local weather story is complete without consulting Dr. Good. In September 1989, Georgia Southern had to make one of the most important weather related decisions in its history, whether or not to play its first televised football game while Hurricane Hugo bore down on the southeastern US. The University's senior administration called on Dr. Good for his advice, and they listened to what he said. The "Hugo Bowl" was played as the storm tracked along the east coast, eventually making landfall near Charleston. Although the rainfall was intense, the hurricane force winds were far away from Paulson Stadium. The Georgia Southern Eagles earned a victory and the University had its first national media exposure. Dr. Good has answered many weather questions over the years, all backed with data from the Georgia Southern University Weather Station which he has operated since it was established. Dr. Good's expertise and reputation were instrumental in bringing a National Weather Service station to Statesboro in 2000, literally putting the city on the weather map for the first time.
Historical and economic geography have been the central themes in Dr. Good's scholarship. During his career, Dr. Good contributed more than 30 publications and uncounted oral presentations on topics that included place name history in south Georgia, the State's climate, computer applications to geographic education, and the ecology, economics, and politics of Caribbean nations.
Dr. Good traveled throughout the world and brought what he learned to thousands of Georgia Southern students. On three occasions (1977, 1982, 1992) he was awarded Fullbright-Hays Fellowships to support research and teaching.
Dr. Good's memberships include the Association of American Geographers, the Georgia Academy of Science, the National Council for Geographic Education, the Association for Third World Studies, and the Bulloch County Historical Society, where he has served on the Board of Directors since 1990. Other leadership roles include the Board of Medical Mission, Inc., Directorship of the Georgia Place Name Survey, Chairmanship of the Rotary International Students Committee, the Steering Committee of the Georgia Geographic Alliance. Since 1966, Dr. Good has been a member of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the National Professional Geographic Fraternity.
Dr. Good has been honored repeatedly by his profession, this University, and the people of Georgia. Among his numerous awards and honors in recognition of his teaching excellence are the University Award for Excellence in Instruction (1985), the College of Arts and Sciences Ruffin Cup (1993), and the College of Science and Technology Excellence in Teaching Award (2001). He was named as one of Georgia Southern's Top Ten Professors six times. At the national level, Dr. Good's extraordinary skills have brought recognition through the National Council for Geographic Education Distinguished Teaching Award (1995) and the Outstanding Teacher Recognition by the Association of American Geographers (2001).
Service to the University and his fellow man has been an important part of Dr. Good's life. His service to Georgia Southern University includes more than 60 committees, boards, councils, task forces, and programs which was recognized by the University Award for Excellence in Service (1990). Dr. Good's commitment to education lead him to establish an endowed scholarship fund for geography majors at Georgia Southern with the first award given on Honors Day 2003. Dr. Good's service to the broader community earned The Dean Day Smith Award for Service to Mankind in 1992.
Dr. Good's extraordinary energy and a lifetime's devotion to
the people of southern Georgia and Georgia Southern University
are commended by the title Professor Emeritus of Geography.
5/4/2003
Dan Good's retirement party...
On Saturday, May 3, friends, students, and colleagues of Dan Good gathered at the Statesboro Inn to celebrate his 34 years of dedication and service to the Department and Georgia Southern University. Among the highlights of the festivities were toasts (and roasts!) from some of Dan's closest friends and longstanding colleagues. Dr. Henry Proctor, DDS, recalled some of the lighter moments of their trip to Haiti to provide dental care to poor island residents. Professors emeriti of History Kemp Mabry and George Rogers shared some of their earliest memories of Dan on the job when he was hired in the Department of History. Fred Rich related how his first encounter with Dan during his on-campus job interview 14 years ago helped to convince him to accept the position in the Department. Dallas Rhodes provided an enlightening survey of contemporary world events during Dan's first year as a professor at Georgia Southern. The formal events of the celebration concluded with the Department's presentation of a gift of appreciation to Dan: a cherry Liberty Arm scholar's chair complete with Dan's name and affiliation embossed on the crown. Guests mingled for hours remembering old times and congratulating Dan on the many accomplishments of his career. There could be no more fitting way for Dan to begin his "new" life after Georgia Southern, which will include enjoying sun and surf at his beach home on McIntosh Island.
4/30/2003
More good news.....
Pranoti Asher was granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Geology. Denise Battles was granted promotion to Full Professor. Congratulations to Pranoti and Denise in recognition of their hard work and outstanding representation of the Department.
4/30/2003
Fourth Departmental Annual Awards Dinner....
About 75 students, faculty and staff attended the fourth end-of-the-year-party on April 25, 2003. This event was held at Dr. Dallas Rhodes' and Dr. Lisa Rossbachers' home. Several students won awards for their accomplishments. Amongst the awardees were Luke Davis (Outstanding Geology Student of the Year), Susan Howell (Outstanding Geography Student of the Year), Jake Jones (Good Citizen of the Year Award), John Mnieckowski (Burning the Midnight Oil Award), Michelle McCarthy (Geology - Rookie of the Year Award), and Rebecca Hutto (Geography - Rookie of the Year Award). Dallas Rhodes gave several awards to the faculty including the Chair's Clydesdale award to Mark Welford for teaching the largest number of students. The GeoClub members coordinated the awards for the faculty and GeoClub members.
4/21/2003
Sigma Xi Competition.....
At the Sigma Xi Competition at Southern last week, students presented their research posters to faculty and students. Geography major Michael Robinson was the winner in the undergraduate competition. Mikes presentation was titled "GIS and Field-Based Analysis of the Individual and Cumulative Impacts of Recreational Docks on the Saltmarshes of Georgia." Congratulations!
4/11/2003
Geography major in the news.....
Geography major Susan Meredith Howell has been awarded a $500 Board of Regents Study Abroad Scholarship for this summer. She will be taking courses in England. Congratulations!
4/9/2003
Phi Kappa Phi Research Symposium
Geography major Michael Robinson will be presenting his research at this year's symposium on April 18. Mikes poster is titled "GIS and Field-Based Analysis of the Individual and Cumulative Impacts of Recreational Docks on the Saltmarshes of Georgia." This research is being supervised by Dr. Clark Alexander.
4/2/2003
And the winner is...
Geography major Susan Meredith Howell is the winner of the 2003 Daniel B. Good Scholarship. Susan is a native of Atlanta and is working on the B.S. in geography degree along with a minor in geology.
Senior geology major Luke Davis is the winner of the 2003 H. Stanley Hanson Scholarship. Luke is a native of Statesboro and is working on the B.S. in geology degree and a minor in geography.
Hanson scholarship winner Luke A. Davis and faculty pose after Honors Day celebrations. From left to right are: Chuck Trupe, Dallas Rhodes, Luke Davis, Jonathan Geisler, and Pranoti Asher
3/10/2003
Mapping Statesboro exhibit at the Georgia Southern Museum...
You are cordially invited to an open house of the new exhibit Mapping Statesboro on Sunday, March 16, 2003 from 2 - 5 pm at the Georgia Southern Museum. The exhibit is sponsored by the Statesboro Bicentennial Committee in honor of the city's 200th anniversary.
Mapping Statesboro traces the history of the city and the development of its neighborhoods through a variety of maps. Maps from the mid-eighteenth century to modern aerial photography highlight over 200 years history as Statesboro grew from a simple crossroads carved from the wilderness to a railroad town and eventually to the regional urban center that it is today. An interactive children's area helps younger visitors develop mapping skills, recognize and locate Statesboro landmarks, and even create their own towns.
The exhibit was curated by Dr. Dan Good of the Georgia Southern University Department of Geology and Geography. It also includes a unique set of maps developed by Dr. Jack Averitt with assistance from Dr. Del Presley and many local residents. The maps record the names of those who built or purchased homes in Statesboro's earliest neighborhoods from 1915 to 1945. This unique combination of oral history and mapping will prove a valuable addition to the historical memory of the city.
Refreshments at the Open House will be provided by the City
of Statesboro and members of local Girl Scout Troop 096 will assist
in hosting.
2/18/2003
Spring 2003 Faculty Research Grant Competition Results...
Here are the results from the latest Faculty Research Grants competition. All 7 proposals submitted by the Department were funded. A total of 47 proposals were submitted from across the campus. Our total award for all seven proposals was $20,219. So the Department's faculty received 15% of the number of awards and 21% of the total money allocated. Not bad at all.
Mike Kelley - Spacecraft Missions to Asteroids: Geologic Studies of the Targets
Susan Langley - Reconstructing Presettlement Vegetation and Fire Regimes at Fort Steward, Georgia
Fred Rich - A Proposal to Purcahse a Sony Cybershot Digital Camera and Microscope Adapters
Dallas Rhodes - Timing of Holocene Climate Change, Carrizo Plain, California
Jim Reichard - Relationship Between Groundwater Discharge and Critical Sturgeon Habitat in Coastal Georgia
Soren Larsen - Economic Development and Quality of Life in the Southwest Georgia United Empowerment Zone, Vienna, Georgia
Pranoti Asher - Mineralogy, Weathering History, and
Volatile Inventories of the Martian Surface
Congratulations to all the awardees!
2/18/2003
Georgiacetus is in the news again...
Another nice article about Georgiacetus was published in the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution today.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/news/science/0203/11vogtlewhale.html
2/13/2003
New geography faculty joins the department...
Jason Dittmer will be joining our department this coming fall. He will be teaching introductory level and upper division courses in cultural, political, and human geography. He received his B.A in Political Science and International Studies from Jacksonville University, his M.A. in International Affairs from Florida State University and is currently completing his Ph.D. in Geography degree from Florida State University.
2/5/2003
Student presentations at the Legislative Wild Game Supper...
Geography major Mike Robinson and Marketing major (with
GIS Minor) Lindlee Harrelson presented research at the
Legislative Wild Game Supper in Atlanta last night. Mike's poster
discussed the "GIS and Field-Based Analysis of the Individual
and Cumulative Impacts of Recreational Docks on the Saltmarshes
of Georgia." Lindlee's presentation discussed "Is It
Warm In Here? A GIS Analysis of Economic Productivity and CO2
Emissions."
Dr. Clark Alexander is the faculty mentor for Mike while
Dr. Nancy Leathers has been supervising Lindlee's research.
The presenters had an opportunity to discuss their research/creative
activity with members of the Board of Regents, several legislators,
and Governor Sunny Purdue. The purpose of this poster session
is to display the scholarly efforts of Georgia Southern undergraduates
and their faculty mentors.
2/4/2003
Faculty and student presentations at various upcoming meetings...
Geology and Geography faculty will be presenting papers and posters this spring at the regional Geological Society of America meeting in Memphis, TN and the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers meeting in New Orleans, LA. Click on this link to read abstracts..
1/26/2003
NSF proposal funded...
Associate Professor of Geology Denise Battles and Professor of Art Jane Rhoades Hudak have been awarded a $74,968 National Science Foundation grant for their project, "Educational Materials Development for a General Education Course on Art and Geology." The grant will support Drs. Battles and Hudak in developing materials appropriate for a college textbook on the intersections of art and geoscience. The project arose out of the two faculty members' collaborative efforts in team-teaching a course on art and geology. By developing a commercially-available introductory-level textbook, they hope to facilitate the dissemination of such courses to other colleges and universities. Our congratulations to Denise and Jane!
10/16/2002
Faculty presentations at various upcoming meetings...
Geology faculty will be presenting papers and posters this fall at the annual Geological Society of America meeting in Denver, CO and Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Meeting in Norman, OK. Click on this link to read abstracts.
9/26/2002
Oldest whale fossil to be unveiled at Georgia Southern Museum...
Read more about this by clicking on this link
9/25/2002
Water policy expert to speak at Georgia Southern
To find out more about this free lecture click on this link or visit the Department's seminar page.
8/5/2002
Water and Jim Reichard both front page news...
South Georgians to get say on aquifer
State offers limited right to tap saltwater layer
Jingle Davis - Staff
Monday, August 5, 2002
Anybody proposing to pump salty water from South Georgia's Lower Floridan aquifer will first have to prove the freshwater upper aquifer won't be harmed.
That's the gist of a state proposal to be aired at a series of public meetings, beginning Tuesday night in Statesboro.
The Upper Floridan, which provides most of South Georgia's fresh water, is as vital to that part of the state as the Chattahoochee River and Lake Lanier are to Atlanta and points north.
Because of restrictions or outright bans in 24 South Georgia counties on new wells tapping into the freshwater aquifer, the state Environmental Protection Division proposes to allow municipalities and others to tap the salty lower layer and treat the water to make it drinkable.
"These are straight informational meetings," said Bill Frechette of the EPD. "The draft proposal [presents] talking points. We can be flexible in what the final plan will be."
Meanwhile, rapidly growing Richmond Hill near Savannah has appealed the state's decision to deny the coastal city a permit to tap the Lower Floridan. The city wants to build Georgia's first reverse osmosis plant to treat the salty water.
"Their lawyers and our lawyers are in negotiations now to see if there's a way to get a settlement," Frechette said. "We hope to have one real soon."
Any proposed settlement would be offered for public comment before being finalized, he said.
Jim Reichard, a geology professor at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, said the state's draft plan for the Lower Floridan does not go far enough in protecting the upper aquifer's fresh water.
Parts of the Upper Floridan are already contaminated with salt because heavy industrial pumping in Savannah allowed seawater to seep into wells on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The same thing happened in Brunswick, but those wells were contaminated by naturally pressurized salt water from the lower aquifer rising into heavily pumped areas of the upper aquifer.
There is natural leakage between the two aquifer layers, Reichard said.
"When you pump from one, you can draw water from the other," he said. "We don't know the degree of leakage between the two, but we know it varies."
Reichard and others say tapping the Lower Floridan could allow fresh water to leak down into salty Lower Floridan layers, further depleting the area's fresh water supplies. Or it could allow salt water in the lower aquifer to contaminate the Upper Floridan, as it did in Brunswick.
"The state has proposed a standard methodology to determine the degree of leakage," Reichard said. "But some of us think the state needs to develop a more flexible methodology because you're dealing with so many variables."
All meetings on the Lower Floridan draft proposal will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday's meeting is at City Hall, 50 E. Main Street in Statesboro. On Aug. 20, the meeting will be at the Savannah Civic Center ballroom at 301 West Oglethorpe Ave. The Brunswick meeting will follow on Aug. 22 at Coastal Georgia Community College, Continuing Education Auditorium, 3700 Altama Ave.
Mail written comments to Bill Frechette, Ga. EPD Water Resources
Branch, Floyd Tower East, Suite 1058, 2 Martin Luther King Jr.
Drive, Atlanta 30334.
6/7/2002
Astrogeology news ...
Research Scientist Dr. Michael Kelley has been awarded time at the 3-meter NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. His project to study rare classes of asteroids was selected out of 114 proposals submitted to a recent international competition for Fall semester observing time on the telescope. The observatory is located atop the summit of Mauna Kea (elev. 13,796 feet) on the island of Hawaii. Geology major Tony Hicks will be assisting Dr. Kelley at the telescope in November.
5/8/2002
Geology minor wins a scholarship ...
Geology minor Tammy Whitaker was recently awarded a Association for Georgia Southern Women scholarship. Way to go Tammy!
5/6/2002
More good news ...
Dr. Clark Alexander (SKIO) was promoted to Full Professor. Congratulations to Clark for this recognition of his outstanding work.
4/30/2002
And the 2002 COST Teaching award recipient is...
our very own Dr. Jim Reichard. This award was announced by Dean Jimmy Solomon this morning. All awardees will be recognized at the first the College of Science and Technology faculty meeting of the new fall semester. Congratulations Jim!
4/26/2002
Geology and Geography end of the year celebration is a huge success....
About 75 students, faculty and staff attended the third end-of-the-year-party
on April 26. This event was held at Dr. Dallas Rhodes' and Dr.
Lisa Rossbachers' home and catered by Ms. Helen Cannon of Georgia's
Bed and Breakfast. Several students won awards for their accomplishments.
Amongst the awardees were Patrice Cook and Luke Davis
(outstanding geology student of the year), Michael Robinson
(outstanding geography student of the year), Tracey Tapley
(good citizen of the year award), Eric Wink (Burning
the Midnight Oil award), Kresha Jones (Lab technician of
the year award) Melissa Hunter (Geology - Rookie of the
year award), and David Bender (Geography - Rookie of the
year award). Dr. Dallas Rhodes gave several awards to the faculty
including the Chairs Clydesdale award to Jim Darrell.
Jake Jones received the Liquidus Award from Pranoti Asher
for presenting the best Petrology Poster to the Faculty.
The Geoclub members coordinated the awards for the faculty. Some
of these awards included the Petropager award to Pranoti Asher,
the Attitude Adjustor to Kelly Vance, Burning the Midnight
Oil award to Nancy Leathers, the Significant Figure Award
to Jim Reichard, the Forwarding Award (for sending the
most emails) to Susan Langley, and the Most Caffeine-ated
award to Chuck Trupe.
The Geoclub members also gave awards to other students. These
included Officer of the year- Patrice Cook, Member of the
Year- Tracey Tapley, U-boat Award- Jake Jones, El
Burro Jockey Award- John Mneichowski, ESCAL #1 resident-
Eric Wink, Baja Racing Award- Russ Lyon, and Digging
his/her grave award- Ron Moore.
To view images from the Party, click on this link.
4/18/2002
Jim Reichard granted tenure and promotion
Dr. Jim Reichard was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of geology. Congratulations to Jim and thanks for his many contributions to the Department
4/1/2002
Moon rocks and meteorites land in Statesboro... No fooling!
Assistant Professor of Geology Dr. Pranoti Asher has
acquired NASA's Educational samples of Moon rocks and Meteorites
for two weeks. She will be using these samples in her upper-level
course on Igneous and Metamorphic rocks. Additionally, she will
be giving several lectures in various introductory geology courses
on the geology and mineralogy of moon rocks and meteorites. If
you are interested in holding these priceless rocks in your own
hands, contact Dr. Asher to find out the times and locations of
the lectures. Check on this link to see the official
PR from the Marketing and Communications office.
Pranoti Asher holding a disk of Moon rocks and soils
Meteorites and Lunar sample disks from NASA.
3/21/2002
Michael Kelley is awarded another NASA grant
Research Scientist Dr. Michael S. Kelley was awarded a $29,000 grant funded by the Planetary Astronomy Program of NASA. His project entitled "Compositional Investigation and Genetic Testing of Dynamical Asteroid Families" will support the observations of asteroid family members and preliminary reduction and calibration of the resulting data. Grant period is for three years.
3/12/2002
Dinosaurs in Alabama? No fooling...
Find out who ate whom during the Cretaceous in Georgia! The Georgia Southern Museum is proud to present a lecture by Dr. David Schwimmer, Paleontologist from Columbus State University. Dr. Schwimmer will talk about a new, primitive tyrannosauroid from North America -- found just "next door" in Alabama. He will also present evidence that crocodiles and sharks fed on dinosaurs! If you are interested in dinosaurs or curious about what was happening in Georgia and the southeast long before peanuts, cotton, and sweet tea, then don't miss this fun evening lecture. The public is invited and admission is free!
Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2002
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Georgia Southern University Biology Building, Lecture
Hall #1119
After the lecture, the public is invited back to the museum
for refreshments!
3/1/2002
And the winner is...
Junior geology major Luke Davis is the winner of the 2002
H. Stanley Hanson Scholarship. Luke is a native of Statesboro
and is working on the B.S. in geology degree along with a minor
in GIS.
3/1/2002
New geography faculty joins the department...
Soren C. Larsen (currently a Fulbright scholar in Western Canada) will be joining our department this coming fall. He will be teaching introductory level and upper division courses in cultural and human geography. . He recieved his B.A in Anthropology and English from Illinois State University, his M.A. in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Kansas and is currently completing his Ph.D. in Geography degree from the University of Kansas. Soren is looking forward to getting rid of his winter clothes and moving to Statesboro.
2/28/2002
Faculty and student presentations at various upcoming meetings...
Geology and geography faculty will be presenting papers and
posters this spring at various meetings. Click on this
link to read abstracts..
2/1/2002
Faculty award...
Charles Trupe was a recent awardee of the Georgia Southern Faculty Research Stipend Competition. He will use his award to conduct research on the Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the Blue Ridge, Western North Carolina.
1/24/2002
We are in the news again.....
Savannah Morning News carried the story on the Lower Floridan Aquifer on 1/23/02. Read Dr. Jim Reichard's comments in the story. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also carried an editorial and another article on the same story. Click on all three links to read more about this hot topic!
http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/012302/LOCwaterproject.shtml
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/opinion/0102/0125reheis.html
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/wednesday/metro_c375c9b02464403e00cd.html
1/23/2002
Faculty member elected as a division officer in the Geological Society of America
Adjunct Research Assoicate Dr. Michael S. Kelley was
recently elected as the Second Vice-Chair officer in the Planetary
Geology Division of the Geological Society of America.
1/23/2002
Geology students to present research at the Wild Game Supper in Atlanta.
Anna Austin and Cori Cowan will be presenting
their research at the 2nd Annual Undergraduate Research/Creative
Activity Poster session at the Legislative Wild Game Supper at
the Old Freight Depot in Atlanta on January 29, 2002. Anna will
be presenting a poster entitled "An integrated GIS-based
approach to quantifying the rates of shoreline change in the Georgia
Bight: Digitization of historical shoreline positions." Cori
will be presenting a poster entitled " Structural and kinematic
analysis of the eastern-western Blue Ridge contact in the Weaverville
quadrangle, western North Carolina."
Drs. Susan Langley and Clark Alexander are the faculty mentors
for Anna while Dr. Chuck Trupe has been supervising Cori's research.
The presenters will have the opportunity to discuss their research/creative
activity with members of the Board of Regents, several legislators,
and Governor Barnes. The purpose of this poster session is
to display the scholarly efforts of Georgia Southern undergraduates
and their faculty mentors.
Senior geology major Cori Cowan presented her research at the
2nd Annual Undergraduate Research/Creative Activity Poster session
at the Legislative Wild Game Supper at the Old Freight Depot in
Atlanta on January 29, 2002.
12/03/2001
Michael Kelley is awarded a NASA grant
Adjunct Research Assoicate Dr. Michael S. Kelley was awarded a $30,000 grant funded by the Planetary Geology and Geophysics program of NASA. His project entitled "Geologic mapping of genetic asteroid families: Analysis of the FACES database" will support the reduction, analysis, and dissemination of his observational database on asteroid families.
10/15/2001
Homecoming events.....
The Department is hosting Geo Alumni events for Homecoming,
October 20 ( this Saturday). Events will include an open house
in Herty starting about 9:30 a.m. The Geo Club members will help
to host this and also use this time to learn the "employment
ropes" from alumni. Faculty will also provide a tour of the
SAGIS lab and give the run down if requested. The open house will
lead up to a pre-game cookout (~11:30 a.m.) outside Herty.
The post-game festivities will be at the home of Dr. Dallas Rhodes
at 6:00 p.m. and include a casual picnic style dinner and alumni
reception. All faculty, spouses and significant others are invited.
10/5/2001
Fred Rich gets a $30,000 grant .....
Fred Rich was awarded a $30,000 grant funded by the
Coastal Rivers Water Planning and Policy Center. His project is
titled "A Proposal to Establish Research, Education, and
Interpretive Priorities to Enhance the Development of the Okefenokee
Education and Research Center, Folkston, Georgia". In other
words, he will be working toward a set of objectives and methodologies
that will help in the construction and design of the Okefenokee
Education and Research Center. He will have release time in spring,
and essentially 100% of his effort in the summer will be spent
helping with the development of the plan for the center. The center
will be placed in a former school building in Folkston, which
is currently being renovated. Upon completion it will occupy three
buildings, and will include a full complement of research, teaching,
and interpretive facilities.
10/2/2001
We are in the news again.....
Savannah Morning News carried the story on the opening of the
water policy center on campus. To read more about this click on
the link below:
http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/100201/LOCwaterpolicy.shtml
9/14/2001
Faculty and student presentations at various upcoming meetings...
Geology faculty will be presenting papers and posters this fall at the annual Geological Society of America meeting in Boston, MA and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Bozeman, MT. Click on this link to read abstracts..
9/14/2001
What happened to the Dinosaurs?...
What Happened to the Dinosaurs? September 29, 2001 7:00 - 9:00
P.M.
Why did dinosaurs become extinct? Explore this mystery at the
Georgia Southern Museum with the new Curator of Paleontology,
Dr. Jonathan Geisler, and then visit
the planetarium for a special show with Dr. Ben Zellner. Space
is limited so please register in advance. Call 681-0147. This
program is for school-aged children and adults and there is no
admission charge.
9/6/2001
To shake or not to shake...
Dr. Pradeep Talwani, Director of the South Carolina Seismic Network and Professor of Geophysics at the University of South Carolina presented a lecture titled "The Charleston Earthquake of 1886, Then and Now" on Thursday, September 6th at 7:30 pm in the Biology Lecture Hall. Approximately 150 students, faculty, staff, and administrators were in attendance. This event was sponsored by the Georgia Southern Musuem and Department of Geology and Geography and was held in conjunction with "Earthquirks", an exhibit from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Following the lecture, a reception was held at the Museum. Dr. Talwani also presented a lecture entitled "Fill a lake, make a quake" on Friday, September 7th in the Geology and Geography Department. To read more about Dr. Talwani's research click on: http://www.geol.sc.edu/talwani.htm
8/17/2001
GIS is in the news again...
"Geographical Information Systems" was one of the
five proposals accepted in the initial round of screening for
Second Disciplines in the new School of Information Technology.
Second Disciplines are a vital part of the Bachelor of Science
in Information Technology (BSIT) degree that will assure that
graduates of the program have in-depth knowledge of an important
application of IT. Student enrolling in GIS as their Second Discipline
will complete 18 hours of advanced geography courses and an upper
division statistics course. Other Second Disciplines approved
in the first round include "Electronic Media," "Information
Technology and the Administration of
Justice," "Multimedia Information Technology,"
and "Information Imaging Systems." The School of Information
Technology has been on a "fast track" since the IT Task
Force was appointed in May 2000. The BS in IT and the School were
approved by the Board of Regents on
March 15, 2000. Faculty for the School have been hired and the
first 90 students admitted to the BSIT program begin their studies
this Fall. Groundbreaking for the building that will house the
School of Information Technology is expected to occur next Spring.
8/16/2001
And the 2001 COST Teaching award recipient is...
our very own Dr. Dan Good (Professor of Geography).
This award was announced at the first the College of Science and
Technology faculty meeting of the new fall semester. Congratulations
Dan!
8/10/2001
Tapping water experts... USDA grant establishes water research center
Drought continues to grip the state, and policymakers are looking
for information on which to base crucial water use decisions.
Georgia Southern is helping to provide that data. The University
recently received a $137,000 grant from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to establish the state's third center for water policy
research and education, said Dallas Rhodes, professor and
co-director of the new initiative.
The Coastal Center for Water Policy Research will partner with
Georgia State University and Albany State University, the other
two state policy centers, and serve the Southeast region of the
state. According to Rhodes, the center's agenda is still in the
planning stages, but hot topics to investigate will likely include
esturine biology, hydrology, water quality, and the effects of
salt water intrusion in the area.
Phyllis Isley, director of the Bureau of Business Research and
Economic Development, will co-direct the center.
(Article taken from Georgia Southern Magazine, Summer 2001
issue)
8/8/2001
New geography faculty joins the department...
John Jacobs (PhD candidate at Kansas State) will be joining the Faculty this fall to fill the position vacated by Dr. Sam Couch. John will be teaching introductory and upper level geography classes.
6/21/2001
Second Annual Ronald E. McNair Summer Research Symposium...
The Second Annual RONALD E. McNAIR SUMMER RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
will be held at the Russell Union (Rooms 2080 & 2047 ) on
Wednesday, June 27, 2001. Ms. Susan Moody will be presenting
at 10:00 A.M. and will discuss "Weaving a Future, Building
a Dream Modification in Traditional Hand Weaving and Dry Stone
Wall Construction of Gleancholmcille, Co. Donegal". Her Faculty
Mentor is Dr. Sam Couch.
6/6/2001
Savannah River news story features faculty...
The story that the University did on the Lower Savannah River
Project, including interviews with Drs. Susan Langley and
Dallas Rhodes is on the web site at http://news.gasou.edu
/video_news.htm This was broadcast yesterday morning on the
local cable news. Find the video icon under the story on the "Savannah
River Mapping." This requires Real Player to run the video,
but you can download it for free.
6/4/2001
Dan Good quoted in the Statesboro Herald....
Click on this link to read the story... http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=1908962&BRD=1385&PAG=461&dept_id=162357&rfi=6
5/21/2001
2001-2002 Faculty Awards of Excellence
Each year six faculty members are selected to receive Faculty
Awards of Excellence, signifying outstanding contributions in
the fields of instruction, research and scholarly activity, and
service to the institution. Our very own Dr. Fred Rich,
Professor of Geology, was the recipient of the 2001-2002 Award
for Research . He will be presented with a cast bronze medallion
designed and created by Pat Steadman, Professor of Art and a $4,000
stipend to further his academic pursuits. The award was announced
during Spring Commencement ceremonies at Paulson Stadium. Way
to go Fred!
5/14/2001
New geologist will join the Georgia Southern Geology program and Museum this fall....
Dr. Jonathan Geisler (currently at the American Museum of Natural History in NY) will be joining our department this coming fall. He will be teaching introductory level and upper division courses in paleontology. He will also be involved in curatorial duties at the Georgia Southern Museum. He recieved his M.A., M. Phil, and Ph.D. from Columbia University and B.S. from the College of Charleston.
5/4/2001
Geology and Geography end of the year celebration is a huge success....
Several students, faculty and staff attended the second end-of-the-year-party
on April 27. This event was held at Dr. Dallas Rhodes' and Dr.
Lisa Rossbachers' home and catered by Ms. Helen Cannon of Georgia's
Bed and Breakfast. Several students won awards for their accomplishments.
Amongst the awardees were Anna Austin (outstanding geology
student of the year), William Brooks (outstanding geography
student of the year), Emily Polonus (ESCAL employee of
the year award), William Chipman, Computer Science major,
and Jason Stringer (Service awards), Luke Davis
(Geology - Rookie of the year award), and Michael Robinson
(Geography - Rookie of the year award). Dr. Dallas Rhodes gave
several awards to the faculty including the Chairs Clydesdale
award to Mark Welford. Tracey Tapley coordinated
the awards for the faculty. Some of these awards included the
Rookie faculty award of the year to Susan Langley and the
Special Award for appreciation for the Death Valley Field Trip
to Dallas Rhodes.
To see images from this event, click on the link called ImageGallery!
5/3/2001
Sam Couch will be moving to Young Harris College
Dr. Sam Couch, Assistant Professor of Geography, has accepted a position as Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Young Harris College set in the north Georgia mountains. He will resign from his position at Georgia Southern effective August 1, 2001. We wish Sam the best and hope that he will stay in touch with the department.
4/9/2001
Southern Says Thanks is a big success
Departmental activities on April 7, 2001 in conjunction with Southern Says Thanks were a huge success. Drs. Pranoti Asher, Dallas Rhodes, and Fred Rich worked very hard to get the Geology and Geography displays and activites planned. (Fool's) Gold panning and volcanic eruptions along with flexible dinosaurs and globe keychains were the most popular items which attracted many kids and adults. Approximately 1000 dinosaurs were distributed during the four-hour stint. Drs. Langley, Reichard, and Vance assisted with the activities.
4/4/2001
Geology major Luke Davis makes the news...
Our newest geology major, Freshman Luke Davis has been accepted to participate in a Keck project in Minnesota this coming summer. Our hearty congratulations to Luke!
3/30/2001
Geography faculty participate in International Week Events on campus.....
Sam Couch will present a colloquim on "Chinese Miners Place Attachement to the United States on April 3 at 2 pm in the Russell Union (Room 2047) and Mark Welford will present a colloquim on "Into the Rainforest: An Environment on the Edge" on April 4 at 3 pm at the same location. Everyone is encouraged to attend.
3/29/2001
Geography student in the news.....
Geography minor, Susan Moody, was selected as scholar in the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program for the 2001-2002 term. Samuel L. Couch, Assistant Professor of Geography, was named her Faculty Mentor. As part of her studies in traditional material culture, Ms. Moody and Dr. Couch will conduct research in Ireland during the summer of 2001. Results will be presented at a Georgia Southern McNair Symposium on June 27, 2001 and at the Undergraduate Research Scholars Conference held at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in early July. Research stipends are awarded to both the McNair Scholars and to their Faculty Mentors.
The McNair program identifies, recruits, and selects underrepresented
undergraduate students who have the potential and desire to succeed
in graduate school.
3/19/2001
Geology undergrads in the news.....
Geology majors Cori Cowen and Eric Wink receive
College of Science and Technology Academic Excellence Awards.
Cori was awarded $150 for her project on the Structural and kinematic
analysis of the Eastern Western Blue Ridge contact in the northern
half of the Weavervill, N.C. 7.5 minute quadrangle.
Eric was awarded $300 for his project on an analysis of the past
behavior of the San Andreas Fault in the Carrizo Plain, California.
3/8/2001
Tony Foyle will be moving to Pennsylvania.....
Dr. Anthony Foyle (Georgia Southern's Applied Coastal Research Laboratory) will be leaving Georgia Southern University to accept a tenure-track position at Penn State, the Behrend College, starting this July/August. We are pleased that Tony has been part of the Georgia Southern family. We wish him the very best in his new position.
2/22/2001
New geographer will join the Georgia Southern Geography program this fall
Ms. Nancy Leathers (currently at Kansas State University, Ph.D. expected this semester) will be joining our department this coming fall. She will be involved in teaching G