Pranoti Asher posing next to pillow basalts at Port San Luis, CA .
Pranoti M. Asher was born and raised in Bombay, India. She received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Geology from the University of Bombay, India and a Ph.D. in the Geological sciences from the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Connecticut, Storrs.
Asher has been teaching a variety of geology courses at various
institutions for the past twelve years. In 2003 she received tenure
and was promoted to Associate Professor of Geology in the Department
of Geology and Geography at Georgia Southern University. At Georgia
Southern, she is involved in teaching Introduction
to Earth (formerly known as Physical Geology), Mineralogy,
Petrology, Volcanology, and Regional
Field Geology. She is the recipient of the 2004 College of
Science and Technology Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2005
Georgia Southern University Teaching Excellence Award. She was
also chosen as the 2005 Faculty Fellow at the Center
for Excellence in Teaching where she will be involved in promoting
faculty development at the University.
From 1995-97, she taught introductory level courses in Physical
Geology, Geohazards, and Oceanography in the Division of Natural
Sciences at Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Prior to that she taught at the Department of Geology at Pomona
College in Claremont, California. While at Pomona from 1993-95,
she taught Optical Mineralogy, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology,
Physical Oceanography, Geology of National Parks, and Physical
Geology. She also advised independent studies in Igneous Geochemistry
and Tectonics and supervised a variety of senior theses. From
1992-93 she was hired by the Department of Geology at Colby
College in Waterville, Maine as a Laboratory Instructor for
Physical and Historical Geology.
Asher's research includes understanding the nature and mechanisms
of crustal contamination of Mesozoic diabase dikes and continental
flood basalts in New England. She has used petrographic and geochemical
techniques to categorize the nature of the contamination. She
is also involved in the field of zeolite, clay, and serpentine
mineralogy and geochemistry with Dr. Edward Cloutis, an expert
on spectroscopic analysis of minerals, from the University of
Winnipeg, Canada. This research is underway at the present time.
She is also interested in in research on pedagogy and teaching
students with disabilities.
In 2003 Pranoti Asher (P.I) and Kelly Vance (co-PI) were 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 them 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.
Asher has served as a Delegate Member-At-Large and is currently
the Publicist for the Association
for Women Geoscientists. She has also served as a Councilor-at-large
for the National Association for
Geoscience Teachers. Additionally, she continues to stay involved
in departmental service as the departmental webmaster and newsletter
co-editor. She has also been involved in service as the lab coordinator
for Physical Geology and organized the revived the departmental
seminar series from 1998-2000. Most recently she also served as
the Chair of the Departments Curriculum Committee.
She was the recipient of the 2004 Distinguished Service Award
given by the Association for Women
Geoscientists.
Asher's primary work experience has been in the academic environment via teaching geology classes at Georgia Southern University, Grand Rapids Community College, Pomona College, and Colby College. She was also a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant at the University of Connecticut.
In review- manuscript
Asher, P.M., and Owens, B. E.; Poster Projects in Upper-Division
Geology Courses: Pros, Pointers, and Pitfalls: submitted to Journal
of Geoscience Education in March 2002.
Refereed Publications and Conference Proceedings
Cloutis, E. A., Asher, P.M., and Mertzman, S. A.; 2002; Spectral
reflectance properties of zeolites and remote sensing implications:
Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 107, no. E9, p. 5-1 - 5-19.
Asher, P. M.; 2001; Teaching an Introductory Physical Geology Course to a Student with Visual Impairment: Journal of Geoscience Education: v. 49, no. 2, p. 166-169.
Marcino, D., Cloutis, E., Asher, P. M., Strong, J., Russell, B., and Goltz, D.; 2001; Spectral-compositional properties of iron-bearing clays: Remote sensing implications; In Lunar and Planetary Science XXXII, # 1199, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston.
Cloutis, E.A., Asher, P.M., Mertzman, S.A., and Guertin, M.; 2001; Spectral reflectance properties of zeolite group minerals; In Lunar and Planetary Science XXXII, # 1202, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston.
Cloutis, E. A, Asher, P. M., Mertzman, S. A., and Guertin, M; 2000; Spectral-compositional properties of zeolites; In Lunar and Planetary Science XXXI, # 1172, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston.
Cloutis, E. A, Asher, P. M., Mertzman, S. A., and Guertin, M; 2000; Spectral reflectance properties of zeolites; In Lunar and Planetary Science XXXI, # 1174, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston.
Brady, J. B., Cheney, J. T., and Asher, P. M.; 1999; Melting of pelitic schists in central Massachusetts: Twelfth Keck Research Symposium in Geology Proceedings; Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, p. 26-28.
Asher, P. M., and Philpotts, A. R.; 1995; Pyroxene Geothermometry of the first magma in Connecticut associated with the Mesozoic rifting of Eastern North America: eds. R. Srivastava and R. Chandra in "Magmatism in relation to diverse tectonic settings", Oxford and IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi, p. 79-91.
Philpotts, A. R., and Asher, P. M.; 1994; Magmatic flow-direction indicators in a giant diabase feeder dike, Connecticut: Geology; V. 22, p. 363-366.
Philpotts, A. R., and Asher, P. M.; 1993; Wallrock melting and reaction effects along the Higganum diabase dike in Connecticut: Contamination of a continental flood basalt feeder: Journal of Petrology; V. 34, Part 5, p 1029-1058.
Philpotts, A. R., and Asher, P. M.; 1992; The first Mesozoic magma of the Hartford basin: Examination of the feeder dike, a laccolith, and the Talcott lava flow: New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference, V. 1, p. 67-85.
Asher, P. M., and Bugden, W.; 1991; Connecticut Rocks: Natural Resources Center, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 17 p.
Abstracts for national and regional meetings (Since 1999)
Asher, P. M., Vance, R. K., and Jenkins, S. J.; 2005; Project-based
learning in an environmental geology laboratory course: Pros,
Pointers, and Pitfalls: Geological Society of America Abstracts
with Programs, National Meeting, Vol. 37, No. 7, p. 85.
Kelley M. S., Asher P. M., Welten K. C., Jull A. J. T., Shultz
L., Roden M., Mertzman S. A. , and Albin E. F., 2005, Analysis
of the Statesboro, Georgia Shock-darkened L5 Chondrite: In Lunar
and Planetary Science XXXV, Abstract # 1483, Lunar and Planetary
Institute, Houston.
Asher, P. M.; Vance, R. K.; and Jenkins, S. J.; 2004; XRD Analysis
and Project-based Learning in an Environmental Geology Laboratory
Course: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs,
National Meeting, Vol. 36, No. 5, p. 218.
Vance, R. K.; Asher, P. M.; and Jenkins, S.; 2004; Using XRD to investigate construction minerals and health hazards in Environmental Geology Labs: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, National Meeting, Vol. 36, No. 5, p. 218.
Kelley, M. S.; Asher, P. M.; Welton, K. C.; and Mertzman, S.
A.; 2004; Responding to public requests for analyses: Lessons
learned from the Statesboro Meteorite: Geological Society of America
Abstracts with Programs, National Meeting, Vol. 36, No. 5, p.
217.
Asher, P. M. and Dutrow, B.; 2003; Modeling and Databases for
Teaching Petrology: Eos Trans. American Geophysical Union,
Vol. 84, No. 46, Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract ED51A-07.
Asher, P. M.; 2003; Using Data to teach the Petrology of Volcanic
Rocks: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs,
National Meeting, Vol. 34, No. 7, p. 121.
Asher, P. M.; Vance, R. K., and Cook, H. P.; 2003; A Preliminary
Report on the Mesozoic Diabase Dikes from Georgia: Geological
Society of America Abstracts with Programs, South-Central and
Southeastern Meeting, Vol. 35, No. 1, p. 28.
Asher, P. M.; 2002; Petrographic and Geochemical analysis of a
Diabase Dike from North Harpswell, Maine: A Preliminary Report:
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, National
Meeting, Vol. 34, No. 6, p. A391.
Cloutis, E. A., Asher, P. M., Marcino, D., Strong, J., Russell, B., and Goltz, D.; 2001; Spectral-Compostional Properties of Iron-Bearing Sheet Silicates: Remote Sensing Implications: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, National Meeting, Vol. 33, No. 6, p. A308.
Cloutis, E. A, Asher, P. M., Mertzman, S. A., and Guertin, M; 2000; Spectral reflectance and compositional properties of common zeolites: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, National Meeting, Vol. 32, No. 7, p. A374.
Owens, B. E., and Asher, P. M.; 2000; Poster Project: An alternative method to "write and do research" in upper division geology courses: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, National Meeting, Vol. 32, No. 7, p. A205.
Asher, P. M.; 1999; Teaching an Introductory Physical Geology Course to a Visually-Impaired Student: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, National Meeting; V. 31; No. 7; p. A 273.
Asher, P. M.; 1999; Petrographic and Geochemical Characterization of a Mesozoic Dike in Southern New England: Implications for Igneous Processes in Diabase Dikes: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Southeastern Section Meeting, V. 31, No. 3, p. A2.
Gomez, R., Menton, S., Asher, P.M., Brady, J. B., and Cheney, J. T; 1999; Characterization and geochemical analysis of low-grade metamorphic pelitic schists in central Massachusetts: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Southcentral Section Meeting, V. 31, No. 1, p. A9.
Harrington, D. F., Cheney, J. T., Brady, J. B., and Asher, P. M., 1999; Experimental investigation of dehydration-melting in muscovite-bearing pelitic schists from central Massachusetts: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Northeastern Section Meeting, V. 31, No. 2, p. A21.
Zayac, T., Asher, P. M., Sigmon, J. D., Thomson, J. A., Brady, J. B., and Cheney, J. T; 1999; Experimental melting and analysis of a pelitic schist from central Massachusetts: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Southeastern Section Meeting, V. 31, No. 3, p. A78.
|
|
|
|