Meetings in SCLB 156
The Provost’s Assessment Advisory Group awarded the Department of Earth Sciences Assessment Expo Poster Exhibit the “best of the best” award in the incorporation of assessment of student learning outcomes into decision-making and development.
Joshua Blackstock, a Geology major, was awarded Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship for 2008-2009 academic year for District 6150. This award provides a year abroad to a country of the student’s choice (TBA) in order to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. His tour will consist of coursework and presentations on local and global environmental issues to different rotary clubs around the host country. Congratulations, Josh!
Dr. Jeffrey Connelly was awarded the McNair Research Scholars Mentor of the Year Award at the McNair Scholars Program annual research symposium and awards ceremony. Dr. Connelly mentored McNair Scholar and Geology Major Casee Lemons, who conducted a research project that evaluated the utility of deformation twinning in calcite in assessing the origin of potential impact structures.
Erin Miller, Matt Spahrler, Mikey Tackett and Josh Blackstock, geology club members) and Amy Robinson (Geology Club faculty advisor) had a Department of Earth Sciences booth at the Fourche Creek Watershed Appreciation Day.
Geology Club helps clean up Coleman Creek on campus. Special thanks go to Matt, Josh B., Ernie, Levi, Erin, Ariel, and Josh J. (adjunct faculty) for spending their Saturday morning improving Coleman Creek one trash bag at a time! Photos will be uploaded shortly!
Senior geology major Jonathan Skyles won best poster in June, 2007 at the North Central-South Central section Geological Society of America meeting at the University of Kansas at Lawrence. It was one of 151 oral and written presentations competing for eight awards. Skyles won Best Undergraduate Poster for his work with research mentor Professor Stephen Leslie. Skyles’ winning presentation was titled The Use of Sequence Stratigraphy to Predict the Distribution of Conodonts in the Fayetteville Shale, Northern Arkansas.
The research concerns condonts, a small group of tiny fossils that may be the earliest vertebrates. The presence of condonts’ fossil remains in rocks can give clues to the thermal histories and age relations of rocks – relationships that hold great significance in the search for oil and gas deposits. Leslie’s research is supported by two National Science Foundation grants and a grant from the Petroleum Research Fund. Skyles is currently an intern working for the United States Geological Survey Water Science Center in Little Rock.