Dr. Margaret “Beth” E. McMillan is a professor of earth sciences and chair of the Department of Earth Sciences. McMillan serves the public through her expertise as a geoscientist by aiding and educating local communities.
McMillan serves the public through her strong advocacy for science education. She has given numerous presentations and workshops on geology to local school groups and public organizations, presented at regional and national conferences, and delivered several national-level lectures.
She lectured at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and Colorado College in September 2016. She helped host, organize, and run the annual meetings of the 2018 South-Central Section of the Geological Society of America held in Little Rock. Her efforts were recognized by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the mayor of Little Rock presented McMillan and her team with a 2018 Little Rock “Rock Star” award for their work on the conference.
She has spoken at UA Little Rock’s EARTHtalk!, a popular lecture series that covers a broad range of earth-related topics.
McMillan has also leveraged her expertise as a geoscientist to help in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, McMillan volunteered with the URISA GISCorps to contribute her knowledge and skills on geospatial information systems (GIS) by working the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to create maps for first responders.
She is a member of the Arkansas GIS Users Forum and was appointed by Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe to serve two terms on the Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Board including serving as both vice chairman and chairman. The board helps the state of Arkansas develop and maintain its geospatial resources for the benefit of its citizens. In this capacity, McMillan facilitated internship opportunities for her students with entities such as First Electric Cooperatives, Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Corporation, Clinton National Airport, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and the Arkansas Geological Survey (AGS).
McMillan holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming, an M.S. from the Colorado School of Mines, and a B.A. from Colorado College.