News and Events


Calendar:

October 22nd - Guest Speaker: Ben Jacob Novak
"Molecular Paleontology: The Truth, The Myth, and an Evolution Revolution
Ben is the Curator of the Lewis and Clark Trail Museum in North Dakota, and studies the application of ancient DNA and molecular paleontology towards evolutionary theory and conservation biology. He will also discuss several recent advances in Paleontology, including research that holds important implications on dinosaur paleontology and fossilization processes.
4 p.m., O'Leary Center, Room 232.

October 26 & 27: Information sessions for Bucknell in Scotland: Reading the Rocks
This will be a three-week summer course providing an experiential, interdisciplinary study of geology and literature based in the geological and historical wonderland of Scotland.
Both sessions start at 8 p.m. in O'Leary Room 103 (October 26th and O'Leary Room 232 (October 27th).

Saturday,October 31st: Halloween Fossil Collecting Trip and Nature Hike
Collect 350-400 million year-old marine fossils!

  • Definite: coral, crinoids, bivalves brachiopods and bryozoa;
  • Probable: trilobites, ammonites, nautiloids and plant leaves;
  • Possible: eurypterids (sea scorpions), fish

Also, we'll explore the Bucknell Natural Area on a short hike.
Depart 7th St. entrance to O'Leary Center at 9 a.m., return ~3 p.m.  Bring sack lunch, water, boots/sneakers/rainwear, layers to get dirty. Field equipment and handouts provided. An email will be sent Friday evening confirming the trip, or cancelling if rain is forecast.
Open to all students at no cost.  Email Prof. Jeff Trop (jtrop) to sign up.

November 2nd: Information session for Special Topic Course GEOL322: Tectonic Petrology.
7:30 p.m., O'Leary 106.

November 2nd: Information session for the 2010 Geology Spring Break Trip: From Yuma to the Grand Canyon.
8:00 p.m., O'Leary 106. (more information)

November 13th -  Dr. Jamie Jones, University of Arkansas, Little Rock
"U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology of Proterozoic quartzites in the southwestern United States: an essential tool for regional correlation, tectonic studies, and more..."
12 - 1 p.m., O'Leary Center, Room 103.

 

Congratulations!

Professor Carl Kirby Joined seven other Bucknell Professors who were promoted to the rank of Full Professor. The Board of Trustees awards the rank of Full Professor to those individuals who have demonstrated their excellence in teaching, scholarship and service to the community. See Dr. Kirby's faculty profile.

 

Professor Jeff Trop was awarded the William Pierce Boger Jr. M.D. Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Natural Sciences at the Bucknell 2009 graduation ceremony (view award page). In the photo above, Dr. Trop is flanked by some of our 2009 graduating seniors: (l-r) Edward Bauer, Christine Kassab, Daniel Hubacz, Cara Porteus, Josh Linthicum and Christina Butera. View Dr. Trop's faculty profile.


New Courses!

Bucknell on the Susquehanna is a new class for 2010, designed for rising juniors and seniors and is part of Bucknell's Domestic Study Abroad Program. This course will be co-taught by Drs. Craig Kochel (Geology), Matt McTammany (Biology) and Peter Wilhusen (Environmental Studies) and is open to hard-working and self-motivated students interested in taking an in-depth look at the natural and cultural history, patterns, and processes in the Susquehanna River Valley, along with human-environment and land-water interactions. This course is supported by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to the Bucknell Environmental Center. more information

Bucknell in Scotland: Reading the Rocks is a three-week summer course (May - June, 2010) that provides an experiential, interdisciplinary study of geology and literature based on the geological and historical wonders of Scotland. This course is being taught by Drs. Chris Daniel (Geology) and Virginia Zimmerman (English). For more information, contact vlzimmer@bucknell.edu or cdaniel@bucknell.edu.

GEOL 322 Special Topics: Tectonic Petrology is a new, integrated class taught by Geology Professors Jeff Trop and Chris Daniel, and will apply geochronology and petrology (sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous) to decipher regional tectonics. Prerequisite: GEOL 217 or permission.


New Equipment!

 Recirculating apparatus for sediment flume

In mid-October, construction was completed on the Geology Department's new 40-foot Recirculating Sediment Flume which is located in the Flume Lab (where else!) in the O'Leary Center. The system is a self-contained, recirculating channel, designed for sediment transportation. Without sediment, is can move water at a rate of 4,000 gallons /minute. The channel is made of 10, 4' sections of abrasion-resistant plexiglass and was designed and installed by Engineering Laboratory Designs, Inc., of Lake City Minnesota. Other features include a rainfall simulator, channel dividers, a plexiglass insert for sapping studies, the ability to raise the channel up to a 4-degree slope, and an adjustable tailgate to control base level. In the near future it will be computer-controlled to permit long-term complex studies and will have a rail-mounted laser-mapping system (currently under construction). A web page dedicated to the Flume Lab is being planned, complete with a web cam so the experiments can be viewed remotely.