List of Courses
GEOL 111: Emergence of Life
GEOL 143: History of Life
GEOL 118: Natural Disasters
GEOL 208: History of the Earth System
GEOL 417: Geology Field Methods: WUFC
GEOL 440: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
GEOL 497: Special Topics in Geology – Paleobiology
GEOL 111: Emergence of Life (online)
Introduces non-science majors to the ever-changing field of Evolutionary Biology, where we look at the new theories and ideas of how life came to be on our planet, how life evolved and try to answer the question: Is there life in the cosmos? 8 week online course
GEOL 143: History of Life
A look into the evolution of life from its very beginning to the emergence of humans. We explore the key events in the Earth’s history that paved the way for life and the key events in Evolutionary history that chemically and physically changed the Earth to make it suitable for its inhabitants. The course covers the explosion of animal life (invertebrates), the invasion of the land plants and the filling of the skies (insects), mass extinction events, the dawn and demise of the Dinosaurs, and the rise of the mammals. Lecture and Lab
GEOL 118: Natural Disasters
We look at current natural disasters and explore the devastation, causes, risks, and effects of violent events on our Earth. This course is designed to encourage students to be world citizens and be aware that natural disasters are events that we cannot always prevent but we can reduce their effect on people’s lives. Natural disasters that we focus on are: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Landslides, Floods, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Global Climate Change, and Meteorite Impacts. Lecture
GEOL 208: History of the Earth System
This course steps through the early beginnings, formation, and the evolution of the Earth and its dynamic systems (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere). Specifically we focus on the major events throughout Earth’s history that irreversibly changed it into a planet that allowed life to evolve, mountains to form, oceans to rise, and continents to tear apart. Lecture, Lab, and Field Trip to the St. Francois Mtns in Southeastern Missouri
GEOL 417: Geological Field Methods: WUFC
Field course that focuses on the geology of the Wasatch-Uinta range in Park City, Utah (part of the Wasatch-Uinta Field Camp). This is an intensive course that provides practical experience in geological mapping, as well as instruction in field structural, stratigraphic, geomorphologic, and petrologic analysis. 6 week summer field course
GEOL 440: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
This course focuses on the stratigraphic and sedimentologic record of Earth’s dynamic history. Ancient Marine depositional environments of both siliciclastic and carbonate systems will be explored in great detail focusing on the principles of sedimentology, the correlation of changing environments through stratigraphy, and the applications of sedimentology and stratigraphy towards sequence stratigraphy and basin-scale analysis. Lecture, Lab and Several Field Trips to Western Indiana and Northeastern Kentucky.
See the following blog from my Spring 2015 TA’s experience on our Kentucky Fieldtrip: Writing the Rocks
GEOL 497: Paleobiology
This course investigates the record of ancient life forms, specifically invertebrates, from bacteria to snails to plants. Topics that are covered in the course include: how the fossil record informs our understanding of evolutionary processes including speciation; the causes and consequences of mass extinctions; how fossils help us tell time and reconstruct Earth’s climactic and tectonic history; statistical analysis of the fossil record to reconstruct biodiversity through time; analysis of fossil morphology to recreate the biomechanics of extinct organisms; and using fossil communities to reconstruct past ecosystems. Lecture, Lab and a Field Trip to Southeastern Indiana and Northwestern Kentucky.