|
|
Spring Quarter
This quarter I
will be teaching Ig-Met and GSC 111 along with Megascopic Petrography. I have had to overload due to budget
constraints. I will be doing the
usual Ig-Met trip to Mammoth Lakes, but it was very difficult to get approval
for the trip due to the budget problems (see discussion below)
Research News
I attended the
GSA meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada last month. I coauthored a poster session on
Cenozoic volcanism in the southern Owens Valley with Julie Brown and Jessy
Bruns. Last year I authored or co-authored four presentations on volcanism in
the southern Owens Valley and near Baker, CA. I also published a paper on the
latter. While at the GSA meeting I met with Kim Bishop (CSLA) and Brandon
Brown (CSF) to set up a field trip next spring to the Owens Valley for Bob
Reynolds and the California Desert Studies Symposium. I will be very busy between now and
them preparing papers on research that involved Cami Anderson, Ashley
Varnell, Matt Lusk and Julie Brown.
In addition I hope to also publish something on the Blue Chert Au
deposit in the Long Valley caldera.
If you or anyone you know has recent research in the Owens Valley they
would like to contribute to the symposium and field trip, olease let me know.
Campus News
We
are really cramped for space right now because building 3 has been closed for
renovation until Fall 2008. We
are being forced to conduct many of our large G.E. lectures in portable
classrooms behind the Music building.
In addition, we are under attack by the administration on this campus
whose agenda seems to be the elimination of the Geological Sciences
Department in favor of an Environmental Sciences program. Given that growth for geology is
projected at 27% over the next three years (three times the national average
for all occupations) and starting salaries are exceeding those of MBAs by
$10,000 this viewpoint seems to be both short-sighted and woefully
mis-informed. However, if one
examines the credentials of our current administration it is not unexpected.
Any help or support for the department that would improve our campus profile
would be greatly appreciated.
|
New Equipment
We have no new
equipment this year whatsoever.
Due to budget problems we have even been forced to bring in our own
copy paper and printer cartridges.
Field trips have been eliminated and class size increased. We have also had to lay off some part
time instructors. There has been
no reason given officially for this year’s budget shortfall, but it
appears to be largely restricted to the College of Science. Next year the situation could get
worse, much worse. We are
soliciting alumni and friends to raise money to cover future field trip
expenses and equipment purchases.
We would welcome any help we can get in the form of monetary or equipment
donations. The strength of our
department depends on the ability to provide top notch field and laboratory
experiences for our students. The
pending State budget crisis could severely impact our mission.
Geology Page
You probably have noticed that the Geology page underwent a complete
overhaul. We now have to conform
to the ADA act so all Cal Poly pages have to have the same “look and
feel”, meaning they are template generated. I do not like the “new”
look but can’t argue with the University administration. We were initially told the changes
won’t involve faculty pages, but have subsequently heard otherwise from
those higher up. Rest assured I
will resist any effort to change my Home Page; I have put far too much effort
into it.
|
