Field Work out West

When I opened up the email from Dr. Dworkin this morning, this picture made me smile (always a good thing in the dark, small hours of the day).


Here they are . . . still stuck in Petrified Forest National Park, conducting a research project on Triassic terrestrial paleoclimate reconstructions. That's Dr. D. in the middle with a couple of Ph.D. students, Aislyn Trendell (see below) on the left and David Clevland on the right.

Baylor Students Speak at FWGS

Last Monday, three Baylor geo-types were the speakers at the regular monthly luncheon meeting of the Ft. Worth Geological Society. They were:

Aislyn Trendell - CHANNELS, OVERBANKS AND PALEOSOLS: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE, BASE LEVEL AND CYCLIC LITHOFACIES HETEROGENEITY WITHIN THE TRIASSIC SONSELA MEMBER, PFNP ARIZONA



Jason S Mintz - ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOLOGICAL VARIABILITY OF MIDDLE DEVONIAN (GIVETIAN) FORESTED PALEOSOLS IN THE CATSKILL REGION, APPALACHIAN BASIN, NEW YORK

Aaron Shunk - Evidence for strong solar forcing of Late Neogene climate derived from lacustrine varves and fossil wood collected at the Gray Fossil Site, northeastern TN, USA

Kudo's to these three and good luck to Aaron as he defends his study NEXT WEEK! (Sorry guys but I had no pictures from New York or Tennessee.)

2/27/09 - Board Meeting Minutes

Baylor University Alumni Advisory Board 2/27/2009 Meeting, 1424 Washington Ave.

Attending:

Art Bishop

Sue Bishop

Robert Springer

Matt Pranter

Tom Moore

Ana Marie Whiteside

Joe Whiteside

Jim Bain

Jay Pulliam

Josh Talbert

Eric Abercrombie

Stacy Atchley

Comments and Meeting Highlights:

1. Attendees agreed that for alumni advisory board members to be energized to actively participate and contribute, they need clearly stated departmental needs they can act upon, and departmental activities (technical and social) they can rally around, e.g., the current science symposium and fieldtrip.

2. Attendees all agree that it is not the departments job to organize or run the board. The department's job is to facilitate activities for participation, and at these activities, to communicate needs that the board can mobilize to support.

3. All agreed that to assist the board in self-organizing and insuring high attendance at board meetings, the Department of Geology should provide the board with an alumni (and board member) roster and associated contact information so that they can self-police attendance, membership and participation. In addition, the board requests a departmental calendar of activities be provided for each semester and/or academic year.

4. Robert Springer was nominated and unanimously voted by the attendees of this meeting as the next board Chair.

5. Jay Pulliam did an excellent job of promoting his geophysics proposal. After much discussion on how, if at all, the board could support Jay's proposal, Stacy Atchley summarized that funding for the several new positions would likely exceed the board's fundraising capability, and that funding would necessarily need to be provided by Baylor. The boards role would likely be in rallying support, via communications to the Baylor administration, emphasizing the necessity of the proposed positions.

6. Eric Abercrombie summarized recent alumni gifting (Carlisle magnetometer to the Thomas W. Goforth Paleomagnetism Laboratory, Connie Hudson OT Hayward Excellence Fund), and discussed the status of the Spencer-Jenness Geology Library Endowment and Geology Resource Endowment Fund. Eric indicated that the Spencer-Jenness fund is actively accruing spendable income, and that the Geology Resource Endowment Fund would reach a spendable balance with additional gifting of $100. In response, board members promptly offered up cash and checks. Eric collected $1000.

Respectfully submitted,

Stacy Atchley, Associate Chair

First Field Trip to the Brownwood Spillway

Are you a card-carrying member of the BGS - I'm pretty sure I have my card around here somewhere.

The new BGS held an alumni weekend gathering this year, February 27 and 28. Friday afternoon, the students held a research symposium with students and professors presenting ten of their current study topics (alums were impressed with the range of topics and the professionalism of the presentations).


On Saturday they led a field trip to the Brownwood Spillway, discussing aspects of late Pennsylvanian sequence stratigraphy displayed on outcrop there. There was even a guidebook with measured sections, diagrams illustrating concepts discussed, references and everything - it was well done. A few of the Baylor Geo Alums were able to attend and I was lucky enough to be one. Here are some of the pics.

Inquiring minds want to know if/when we can expect a repeat performance. This weekend was a great way to see what the students are doing, where the department is moving.

Spring 2009 Field Trip photos from Jim Bain

Jim sent me a whole CD of photos a couple of weeks ago and I've finally taken the time / had a chance to post them here.

Thanks, Jim.