Tom Hickson was born in Oakland, California.  He completed a B.S. at Hayward State University and an M.A. at the University of Texas at Austin.  He received his PhD from Stanford University in 1999 from the department of Geological and Environmental Sciences.  His research interests include river processes and geomorphology, physical processes of sediment transport, and the interpretation of earth history based on sedimentary and chemical evidence in the rock record.  He has also been very active in developing new and effective approaches to teaching in the geosciences, including project-based courses, active learning in large enrollment courses, the integration of real data into the undergraduate curriculum, and innovations in curricular design that improve student learning.  He currently teaches:

• Geology 115, Environmental Geology
• Geology 252, Earth surface processes and geomorphology
• Geology 260, Regional geology and geological field methods (J-term off-campus course in the desert southwest)
• Geology 320, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• Geology 430, Advanced Earth history (senior capstone course)